Chef-tested recipe
Rich coconut milk rice cut into diamonds and served with fiery onion-chilli lunu miris
Kiribath is Sri Lankan milk rice, prepared for breakfast and especially for auspicious occasions, festivals, and new beginnings. Short-grain rice is cooked until tender, enriched with thick coconut milk, pressed into a flat layer, and cut into diamonds. Lunu miris provides the traditional sharp contrast: red onion, chilli, salt, lime, and Maldive fish are pounded into a fiery, savoury relish.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 8 servings
- Prep Time
- 25 mins
- Cook Time
- 45 mins
- Resting Time
- 20 mins
- Total Time
- 1 hour 30 mins
- Cuisine
- Sri Lankan
- Course
- Breakfast and brunch
- Cooking Method
- Rice simmering, coconut finishing, shaping, and mortar pounding
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Best Served With
- Best served with lunu miris, seeni sambol, katta sambol, bananas, jaggery, or a mild Sri Lankan curry.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Heavy saucepan with lidpaid link
- Granite mortar and pestlepaid link
- Shallow rectangular traypaid link
- Flexible spatulapaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Cutting boardpaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
Ingredients
For the kiribath
- Sri Lankan kekulu rice or short-grain white ricepaid link: 500 g
- Cold water: 1200 ml
- Thick coconut milkpaid link: 700 ml
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 12 g
For the lunu miris
- Red onions, roughly chopped: 300 g
- Dried red chilli flakespaid link: 30 g
- Ground red chilli: 10 g
- Dried Maldive fish flakes: 40 g
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 8 g
- Fresh lime juice: 80 ml
Preparation Overview
Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear. Line or lightly wet a shallow tray for shaping. Chop the onions and measure the chilli, Maldive fish, salt, and lime before beginning the relish.
Method
Rinse the rice thoroughly, drain it, and place it in a heavy saucepan with the cold water.
Bring to a boil, reduce to low heat, cover, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the rice is very soft and most water is absorbed.
Stir the salt into the coconut milk.
Pour the coconut milk into the rice and cook uncovered over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until thick, creamy, and fully absorbed.
Transfer the hot rice to a shallow tray and spread it into an even layer about 2 cm thick using a lightly wet spatula.
Smooth the surface, score diamond shapes, and rest for 20 minutes until firm enough to cut cleanly.
Meanwhile, place the red onions, chilli flakes, ground chilli, Maldive fish, and salt in a mortar.
Pound to a coarse, moist paste in which the onion has softened but retains slight texture.
Mix in the lime juice gradually, tasting for a sharp balance of heat, salt, acidity, and savoury Maldive fish.
Cut the kiribath into diamonds and serve at room temperature with small portions of lunu miris.
Beginner Technique Notes
The rice must become softer than ordinary steamed rice so it binds after shaping.
Stir frequently after adding coconut milk because the thick mixture can catch quickly.
Wet the spatula lightly to prevent the sticky rice from pulling away from the tray.
Wear gloves when handling strong chilli and avoid touching the face or eyes.
Tips and Variations
Use a sturdy short-grain rice when Sri Lankan kekulu rice is unavailable.
For a fish-free lunu miris, omit Maldive fish and increase the salt only after tasting.
Kiribath may also be served with seeni sambol, katta sambol, or a mild curry.
Cut the diamonds while the rice is warm, then separate them only after the resting time.
Serving Ideas
- Arrange the white kiribath diamonds on a banana leaf or flat platter and place the vivid red lunu miris in a small bowl alongside.
Storage
Kiribath is best on the day it is made. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 days and steam or microwave gently until warm. Refrigerate lunu miris separately for up to 2 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains fish from Maldive fish and coconut. Although coconut is not treated as a tree nut in every jurisdiction, sensitive diners should be informed. Check dried fish for cross-contact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is kiribath cut into diamonds?
The flat diamond presentation is traditional and makes the rich milk rice easy to portion for sharing.
Can I use jasmine rice?
Yes, although a plumper short-grain rice binds and shapes more reliably.
What is Maldive fish?
It is dried cured tuna used in Sri Lankan cooking to add concentrated savoury flavour.
Is lunu miris always extremely hot?
It is characteristically fiery, but the chilli can be reduced while retaining onion, lime, salt, and Maldive fish.
