It’s a delicious, deep-fried Sri Lankan treat made from rice flour and Kithul (sugar palm) treacle, also known as oil cake.
Kevum is a must-have during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations, and it’s mentioned in many ancient Sri Lankan texts.
There are different types of Kevum, each with its own unique twist:
- Konda Kevum: This is the most common type. It’s dark red in color and made from a dough of rice flour and kithul treacle, flavored with salt and cardamom. The name “Konda” means hair in Sinhala, and it’s called that because its shape resembles a bun of tied-up hair. It’s shaped by hand without any special mold.
- Naran Kevum: This variant is the size and shape of a mandarin and is colored yellow with saffron. It includes green gram flour and scraped coconut in addition to the basic kevum mix of rice flour and treacle.
- Mun Kevum: This one also adds green gram flour and saffron to the kevum mix. It’s diamond-shaped and yellow, making it look quite different from the others.
Hope you get a chance to try this delightful, sweet someday! 