Gayani Jayathilake

So, we are back in Sri Lanka for a holiday and most of the trees in my mother-in-law’s house are thriving with fruit. Not to mention an abundance of Ambarella, copious Ceylon Olives (Veralu) that keep falling onto the roof and keep waking me up in the night (bah!),Pera (Guava), big voluptuous kind of citrus (Jam bola) keep falling… ! I’m in tropical bliss! Every day I have some sought of smoothie! Suddenly I came up with the weird craving of Veralu accharu. My husband , the ever-so-creative guy came up with the idea of Ambarella and Veralu accharu. I have had Veralu accharu and Ambarella accharu, but never “Veralu and Ambarella accharu. Believe me people it was so flavoursome and succulent! Well, here it is!

Ingredients

• About 20 unripened Veralu (Ceylon Olives)
• About 5 or 6 unripened Ambarella
• A bit of sugar
• A bit of salt
• A bit of red chillie powder
• A bit of pepper
• A wee bit of vinegar

[Of course all the above quantities can be changed according to your taste.]

Boil the Veralu (Ceylon Olives) for about half an hour. When they are well boiled they split. Peel the Ambarella as in the picture above.

Mildly crush the Veralu in a Mortar. Squash them so as to have small pieces. Do the same to the Ambarella.

To add more flavour to it we add in one slightly ripened Ambarella.

Next, add in the squashed Veralu, squashed Ambarella, salt, pepper, chillie powder, sugar and a dash of vinegar into the mortar and mildly crush together.

This is so finger licking good, which reminded me I need to go make another.