Arts
Your favourite kimbula bunis with a sweet and savoury twist
Can you imagine a falooda kimbula or a pol sambol and egg kimbula? Shamini Galagedera has not just imagined, but created them too.
Strawberry and white chocolate: Perfect combination of a sweet and tangy kimbula banis. Pix by Priyantha Wickramaarachchi
Twisted baked dough covered in sugar, the kimbula bunis has been a regular afternoon (or breakfast) snack that every Sri Lankan has delighted in. Dipped in tea or just eaten plain, the kimbula bunis has been a favourite treat of generations and now 29-year-old Shamini Galagedara is bringing to Colombo an interesting new version of this Lankan staple.
Another young entrepreneur who kick-started her business during the long hours of curfew a couple of months ago, it was late last year that Shamini realised that corporate work was not her calling and she quit her job, determined to begin something she would enjoy in 2020.
She knew she wanted it to be something with food as she had always loved experimenting with new flavours since she was quite young. Not relying on her own expertise, she hired a chef as well in preparation. However, she did not know what kind of cuisine called out to her until she was stuck at home during the long weeks of curfew and the concept of a kimbula bunis with a twist began to take shape.
“I wanted to do a product that I can take globally as well. You know donuts and croissants, they are all over the world in different flavours, varieties, etc,” Shamini says explaining that after pondering over it extensively, she decided that a kimbula bunis would be the perfect product.
Immediately after, she went to work trying out different kinds of dough and getting the name ‘Kimbula’ registered as well as having her friends help with the designs and logo. The only mantra in her head was ‘I don’t care if it will do well or not, I just want to start something.’
Starting something in the middle of a nationwide curfew was not an easy process and as Shamini did not have a legitimate reason to obtain a curfew pass, other creative methods were thought of in order to get things running. As she and her chef perfected the recipe for the buns, there was no way of getting together to try them out. So they would send each other the final product through PickMe and wait for feedback.
This was the same thing that happened when the pictures were taken to market the product on social media! Shamini sent the goods to a friend through PickMe and the pictures were taken and sent to Shamini.
Speaking about the cost and marketing of the kimbula bunis, they use premium products Shamini says. There have been complaints on the pricing as some say, ‘it is just a bun’ but these buns have been stuffed with different sorts of fillings. Safe packaging – the kimbulas come in a sleek, simple white box that resonates with the aesthetic vibe given off by their Instagram page– adds to the cost, she points out.
Shamini Galagedera
“People are attracted by what they see, so it is always good to get them hooked by a good presentation and then once they try the product, they can keep coming back for the taste,” Shamini adds on how she was rapidly able to gain recognition on social media despite only launching ‘Kimbula’ in June.
Pol pani kimbula has the standard filling you would find in the typical pol pani pancake you’d have as a Sunday afternoon snack with your grandmother.
The Nutella stuffed kimbula is a surprising delight, its plain outer appearance giving way to delectable nutella filling while the Kit Kat bomb is definitely an explosion of milk chocolate and Kit Kats galore. Two kimbulas definitely for those with a sweet-tooth!
The strawberry and white chocolate is a perfect combo of sweetness with the white chocolate and tanginess of the strawberries making a refreshing treat.
It is not just sweet Kimbulas that Shamini is making a name for but also for their savoury range which is slowly expanding from a pol sambol, egg and cheese kimbula, tuna & cheese kimbula, to chilli kimbula and more.
Check out their Instagram page with their handle @kimbula.banis or order through the Ubereats or Eat Me Global apps.
Local treat with a new look: Shamini’s array of kimbula banis