Joanna James
As an island, you can expect many amazing seafood dishes in Sri Lanka. From traditional dishes to Chinese fusion cuisine, the diversity and taste profile of seafood in Sri Lanka is astonishing! Here are a few of the dishes you have to keep an eye out for.
Breaded and deep-fried seafood is a commonly eaten dish in Sri Lanka. Fried and crumbed fish like fish, sprats, and seer fish is eaten along with rice and curry and is a common appetiser served alongside drinks. Other types of fried seafood include battered shrimp and calamari.
Also called sour fish curry in English, this fish preparation is a mainstay in Sri Lankan cuisine, especially eaten with rice and curry and string hoppers. It originated in southern coastal cities like Matara but has gained islandwide popularity. This was also a means of preserving fish in the days of yore before refrigeration came to the island. The dish can be kept at room temperature for at least a week! The fish typically used for ambul thiyal is skip jack tuna, sailfish, and yellowfin tuna. Chunks of fish get coated in a paste made from garcinia, garlic, black pepper, turmeric and curry leaves. This mixture is then cooked in water until the gravy dries up and coats the fish. This results in a tangy and spicy dry fish curry.
This dish is a time-tested favourite and featured heavily in Sri Lankan Chinese menus. Rings of calamari are battered and fried and then sauteed in butter, chilli, green onions and capsicum. It goes well with steamed rice, fried rice, noodles or as a snack with drinks. Its spicy, salty and fried goodness is addictive, to say the least.
Sri Lankan prawn curry cooked in a clay pot is one of the most flavourful things you can put in your mouth. The subtle flavour of prawns mingles with the creamy coconut milk and spices, giving a sweet and spicy taste that tastes incredible. Prawn curry goes great with anything Sri Lankan, like string hoppers, bread, rice, yellow rice, hoppers, pittu and coconut roti. Most find the gravy to be the star of the show! To elevate it even further, a side of coconut sambol is a must! You can try a range of great eats in Pasikuda hotels like that which you'll find Amaya Beach Pasikudah, and are a great way to sample the local cuisine.
White fish curry is the perfect dish for those who cannot tolerate a lot of spice, but still want to enjoy an extremely tasty curry. Unlike typical fish curry, there will be a lot less chilli and spice. The gravy is mainly flavoured with coconut milk, curry powder, turmeric, curry leaves, cinnamon and pandan. The fish flavour complements sweet coconut milk and tastes absolutely amazing with string hoppers or rice and curry.
Although sprats and dry fish were once considered poor man's food, no local will be able to resist a good fry! It is considered the ultimate rice choice and complements rice and curry like no other. Sprats or pieces of dried fish are fried in onions, green chillies, and chilli powder to add a salty and spicy kick to your meal.
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A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
