Joanna James
Sri Lanka is known for its unforgettable cuisine, and for all the right reasons. While you're on the precious island, here are ten dishes you must find the time to try!
Hoppers are thin pancakes with crispy edges, a fan favourite in Sri Lanka. They have a bowl shape and are made of fermented rice flour, coconut milk, and coconut water. The batter is then fried in a small wok and swirled around to coat the pan's sides. For extra oomph, try out egg hoppers, which are the same as regular hoppers with an egg cracked in the centre.
A visit to Sri Lanka is incomplete without tasting koththu! Koththu, which is made of roti (flat bread), vegetables, oil, spices, and an egg/chicken or cheese, is a famous street food. The bread is finely chopped on a hot plate using two blunt blades, and you can hear them chopping Koththu from a mile away!
Many Tangalle restaurants, and other restaurants around the country, in fact, serve string hoppers for breakfast. String hoppers look slightly like noodles, but are steamed instead of boiled. Onion sambal and meat gravy usually accompany a plate of string hoppers.
Sri Lanka is an island after all, and for this reason, seafood is in abundance. Crab is a true delicacy in Sri Lanka, and its flavours make it a very loved dish. If you're staying by the beach, at a place such as Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort, you'd definitely be able to taste this delicious dish.
Watalappam is a divine Sri Lankan desert introduced many years ago by Malay immigrants. It's made with coconut milk, cashew nuts, egg, jaggery (a sweet brown product made from sugarcane), and a variety of spices, including cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg. This is a must-try dessert!
A dish introduced by the Dutch, Lamprais is undeniably one of the best Sri Lankan delicacies. Lamprais, which means "a packet or lump of rice," is made by placing cooked rice, meat curry, meatballs, aubergine curry, and spices inside a banana leaf package that is steamed or baked. The uniqueness of Lamprais is that it is cooked twice. Lamprais is obviously time-consuming to make, which is why it is usually reserved for special occasions.
Sri Lankan cuisine is extremely vegan-friendly. Jackfruit curry is one of the most loved curries in Sri Lanka, eaten with rice. Dry-roasted spices are combined with small pieces of roasted jackfruit. Begin by heating up some mustard seed oil in a pan, then proceed to add garlic, onion, curry leaves, lemongrass, and cinnamon. The jackfruit pieces are then combined with the gravy, and coconut milk is poured on top.
The pescatarians will love this! When it comes to preparation, this is one of the simplest Sri Lankan cuisine recipes. Fish is cut into small chunks and sautéed in an aromatic spice blend. It is then cooked until the small amount of water is reduced. This is going to be a flavour explosion in your mouth.
Biscuit pudding is another Sri Lankan dessert one mustn't miss. Layers of biscuit and chocolate cream, topped with roasted cashew and eaten cold – you're going to keep wanting more!
Kiribath, or milk rice, is another Sri Lankan breakfast delicacy. Rice is cooked with coconut milk and a pinch of salt after the rice has been boiled. When the mixture has reached a sticky consistency, it is allowed to be set. The mixture is then cut into slices. Kiribath is commonly eaten with lunu miris, a type of traditional chilli and onion mix.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
