Jaffna Sodhi is a quick, light, and easy Sri Lankan coconut milk curry that takes minutes to make- a great wholesome lunch idea.
If you’re having one of those days when you’re trying to put something homemade and healthy on the table, but still don’t want to put a lot of effort into chopping and cutting and getting all the ingredients ready, Jaffna Sodhi is the perfect recipe to try out.
You’ll need just a handful of simple kitchen essentials to put it together and you’re all sorted. Plus, you can pair it with almost anything- from rotis to rice.
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Think you’re ready to give the recipe a shot? Scroll down to keep reading and discover more about it.
Ingredients For the Recipe
You’ll need two sets of ingredients to make the Jaffna Sodhi from scratch.
For the spice paste
- Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
- Black pepper: 2 tbsps
- Garlic paste: 2 tbsp
For the curry
- Oil: 1 tbsp
- Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
- Cumin seeds: 2 tsp
- Curry leaves: 1 sprig
- Dry red chilies: 2-3
- Onions (sliced): 1 cup
- Water: 1 cup
- Prepared spice paste
- Tamarind paste: ¼ cup
- Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
- Salt: 1 tsp or as per taste
- Water: 1 cup
- Coconut milk: ¼ cup
Kitchen Tools Needed
How to Make the Jaffna Sodhi
Once you’ve got all your kitchen essentials and ingredients ready, here’s the step-by-step process you need to follow to make the curry from scratch.
In a mortar and pestle, add the spice paste ingredients and grind them into a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and saute.
Next, add the sliced onions and saute.
Add the prepared spice paste and dry red chilies and mix.
Add the tamarind paste and salt and mix.
Next, add water and give a good mix. Let the mixture simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Add the coconut milk next and mix.
Serve hot with rice or carb of your choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
The tamarind paste is a classic- it pairs wonderfully with the coconutty flavor of the curry, and brings in a nice balanced sourness and tartness that you’ll love. If you don’t have tamarind paste, you can actually make it yourself by soaking some tamarind pieces in a bit of warm water for a few minutes, pulsing the whole thing together in a food processor until you get a smooth paste, and then straining it to get any bigger chunks out.
If you’re not too keen on using tamarind, you can make do with a generous squeeze of lemon juice as well. Just remember to add it into the curry towards the end, instead of the initial stage of cooking. 
While your classic curry tastes amazing all on its own, you can take it a step further and turn it into a more nutritious and healthy meal by adding some veggies into the mix. You can add okra, brinjal, cauliflower, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, and carrots into the curry. Depending on what veggie you are planning to use, you might need to add it into the curry at the initial stage to get it cooked to perfection.
You can also add tofu into the curry towards the end, and if you have some fish, you can pan-fry the fish separately in a bit of oil and add it into the curry right before you serve. 
The best part about making the Jaffna Sodhi is the fact that it is freezer-friendly. You can easily make the curry in a big batch and store it for later in your freezer. If you plan to consume it within 3-5 days, you can refrigerate the curry in an airtight container, and if you want it to last longer than that, dump the curry in your freezer.
Just remember to get it out and allow the curry to thaw completely before you reheat it and serve. Also, reheat the curry on low heat to get the best flavors and textures, especially if you are adding veggies into the curry. 
Tips and Tricks to Make the Jaffna Sodhi
Making the Jaffna Sodhi is super easy. All you need to do is follow the step-by-step instructions and you’re sorted. But of course, you can’t say no to some additional tips and tricks that might help you make the most of the recipe.
- To get a more pronounced coconut flavor into the curry, you can use coconut oil instead of your regular cooking oil.
- Don’t mind some extra spice? You can chop up some green chilies and add them into the curry, or add some extra black peppercorns or crushed black pepper to accentuate the flavor.
- You can also add some grated or minced ginger into the tempering to make the curry more flavorful. Ginger helps provide a bit of earthiness to the recipe, and is also healthy- it improves digestion and reduces bloating.
- Make sure you use thick, full-fat coconut milk for this recipe- it is what lends the curry that characteristic creaminess. If you don’t have full-fat coconut milk, you could make do with the low-fat version as well, but to compensate, you might need to add some cream into the mixture.
- Don’t forget to sprinkle a generous handful of chopped coriander leaves on the top of the curry, right before you serve.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Your flavorful Jaffna Sodhi tastes best when you have it with some steamed rice or rotis on the side. Of course, like any other Sri Lankan curry, it is often consumed with pol rotis and some pol sambol on the side, and if you have some extra time to put it all together, you definitely should.
To finish it all off and enjoy a complete Sri Lankan feast, you can make some Watalappan, which is a super creamy and delicious coconut custard as a dessert.
Jaffna Sodhi: Sri Lankan Coconut Milk Curry
Ingredients
Ingredients for the spice paste
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 2 tsp Black pepper
- 2 tsp Garlic paste
Ingredients for the curry
- 1 tsp Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 2-3 pcs Dry red chilies
- 1 cup Onions (sliced)
- 1 cup Water
- Prepared spice paste
- ¼ cup Tamarind paste
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Water
- ¼ cup Coconut milk
Instructions
- In a mortar and pestle, add the spice paste ingredients and grind it into a smooth paste.1 tsp Cumin seeds, 2 tsp Black pepper, 2 tsp Garlic paste, ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and saute.1 tsp Oil, 1 tsp Mustard seeds, 2 tsp Cumin seeds, 1 sprig Curry leaves
- Next add the sliced onions and saute.1 cup Onions, 1 cup Water
- Add the prepared spice paste and dry red chilies and mix.Prepared spice paste, 2-3 pcs Dry red chilies
- Add the tamarind paste and salt and mix.¼ cup Tamarind paste, 1 tsp Salt
- Next, add water and give a good mix. Let the mixture simmer for 4-5 minutes.1 cup Water
- Add the coconut milk next and mix.¼ cup Coconut milk
- Serve hot with rice or carb ofyour choice.
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