Delicate, lacy rice-flour rosette cookies fried crisp on a patterned iron mold, the traditional Sri Lankan New Year sweet known as kokis.
Kokis are thin, crisp, deep-fried rosette-shaped cookies made from a rice flour and coconut milk batter, traditionally prepared in large batches for Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations in April. A special metal mold, shaped like a flower or star and attached to a long handle, is heated in oil, dipped briefly into the batter, then plunged back into the hot oil where the thin coating of batter releases from the mold and puffs into a lacy, patterned cookie. The technique takes practice: the mold must be hot enough that the batter sets and releases cleanly, but not so hot that it burns before the cookie has fully formed its shape. Beginners often struggle with the batter sticking to the mold, usually a sign the mold wasn't heated in the oil long enough before dipping, or that the batter is too thick. Kokis are meant to be crisp enough to shatter at the first bite, only lightly sweet, and are traditionally the first sweet served at the New Year table alongside kevum (oil cakes) and other festive treats, a tradition that has stayed remarkably consistent across generations of Sri Lankan households.
Serves 8
Whisk rice flour, coconut milk, water, egg, sugar, salt and turmeric into a smooth, thin batter, similar to a crepe batter.
Let the batter rest 15 minutes so the rice flour hydrates fully and the batter thins slightly.
Heat vegetable oil to 175°C (350°F) in a deep pan. Submerge the kokis mold in the hot oil for a full minute to heat it thoroughly.
The mold must be genuinely hot — if the batter doesn't sizzle immediately when dipped in, heat it longer before trying again.
Shake excess oil off the mold, dip it into the batter up to but not over the top edge, then immediately plunge it back into the hot oil.
Hold the mold in the oil until the cookie releases on its own, usually within 20 to 30 seconds, then continue frying loose in the oil until golden and crisp, about 1 more minute.
Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and repeat with the remaining batter, reheating the mold in the oil between each cookie.
Heat the mold thoroughly in the oil before every single dip — a cool mold is the number one reason batter sticks instead of releasing.
Keep the batter thin, closer to a crepe batter than a pancake batter; thick batter won't release cleanly from the mold's grooves.
Work with a helper if possible — one person can heat and dip the mold while the other manages the frying, since the process moves fast once you get a rhythm.
Add a pinch of ground cardamom to the batter for a subtly spiced version some families prefer.
Reduce the sugar for a more savory kokis to serve alongside sambal, a less common but traditional variation.
If a kokis mold isn't available, drizzle the thin batter directly into hot oil in a spiral to approximate a lacy shape.
Store completely cooled kokis in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks — they're traditionally made well ahead of New Year celebrations precisely because they keep so well.
Kokis are one of the signature sweets of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year in April, prepared in Sri Lankan households using an inherited or purchased metal mold, and their intricate, lacy shape is considered a mark of a skilled home cook.
Kokis molds, sometimes called achchu, are sold at Sri Lankan grocery stores or online specialty shops; they're usually flower or star-shaped metal molds attached to a long handle.
The mold likely wasn't heated long enough in the oil before dipping — submerge it for a full 60 seconds each time to ensure it's hot enough for the cookie to release cleanly.
You can approximate the lacy texture by drizzling thin batter directly into hot oil in a spiral pattern, though it won't have the traditional flower or star shape.
Per serving (45g / 1.6 oz) · 8 servings total
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