Recipes using the palmyrah products - An Introduction

Seed Derivatives:

Each fruit will have usually three seeds and these seeds are planted in specially made soil nursery beds to grow. After 3 to 4 months the seeds start to grow. These seedlings below the surface are lifted out. This is called panang kizhangu and is used in many ways.

The outer sheath cover is removed and it is split into two in the middle and sundried. This is odiyal and this is pounded and sieved to remove the obvious fibres. These are very fibrous and nutritious. The odiyal flour is starchy and is locally made into gruel (Kool), with rice, herbs, chilli peppers, fish, or other ingredients added. This also is used to make odiyal pittu which is a delicacy.

When the outer sheath is removed, this is boiled in water to produce panang kizhangu, or boiled and dried as pulukodiyal. With the outer covering intact, this is roasted in embers to produce another version of panang kizhangu.

The panang kizhangu and odiyal flour are available in the West in the season and hence recipes using them are given in the following pages:

See Recipes of Palmyrah Products for recipes like Odiyal Kool, Odiyal Pittu, Panang kizhangu Thuvaiyal, and Pulukodiyal dishes.

Fruit Derivatives:

The ripe palmyrah fruit is peeled. The pulp is extracted and used for making the Panangai Paniyaram and Pinaddu. It seems that the palmyrah pulp is available in the West nowadays.

Recipe for the Panangai Paniyaram is given.

To make Pinaddu - a kind of toffee, we need fresh fruit pulp and real hot sun to dry this toffee. It is difficult to get fresh pulp unless you live in the local area where the palmyrah grows and during the fruiting season. Dishes using Karupany will also require fresh product. Therefore we omit those dishes. But Panangai pinaddu is available in Sri Lankan shops if you like to taste it.