Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, several types of congee is known as "Kenda" in Sinhalese. Sinhala people use congee as a breakfast, a side dish, an accessory to indigenous medical therapies, a sweet, etc. The word "Kenda" gets changed with the purpose, ingredients, etc. Especially Sinhala people prepare various types of "Kenda" with many ingredients, such as rice, roasted rice, rice flour, finger millet flour, sago, coconut milk, herbs, tubers, Kitul flour, mung bean, etc. When it is prepared with rice and water only, it is known as "Hal Kenda." If salt is added to bring a much saltier taste, it is known as "Lunu Kenda." "Lunu Kenda" is commonly used as a supplementary diet in purgation therapy in indigenous medical traditions. If roasted rice is used in "Kenda" preparation, such congee becomes "Bendi Hal Kenda" utilized to treat diarrheal diseases. If rice flour and coconut milk are the main ingredients, such congee is known as "Kiriya." If finger millet flour and water is used, it is known as "Kurakkan Anama." Moreover, if coconut milk is added to it, then it is "Kurakkan Kenda." If sago used, such congee is known as "Sawu Kenda." A special type of congee prepared from the by-product of coconut oil produce, is known as "Pol Kiri Kenda." If herbs used as an ingredient, such congee is known as "Kola Kenda." There are many varieties of "Kola Kenda" depending on the herb used. Sometimes, a "Vaidya" or "Veda Mahttaya" (a physician trained in indigenous medical traditions) might prescribe an special type of "Kola Kenda", in this situation it is known as "Behet Kenda." The Sinhala villagers use specific tubers for preparing congee, such as Diascorea species tubers. If "Kitul" flour is mixed with boiling water and coconut milk added to it, this special type of congee is known as "Kitul Piti Kenda." Sometimes, "Kenda" is prepared with mung bean and it is known as "Mung Eta Kenda."
Most of the time, "Kiriya", "Kurakkan Kenda", "Sawu Kenda", "Pol Kiri Kenda" and "Kitul Piti Kenda" are used as sweets. Sugar, candy, dates, raisins, cashew nut, jaggery, treacle, etc. are added to sweeten these congees.
"Kola Kenda" plays an important role in the lives of the village people and with the raised awareness of health benefits of "Kola Kenda", increasing number of upper-class people tend to consume "Kola Kenda."
It is also eaten by Sri Lankan Muslims for iftar during Ramadan. It is also occasionally made with oats. Tamils and Muslims in Sri Lanka call it aarisi kanji (rice kanji) and use chicken or beef for it. It is sometimes made with milk (paal kanji), and there are many other combinations with appropriate prefixes in Tamil.
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