Labu Kiribath – A Unique, Sri Lankan-Style Breakfast For All

Yield – 4 cups 

Prep time – 10 mins                     Cooking time – 32 mins 

Labu Kiribath is a traditional Sri Lankan dish and it’s a variation of the popular Sri Lankan dish called “Kiribath,” which is also known as Milk Rice. “Labu” in Sinhala means bottle gourd or Opo squash, and this Labu Kiribath is made by incorporating bottle gourd into the traditional Kiribath recipe. This addition gives the dish a unique flavor and a subtle green colour. 

Making Labu Kiribath always takes me back to my childhood and if you’re a Sri Lankan, this might feel in the same way for you as well. When we were kids, we used to listen to this folk story about Labu Kiribath known as the “Labu Kiribath Kathawa”, where a rabbit and a fox ended up making this dish with their harvest. Although it’s just a fancy story, there’s a message for all of us to take on how to find good friends in real life. 

Anyway, that’s a long story short. Apart from the cultural value, this unique dish that combines the creaminess of coconut milk with the subtle sweetness of bottle gourd is a perfect vegan-friendly and gluten-free breakfast to share with your friends and family, especially in the summertime. 

Feel free to check out other versions of Kiribath recipes on my blog, Milk Rice (කිරිබත්), Imbul Kiribath (ඉඹුල් කිරිබත්) and the story of Milk Rice, Milk Rice (කිරිබත්) – The Food With A Hidden Story.

What do you need: 

• 1 1/2 cups white raw rice, cleaned and washed 
• 1 cup bottle gourd / Opo squash, grated 
• 2-3 pieces pandan leaves, 1-inch size
• 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk, thick 

Let’s make it: 

1. Add rice, bottle gourd, pandan leaves, and 2 1/2 cups water in a rice cooker. 
2. Cook the mixture for about 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked halfway and the liquid almost dries out. 
3. Stir the rice with the long handle of a wooden or coconut spoon or even with a spatula to homogenize the mixture. 
4. Dissolve salt in coconut milk and add to the rice mixture. 
5. Give it a good mix and cook for another 10 – 12 minutes. 
6. When the rice is fully cooked and sticky, it’s ready. 
7. Transfer this cooked rice mixture onto a banana leaf/tray/plate.
8. Flatten it to about 2 cm thickness using another banana leaf or a spatula.
9. Cool it for about 5 minutes before cutting it into square or diamond shapes. 
10. Serve this warm and delicious Labu Kiribati with a side of Lunumiris, Seeni sambal, or Spicy chicken or Fish curry. For a sweet version, serve this with some Pani pol or Jaggery.

Tips for you: 

• You can swap white rice with red, but make sure to use enough water as red rice requires more for cooking. 
• You can also use a pot instead of a rice cooker, but make sure to cook on low to medium heat to prevent burning. (Cooking time may vary for this.)
• Feel free to make this without pandan leaves, but adding them can enhance the overall flavour of the dish.
• Make sure to stir the rice mixture in between after adding coconut milk to prevent burning. 
• You can simply serve this without cutting it into slices or use a cup (any size, depending on the portion size) as a mold. Today I used this method to portion this Labu Kiribath.

Make ahead info: 

• Wash the rice about 3 times, until water becomes clear. 
• Peel, remove the core (with seeds), and grate the bottle gourd using a grater. You can also, chop it using a knife.