Lamprais (Dutch Burgher Rice Parcel)

Name: Lamprais (Dutch Burgher Rice Parcel)
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Sri Lanka
Ingredients: White rice (2 cups) — 400 g (14.1 oz); Meat or chicken stock (2 cups), for cooking the rice — 500 ml (2 cups); Mixed beef and pork or chicken, cubed, for the mixed meat curry (10.5 oz) — 300 g (10.6 oz); Minced beef or chicken, for frikkadels/meatballs (7 oz) — 200 g (7.1 oz); Egg — 1; Sri Lankan curry powder (2 tablespoons) — 15 g (0.5 oz); Onion, finely chopped (150 g) — 1; Small aubergine, sliced (200 g) — 1; Blachan (dried shrimp paste), for sambol (1 tablespoon) [omit for vegetarian] — 10 g (0.4 oz); Dried red chillies — 3; Seeni sambol (sweet caramelised onion relish, 120 g) — 1/2 cup; Ghee or coconut oil (2 tablespoons) — 30 ml (2 tbsp); Salt — to taste; Banana leaf, softened over a flame, for wrapping — 4 pieces

The Quirky Foodster Team

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Servings

Ingredients

White rice (2 cups) — 400 g (14.1 oz)
Meat or chicken stock (2 cups), for cooking the rice — 500 ml (2 cups)
Mixed beef and pork or chicken, cubed, for the mixed meat curry (10.5 oz) — 300 g (10.6 oz)
Minced beef or chicken, for frikkadels/meatballs (7 oz) — 200 g (7.1 oz)
Egg — 1
Sri Lankan curry powder (2 tablespoons) — 15 g (0.5 oz)
Onion, finely chopped (150 g) — 1
Small aubergine, sliced (200 g) — 1
Blachan (dried shrimp paste), for sambol (1 tablespoon) [omit for vegetarian] — 10 g (0.4 oz)
Dried red chillies — 3
Seeni sambol (sweet caramelised onion relish, 120 g) — 1/2 cup
Ghee or coconut oil (2 tablespoons) — 30 ml (2 tbsp)
Salt — to taste
Banana leaf, softened over a flame, for wrapping — 4 pieces

Method

Cook the rice in the meat stock with a little ghee until just done and grains are separate, then set aside.
Make the mixed meat curry: brown the cubed meat with onion and curry powder, then simmer with a little water until tender and the sauce is fairly dry, about 25 minutes.
Make frikkadels by mixing the minced meat with egg, a little curry powder and salt, shaping into small balls, and shallow-frying until browned and cooked through.
Fry the aubergine slices in oil until golden and soft.
Pound the blachan with dried chillies and a little salt to make the sambol paste, or use pre-made seeni sambol as the accompanying relish.
Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Lay a softened banana leaf square on a work surface, place a portion of rice in the centre, then top with a share of meat curry, two frikkadels, aubergine slices and a spoon of sambol.
Fold the banana leaf into a tight parcel and secure with toothpicks or string. Repeat for all 4 portions.
Place parcels seam-side down on a baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the banana leaf is fragrant and the parcel is heated through.
Serve the parcels closed, so each person opens their own at the table.

Introduction: Lamprais comes from the Dutch Burgher community of Sri Lanka, descendants of Dutch colonial settlers, and its name derives from the Dutch 'lomprijst' meaning a packet of food.

Cultural Background: Lamprais comes from the Dutch Burgher community of Sri Lanka, descendants of Dutch colonial settlers, and its name derives from the Dutch 'lomprijst' meaning a packet of food. It is a labour-intensive dish: rice cooked in meat stock, a mixed meat curry, a spiced meatball (frikkadels), fried aubergine, a blachan (shrimp paste) sambol and a seeni sambol are all bundled together in a banana leaf and baked, so the flavours steam into one another. Traditionally made for special weekend lunches, it is one of the clearest edible traces of Sri Lanka's colonial-era communities.

Tips: Soften banana leaves briefly over a gas flame or in a hot dry pan – this makes them pliable and stops them tearing when folded. If banana leaves aren't available, wrap tightly in parchment and then foil, though the aroma will be less authentic. Make the individual components a day ahead and assemble the parcels just before baking to save time.

Variations: Vegetarian lamprais substitutes the meats with a mixed vegetable curry, boiled eggs and fried aubergine. Some households add a boiled egg cut in half to each parcel for extra richness. A vegetarian version exists using vegetable curry, paneer or boiled egg frikkadels and omitting blachan from the sambol; it is not typically made vegan due to ghee and egg.

Storage: Refrigerate assembled, unbaked parcels for up to 1 day, or store baked parcels for up to 2 days.

Reheating: Reheat whole parcels in a 160C (325F) oven for 15 minutes, or unwrap and microwave the contents for 2 minutes.

Nutrition: Approx. 640 kcal, 34 g protein, 26 g fat, 66 g carbohydrates, 4 g fibre per serving (1 parcel)

FAQs:

Q: Do I have to use banana leaf?

A: Banana leaf is what gives lamprais its signature aroma and is considered essential by purists, but parchment paper can substitute in a pinch.

Q: What is a frikkadel?

A: A small spiced meatball of Dutch origin, similar to a meatball, that is a defining component of lamprais alongside the mixed meat curry.

Q: Why is lamprais considered a special-occasion dish rather than everyday food?

A: Because it requires preparing five or six separate components before assembly, it is traditionally reserved for weekends or celebrations rather than quick weekday meals.