Sri Lankans eat a version of rice and curry for every meal. For breakfast, it could be a single curry eaten with bread or string hoppers (like vermicelli) or egg or plain hoppers (like a thin pancake). For lunch a large amount of rice is accompanied by any amount of curries, usually a fish or meat curry, vegetable curries and probably dhal (lentils) curry. For dinner, the meal could be another curry with hoppers. There is a multitude of spicy snacks, called “short eats” such as buns and pastries stuffed with fish or vegetable mix, chickpeas with grated coconut, fish cutlets, and a kind of deep fried cookie made with lentil flour.
If you get invited to a village home and are lucky enough to be offered rice and curry, the curries will probably have the authentic taste of having been cooked in clay pots over a wood fire. These should be eaten with the fingers of the right hand. Most mainstream hotels serve a buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner which, as well as international dishes, will have a curry corner so you can try the local cuisine. In Colombo there is a wide choice of specialty restaurants including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Indian, Lebanese, French, Italian, German and Swiss. Some of the best restaurants are located in the first-class hotels.
The prices for food and beverage in restaurants frequented by locals is lower than equivalent eateries in Europe, although will probably cost more than in India or Asian countries (but not Singapore). In the first-class hotels in Colombo and in tourist hotels and restaurants where the food is especially prepared for visitors from abroad, higher prices are charged, often equivalent to European prices. For imported alcoholic beverages prices in bars and restaurants are similar to those in Europe although wines, because of import duty and taxes, may even be higher in price.
If you get invited to a village home and are lucky enough to be offered rice and curry, the curries will probably have the authentic taste of having been cooked in clay pots over a wood fire. These should be eaten with the fingers of the right hand. Most mainstream hotels serve a buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner which, as well as international dishes, will have a curry corner so you can try the local cuisine. In Colombo there is a wide choice of specialty restaurants including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Indian, Lebanese, French, Italian, German and Swiss. Some of the best restaurants are located in the first-class hotels.
The prices for food and beverage in restaurants frequented by locals is lower than equivalent eateries in Europe, although will probably cost more than in India or Asian countries (but not Singapore). In the first-class hotels in Colombo and in tourist hotels and restaurants where the food is especially prepared for visitors from abroad, higher prices are charged, often equivalent to European prices. For imported alcoholic beverages prices in bars and restaurants are similar to those in Europe although wines, because of import duty and taxes, may even be higher in price.
Rice and Curry
Although common place in Sri Lanka, serving traditional Sri Lankan rice and curry can be a daunting task to a novice; reason being that traditional Sri Lankan cooking is about achieving the perfect balance of flavors, colours and textures. The base starch in Sri Lankan meals is rice. The typical rice used in Sri Lanka is samba or kakulu. Rice can be either in its original fibrous format referred to as red rice or in the refined version of white rice. Well cooked Sri Lankan rice is fluffy and not sticky in texture. What makes even the most basic of Sri Lankan meals glamorous is the number of accompaniments. An ideal Sri Lankan meal has a minimum of 5 accompaniment categories referred to as ‘Kirata’, ‘Mirisata’, ‘Thel Dala’, ‘Badumak’ and ‘Mallum, sambola, salada’.
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Gotukola Sambol
In Sri Lanka, gotu kola (which is more commonly known as pennywort) is loved by all for its slightly bitter flavour but also its health and Ayurvedic properties. In the morning on the way to the fish markets, ladies sell a hot rice porridge with gotu kola juice in it — it gives you energy to get through the day and tastes lovely. It is usually served with a chunk of palm sugar. This raw sambal made with gotu kola is so tasty and fits in perfectly with a mouthful of curry. You can replace the gotu kola with flat-leaf parsley if you can’t find it at an Asian greengrocer.
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Srilankan Pickle
Crunchy, spicy and full of zing, this Sri Lankan achcharu (pickle) will perk up even the simplest meal. There are numerous versions of achcharu’s available around the world. All consist of a medley of vegetables that can be served as a relish or side dish. Every achchars vary from one household to another, so you can experiment with different vegetables. And is a very popular dish in Sri Lanka. Specially during the April New year season and during special functions.
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Curd and Treacle
This is a must try dessert during your stay in Sri Lanka. Curd (Mee kiri) is a traditional dessert prepared with buffalo milk and it goes well with palm treacle(kithul pani). Southern Sri Lanka is popular for the best curd, although this dish can be found anywhere in Sri Lanka. If you like natural yogurt,then I am sure you will also like this Sri Lankan finger licking dessert! To find out more about this traditional dessert
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Koththu Roti
Cooked in a curry sauce, you can find different varieties of koththu roti in Sri Lanka namely, chicken,vegetable or egg koththu. Koththu roti is a dish of cooked godamba roti strips (flat bread strips) with fried vegetables in a curry sauce. The dish has a good strong spice on the palate so be sure to ask for a less spicy version if you are so inclined. Koththu roti claims to have originated at Batticaloa, an eastern part of Sri Lanka, however nowadays you can find this in any high end restaurant or even as street food. find a great location to try some koththu roti with peace of mind.
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Isso Wade - Prawn Cake
Oval in shape, red in color and made of a mixture of gram flour, chilli, and spices, these prawn cakes are round and flat and usually have two or three long prawns pressed onto it - with the heads still intact. They are deep fried halfway, and placed on trays to be re-fried before being served. The savory cake can cost anything between Rs. 25 and 50. The sauce and the combination of carrot, onion, chili and lime usually varies from vendor to vendor. The best version of the Isso Wade is to have it with both dressings. Biting into these little cakes, you can taste the tart chili sauce, the lime and onion fuse with the fried prawn and crispy base cake, - it all generates the sensation of a mini bomb imploding inside your mouth.
This is pretty much one of Sri Lankas top street foods: the humble Isso Wade. |
Sour Fish Curry - Malu Ambulthiyal
Malu Ambulthiyal a unique spicy fish preparation with thick gamboges ‘Goraka’ paste. This is a very popular dish of a fish steak (usually an oily fish like kingfish) in a sour curry sauce. Sri Lanka has a great selection of delicious fish. Best accompaniment if you want to bring down a few blocks of milk rice or a few hoppers and pittu as well.
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Coconut Flat Cake - Pol Roti
Roti is a quick meal- and easy to prepare. Wheat, rice or kurakkan (Eleusine coracana, a strongly flavored brown millet)-meal is mixed with fresh grated coconut and a touch of oil and baked on a hot griddle in thin flat cakes.Roti is equally good with chillie relish or with syrup.
Shallots, green chillies, curry leaves and Maldive (cured) fish flakes are akked to ring in the changes. In Sri Lanka also have koththu roti and godamba roti as well. |
Pol Sambola – Spicy Coconut Garnish
This Sri Lankan food may be one of the simplest things to make, yet one of the most amazing bowls of deliciousness that Sri Lanka has contributed to the world, known as pol sambol. It highlights the almighty coconut, a fruit that’s integral in Sri Lankan cooking. Pol salmbol is merely a mixture of shredded coconut, chili powder or dried chilies, lime juice, red onions, and salt – and believe me, every bite is like a miracle come true. I could graze on pol sambola for hours at a time. Pol sambola is perfect to eat with bread, roti, or on top of rice, or with curry. Actually is delicious to eat with anything, or even plain by itself.
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