Recipes that have been passed down through generations in rural villages are being shared to raise vital funds for a Sri Lankan charity.
Noosa chef, Peter Kuruvita, and local author, Jonette Wilton are launching a Sri Lankan cookbook, Plates of Goodness, at Alba by Kuruvita, Noosa Springs, on Thursday 13 July at 12.30pm.
The collaboration between a Noosa buyer’s agent, a local chef and author saw the production of this cookbook to raise funds for the Sri Lankan charity, Foundation of Goodness, which they will be discussing during the launch.
The three locals have many stories to tell to keep guests intrigued about this hidden gem of an island off the east coast of India, which although poor, is a wonderful food bowl for unique recipes.
Noosa’s Luxe Coastal Property Buyer’s Agent, Christine Mount, brought the two Noosa businesspeople together to discuss ways to raise funds for the charity, which is close to her heart.
Christine had volunteered for the organisation some years back and decided she would try to extend some help from Australia during the recent political upheaval and financial crisis.
Peter Kuruvita said, “When I was in Sri Lanka recently, I visited Kushil, the man behind the foundation, and he’s an incredibly generous human being.
“If we’re going through hard times, you can imagine what Sri Lanka is going through right now. There is a lot of trouble out there and it would be great if people could help.
“You are going to have a wonderful night at the launch with some delicious food, but you’ll also be helping a great cause. We’ll be doing a whole lot of recipes from the book itself. There will be a really big, delicious spread of the food so everyone can get a good taste of it.“
All proceeds raised will go to the Foundation of Goodness’ Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centres, which have been integral in empowering local villages from Jaffna at the northernmost tip to Seenigama in the south, with essential projects such as providing dry rations and groceries to food-insecure families who have not been able to access daily meals.
Speaking about the cookbook project, Foundation of Goodness Founder Kushil Gunasekera said, “The people of Sri Lanka are facing unprecedented challenges, and our humanitarian mission has always been sensitive to the needs of the rural disadvantaged communities.“
“We are grateful for the worldwide support we receive, and Australia being foremost among them in joining our relief efforts.”
Alongside plant-based recipes from many villages dotted around Sri Lanka, the team made a call-out to other Sri Lankan chefs based in Australia, who jumped on board and provided more recipes for the book.
Jonette George said, “It’s more than just a cookbook, it’s a story about Sri Lanka. Not many of us have travelled to Sri Lanka so it’s really about what to see and what to do, with beautiful photography of what you might find there.“
“We’ve got celebrity chefs in there like Peter Kuruvita and he’s given us some beautiful summer-time recipes like cucumber or beetroot curry. I think those two are really exciting. It just takes your curry repertoire to a whole new level.
“Sri Lanka lost over 30,000 people in the tsunami in 2004 and their resilience is just extraordinary. They’ve gone through this whole political nightmare and their money has lost total value. A lot of the people have had to go foraging to survive. So a lot of these recipes reflect that resilience and ability to survive on the native ingredients within their villages. It’s an extraordinary tale of what humans can do in the face of adversity.“
Heroes who helped with the book include Brisbane’s founder of Colombo Foodies, Udeshika Suradasa, who provided her recipe for Mustard Pumpkin Curry, Gayan Pieris, Executive Chef at the Mornington Peninsula’s Many Little Dining and Bar, who provided the recipe for Young Jackfruit Ambula, and his Sous Chef, Shehan Silva, who provided his recipe for Breadfruit Curry. Melbourne’s Lucy Liu also jumped in to support the venture with a recipe from Sous Chef, Pavinda Wickramasinghe, for his Cassava Leaf Sambal.
As a special incentive, all pre-orders before the official launch on 24 June, will go in the draw to win two return tickets from Australia to Sri Lanka courtesy of Sri Lankan Airlines plus five nights’ luxury accommodation by Taru Villas. The winners of this exciting prize will be announced at the gala dinner launch of the book in Melbourne on 24 June.
And, not forgetting their local roots, the organisers are holding a raffle on the day, with funds raised going to the Sunshine Coast charity, Tewantin-Noosa Country Women’s Association, which is making a huge effort to raise funds towards affordable housing for vulnerable local women.
The book is currently being pre-sold from the fundraising platform, Chuffed.org. and the Foundation has raised over $31,000 so far.
For more information on the event at Alba on Thursday 13 July visit albanoosa.com.au/event/plates-of-goodness-curry-lunch/
Noosa Today readers have the chance to win a ticket to the launch event and a copy of the cookbook.
To enter the competition simply visit noosatoday.com.au/competitions/
