Mallung or mallum (), is a shredded vegetable

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

n dish that comprises lightly cooked/sautéed greens, with fresh coconut and any number of spices and chili. Mallung is a common

condiment A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to enhance the Flavoring, flavour, to complement the dish or to impart a specific flavor. Such specific flavors generally add sweetness or pungency, or sharp or piquant ...

and is eaten at almost every meal. Meals are often served with one or two different mallungs, which play an important part in nutrition as this is how locals maintain a regular vitamin intake in their diet. The word 'mallung' or 'mallum' simply means 'wilted'. The central ingredient of mallung is a leafy green vegetable, finely shredded and combined with a standard set of ingredients to enhance and support their flavour. Different plants are used to make mallung including cassia, passionfruit leaves, watercress, or water spinach leaves. In western countries leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, chard, and kale are used as substitutes for traditional Sri Lankan greens. Additional ingredients include chopped green chillies, chopped shallots, chopped curry leaves, crushed garlic, a chopped clove of garlic together with half a cup of shredded coconut for every kilogram of moist leafy greens, seasoned with turmeric, salt and pepper, powdered

Maldives fish Maldives fish () is cured tuna traditionally produced in Maldives. It is a staple of the Maldivian cuisine, Sri Lankan cuisine, and the cuisine of the Southern Indian states and territories of Lakshadweep, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and in the past i ...

, and lime juice. A range of bitter, medicinal, and wild greens are commonly chosen for mallung in Sri Lanka, mostly using the leaves of native plants. One of the most popular mallungs is made with gotukola ('' Centella asiatica''). Other popular varieties include kankun (''

Ipomoea aquatica ''Ipomoea aquatica'', commonly known as water spinach or kangkung, is a semi- aquatic, tropical plant grown as a vegetable for its tender shoots. ''I. aquatica'' is generally believed to have been first domesticated in Southeast Asia. It is wi ...

''), kathurumurunga (''

Sesbania grandiflora ''Sesbania grandiflora'', common names vegetable hummingbird, katurai, agati, kathurumurunga, and West Indian pea, is a leguminous tree of family Fabaceae native to Malesia, including Malaysia, New Guinea, and the Philippines. It is widely distr ...

''), and mukunuwenna ('' Alternanthera sessilis''). Herbal leaves such as aguna ('' Wattakaka volubilis''), '' Cheilocostus speciosus'', and

passionfruit ''Passiflora edulis'', commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to the region of southern Brazil through Paraguay to northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its ...

leaves are also used in mallungs.

References

{{Sri Lankan cuisine Salads Sri Lankan cuisine Sri Lankan vegetable dishes Foods containing coconut