Joanna James
When visiting Sri Lanka aside from the island culture and hospitality, the cuisine is one other way that you can interact with the true essence of Sri Lanka. As with any South Asian country, Sri Lanka has a type of cuisine that has incorporated a large variety of beautiful spices and cooking techniques that have been perfected over centuries.
This sour but flavourful seafood dish is a popular staple in many Sri Lankan households and is often found in the coastal cities. The dish is made with a firm fish, such as tuna, which is then cut into chunks and marinated with a blend of spices including turmeric, black pepper, and chilli powder. The defining ingredient is a tamarind-like fruit called goraka, it gives the curry its distinctive sour taste and dark colour as well. Restaurants in Kalutara, for example, specialise in this dish with resorts such as the Anantara Kalutara Resort offering this dish in their Sri Lankan food buffets.
One of the most popular Sri Lankan dinner options is Kottu, which is made by mixing a shredded roti (a type of flatbread), mixed vegetables (carrots, leeks, and cabbage), eggs, and a choice of meat or seafood. These ingredients are then put onto a flat grill and thoroughly mixed together using flat utensils, generating its characteristic clanging noises. This dish packs a lot of flavour and heat, perfectly encapsulating the lively energy of Sri Lankan street food culture.
The eggplant is a famous ingredient in Sri Lanka, with every ethnicity in the country having its own unique dishes incorporating this vegetable. The most popular option would be the wambatu mojo, which has become a must-have when enjoying rice based dishes due to the complimentary flavour profile. This dish is prepared by deep frying sliced eggplants which are then cooked in a mixture of vinegar, sugar, and spices until they absorb the sweet and tangy marinade. The result is a dish that is bursting with flavour and intensity, this unique combination of crispy textures with a tangy-sweet coating makes it an unforgettable addition to a traditional Sri Lankan meal.
As with any other South Asian country, Sri Lanka has a popular street food culture with Isso Wade leading the way. The base of this dish is prepared by a roti with a very crunchy texture, made from chickpeas, flour, and spices, which is then shaped into a small circular disk. After this, a few whole prawns (three to four on average) are embedded on top of the base, which is then deep fried until golden brown and crispy, after allowing it to cool down for a few seconds a healthy dollop of spicy paste is added to enhance the flavour profile.
This flavourful seafood soup originates from the northern region of Sri Lanka, Jaffna. This is a very hearty dish consisting of a wide variety of local delicacies that come together to make a very nutrient rich and delicious soup. A variety of fresh seafood (crab, squid, prawns, and cuttlefish), along with root vegetables (yams and sweet potatoes), spinach, murunga (drumstick tree), and spices are used to make this dish a local speciality.
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.
