Kevum
Konda Kavum
TypeSweet
CourseDessert
Place of originSri Lanka
Main ingredientsRice flour, Treacle

Kevum or Kavum (Sinhala: කැවුම්) is a deep-fried Sri Lankan sweet made from rice flour and kithul (sugar-palm) treacle, with a number of variants adding additional ingredients. It is also known as oil cake. Kevum is traditionally given and consumed during celebrations of Sinhala and Tamil New Year.[1]

History

Kevum is mentioned in ancient Sri Lankan texts including the Ummagga Jatakaya, Saddharma Ratnawaliya and Pujawaliya.[1]

Varieties

The Dhathuwansaya, an ancient Sinhala text, mentions 18 kinds of kevum including Sedhi Kevum, Mun Kevum, Ulundu Kevum, Uthupu (shaped using a coconut shell) and Ginipu (fire kevum).[2]

  • Konda kevum (Sinhala: කොණ්ඩ කැවුම්) - hair kevum is the most common variant. It has a dark reddish color. The dough of rice flour and kithul treacle is flavored with salt and cardamom. Konda (Sinhala: කොණ්ඩ) is the Sinhala word for hair, and is named so as the shape of the konda kevum resembles hair tied up into a bun. It is shaped by hand and without a special mold.
  • Naran kevum (Sinhala: නාරං කැවුම්) - mandarin kevum is the size and shape of a mandarin, colored yellow with saffron. Green gram flour and scraped coconut are added to the basic kevum mix of rice flour and treacle.[2]
  • Thala kevum (Sinhala: තල කැවුම්) - sesame kevum has sesame in the kevum dough.
  • Undu kevum (Sinhala: උඳු කැවුම්) - dal kevum is kevum flavored with urad dal.
  • Mun kevum (Sinhala: මුං කැවුම්) - gram kevum adds green gram flour and saffron to the kevum mix of rice flour and treacle. The kevum are diamond shaped and yellow.
  • Handi kevum (Sinhala: හැඳි කැවුම්) - spoon kevun is flavored with cumin and fennel.

References

  1. 1 2 "Of Kiribath, Kavum and Kokis". Daily News. 13 April 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  2. 1 2 Kariyawasam, Dayananda (13 April 2003). "Naran and Sedhi kavum". Sunday Times. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
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