Ask any islander from Sri Lanka, and they’ll show you that you can make food for performance beyond just chicken and broccoli. Coconuts, seafood, and the most important spices of a trade system that influenced medicine as far as Rome, are all what you’ll get from experiencing the fuel of Sri Lanka.
So we dabble into the era of Ayurveda, from a country that has experienced British rule under the East India Company to some of the most boisterous ancient city structures, to tough-as-nails tea plantation workers, to surviving a civil war.
Now, we’re not saying the spices themselves or the foods directly make the people of Sri Lanka epic. At the same time, we kind of are.
A very important spice, turmeric, has been studied and posses several health benefits, specifically its compound: Curcumin.
From having antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects, curcumin has even risen in the athletic community as a recommended compound to include in a person’s diet to help with maintaining the integrity of musculo-skeletal structures.
The turmeric spice that Curcumin is found in is also a very important spice in all South Asian cooking, including Sri Lankan food.
Check out this awesome recipe for shrimp curry, that includes this useful spice of curcumin.
Ingredients
700 g fresh medium prawns, peeled and deveined
salt, to taste
2 teaspoons coarsely pounded red chilllies
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon lime juice
1-2 teaspoons oil
200 g sliced onion
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1-2 green finger-length chillies, sliced
1 small cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon crushed peppercorns
1 small tomato, cut in wedges
1 sprig curry leaves
Directions:
- Rub the prawns, with the salt, pounded with red chillies, turmeric powder and lime juice, and allow to marinate for 20 minutes
- Heat oil in pan and quickly stir-fry the prawns at high heat until half done, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In same pan, fry the onions, garlic, green chillies, cinnamon, pepper, tomato wedges and curry leaves until crispy, about 3 minutes
- Return the prawns to the pan and toss to coat the prawns completely. Cook for 3 minutes or until done.
Macro-nutrient breakdown:
Carbohydrates: 29 grams
Fats: 17 grams
Proteins: 140 grams
NOTE: these are subject to the actual size of prawns you utilize and the amount of oil that you use. The fats and proteins are going to be the main macro-nutrients (in terms of relevancy to training). But eating this with some rice is a very delicious way of getting in not only proteins and carbohydrates for performance, but also spices that have helped fuel performance across the world and throughout history for over a thousand years.
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