Best traditional dishes to try in Sri Lanka – Savour the authentic dishes of this Paradise Isle!

Seafood is aplenty in Sri Lanka and this dish of cooked fish is also made for special occasions as it can be kept without refrigeration for a few days. Ambul Thiyal means sour preparation due to the cubed tuna fish being liberally coated in ground spices such as turmeric, chillies, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms and Goraka which add a sour taste as it is cooked in an earthenware pot over a slow fire. A flavourful dish served as an accompaniment to the staple food Rice or others at restaurants near Galle.

Hoppers also called Appa are a kind of pancake made out of fermented rice flour mixed with thick coconut milk and seasoned with salt. Unlike a flat pancake, the hoppers are curved as the mix is poured into a mini wok making the outer sides crisp whilst the centre is soft. This plain hopper can be made into an egg hopper by breaking an egg onto the centre (sunny side up) as it is cooked and served hot with fish Ambul Thiyal and Katta sambal a spicy and hot preparation made with chopped onions and ground chillies seasoned with salt, pepper and a sprinkling of lime juice. Hoppers in this manner are hot favourites of guests at hotels such as Tri Koggala at dinner or breakfast.

This is the staple meal of most Sri Lankans, eaten at least once a day at lunchtime. Traditional Sri Lankan rice is steamed and is served with a mix of vegetables, seafood or meat making it a filling and balanced meal. Favourite accompaniments for rice are lentil curry or white potato curry in creamy coconut milk with spices, stir-fried beans, eggplant Moju and a Mallum which is a preparation of a green leafy vegetable finely chopped and lightly cooked with grated coconut and seasoned with salt and lime. Of course, there are plenty of other vegetables too that can be picked according to your taste.

A simple yet endearing dish in many Sri Lankan homes, milk rice is prepared on special days such as the New Year, a wedding, birthday of a family member. The traditional rice is cooked over a slow fire with thick coconut milk and seasoned with salt. As the milk absorbs into the rice becoming a soft mass it is taken off the fire and cut into diamond-shaped wedges. Served with Katta sambal and fish Ambul Thiyal or even prawn curry for savoury taste and accompanied with chunks of kittul jaggery for sweetness. A much-relished dish.

This is a popular dessert made in Sri Lanka handed down by the Malay community and embraced all over the island. Eggs are beaten with thick coconut milk, mixed with finely grated kittul jaggery, a fistful of kittul, nutmeg and cardamoms, and lastly chopped cashew nuts. This is steamed emanating a lovey fragrance, once cooled it is served with a dash of chopped roasted nuts. A divine dessert indeed.