Sri Lankan Kokis Rosette Cookies

About This Recipe

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.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 1.5 cupsrice flour
• 0.5 cupcoconut milk
• 0.5 cupwater
• 1egg
• 2 tbspsugar
• 0.5 tspfine sea salt
• 0.25 tspturmeric(for color)
• 3 cupsvegetable oil(for deep-frying)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the batter

   Whisk rice flour, coconut milk, water, egg, sugar, salt and turmeric into a smooth, thin batter, similar to a crepe batter.

2. 2

   Rest the batter

   Let the batter rest 15 minutes so the rice flour hydrates fully and the batter thins slightly.

3. 3

   Heat the mold and oil

   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.

4. 4

   Dip and fry

   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.

5. 5

   Release the cookie

   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.

6. 6

   Drain and repeat

   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.

Variations

• •

  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.

Storage

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.

Frequently Asked Questions