Ira, whose story I told in this newspaper four years ago, passed away in London on March 2, aged 92. As Iranganee Lynette Dias, daughter of Mr. and Mrs Lambert Dias of Panadura, she was born to great wealth and status. Though she encountered great personal tragedy and hardship in her life, her forceful personality remained undimmed through it all.
When she finally put them to paper, her book “Jaffna Cookery” became one of the few compilations of authentic Jaffna recipes, and a compendium of the tastes of her childhood. Coconut and palmyrah make many an appearance, but so do drumsticks and eggplant.
