This 2 Ingredient Kiribath Recipe Will Blow You Away (Milk Rice)

This traditional Sri Lankan breakfast is like none other, the best part is this kiribath recipe only requires 2 ingredients.

When making a list of traditional Sri Lankan foods I wanted to eat kiribath was at the top of the list because the recipe is only two ingredients. How could something so good be so easy?

And it was that good. I first tried it in Ella and was blown away. To be fair, it wasn’t so much the milk rice cake that I loved but the lunu miris sambol served alongside it.

Kiribath is For Every Day and Also Special Occasions

I tried this Sri Lankan rice dish for breakfast. And you’ll find it on lots of restaurant menus.

But it’s also a staple at New Year celebrations and other important events in Sinhalese culture.

Kiribath is believed to bring prosperity and new beginnings, making it a meaningful part of Sri Lankan traditions.

At important events it’s usually served on banana leaf and often served in diamond shapes. And some people make it with local red rice for a bit of color.

Preparing the Ingredients

Kiribath is a beloved Sri Lankan dish that’s both simple and delicious. I’ll show you how to pick the best rice and get everything ready for a perfect batch.

What Rice Works Best for Kiribath

Although there are only two ingredients in this recipe, you need to use the right ingredients. In Sri Lanka I learned the short-grain white rice is best because it gets sticky.

In Sri Lanka many choose short grain glutinous rice (also called sweet rice) to make the creamiest, most authentic kiribath.

It’s super sticky and absorbs coconut milk beautifully. If you can’t find glutinous rice, any short-grain white rice will do. In Sri Lanka people warned me not to use long-grain rice like basmati as the texture won’t be quite the same.

   

The Secret to Cooking Rice

Although I love to cook. And consider myself a pretty good one, I consider rice my nemesis. It’s always undercooked or mushy, even in the rice cooker.

In Sri Lanka I learned I was doing it all wrong.

The key to great rice is to rinse 2-3 times before cooking. This removes excess starch and helps prevent clumping.

After rinsing, let the rice soak for 30 minutes. This step isn’t strictly needed, but it helps the grains cook more evenly.

Stove Top Kiribath Recipe

The original way to make kiribath. In Sri Lanka I met people who swore that stovetop was best. And others that thought a rice cooker made it foolproof.

So I’ve included both directions:

1. Prepare 1 cup short grain rice per directions above. In a pot with a thick bottom add 1.5 cups water to rice and cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil.
2. Then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed.
3. To the pot add 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk and a pinch of salt. Cook it on the stovetop, stirring often.

As it thickens, keep an eye on it to prevent burning. It is done when the mixture is no longer watery, but instead creamy.

Once it’s thick and creamy, spread it in a dish, flatten with a spatula to cool and set.

    

Rice Cooker Kiribath Recipe

When locals told me using a rice cooker it became my go-to method.

1. Rinse 2 cups of rice and add to the cooker
2. Pour in 1 1/2 cups water and 1 cup coconut milk
3. Add a pinch of salt
4. Cook on the normal rice setting
5. When done, let it sit for 10 minutes before fluffing

It does take some experimentation as rice cookers can vary and the choice of rice also affects cooking time. If it’s not creamy enough at the end you can stir in more coconut milk.

Sri Lankan Milk Rice Variations

Every household has their own recipe. As I started asking people how they made kiribath I learned that the 2 ingredient recipe is the base.

Not only can the choice of rice vary but some people add different spices such as pandan, ceylon cinnamon or cardamom.

Can You Use Coconut Milk Powder?

When I asked this question most Sri Lankans answered yes it’s ok for every day kiribath but they don’t recommend for special occasions.

Some said they’d never use it and one woman shuddered! I have to respect someone who has their standards to take the time and make this dish traditionally.

    

Kiribath’s Perfect Accompaniment: Lunu Miris

Kiribath can be served with both sweet or savory dishes.

Breakfast can be as simple as honey or jaggery mixed with Sri Lankan fruits and milk rice

And at New Year’s some serve a special version of milk rice that includes a mixture of coconut and jaggery that is called pani pol – the mixture often found in Sri Lankan pancakes.

But I love savory. Kiribath is a starch that can accompany curry, dal or chutneys such as seeni sambal made with onion.

But hands down my favorite is lunu miris. It’s an onion chili sambol but also uses dried maldives fish. It has a complex flavor that doesn’t taste oniony or fishy and isn’t too spicy.

But against the creamy coconut rice it is heaven.

Lunu Miris Recipe

• 1/2 cup small red onion, diced
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tbsp dried Maldives fish, chopped
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• pinch of salt (if needed, try sambol before adding)

To prepare the Maldives fish soak it in warm water for 5 minutes to rehydrate them chop. Using a mortar and pestle mash together. Some use a food processor but you don’t get the same rustic texture.

Let sit for 15 minutes to decide if you need to add more salt, lime juice or chili flakes..