20 Sri Lankan Traditional Dishes You Must Try

20 Sri Lankan Traditional Dishes You Must Try

Sri Lanka has a wide variety of traditional cuisines that have been shaped by a vibrant culinary heritage and inspired by several historical and cultural elements. Curry and rice is unquestionably the star of this island.

In addition to the regional customs of the nation's ethnic groupings, Sri Lanka served as a hub along the ancient Oceanic "Silk Road," which brought new foods and cultural influences. Sri Lankan cuisine is definitely influenced by Southern India, the Dutch, and Indonesia.

The use of a wide variety of herbs, spices, seafood, seasonal vegetables, rice, legumes, and fruits is a hallmark of traditional Sri Lankan cuisine. The diverse types of rice, coconut, and seafood are all significant culinary influences. Although most Sri Lankans prefer veggie curries, rice and curry is the country's national dish and is served in a variety of ways all around the island. Bread comes in a variety of forms, including loaves and flatbreads made in the roti style, both of which are widely used.

Here are the top 20 Sri Lankan dishes that, in our opinion, you shouldn't miss.

Common spices used in Sri Lankan cuisine include black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, fenugreek, mace, nutmeg, and turmeric.

Cayenne pepper, curry leaf, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, lime, scallions, tabasco, and tamarind are a few examples of herbs.

Seafood: Prawns, Maldivian fish, dried fish, Mackerel, and tuna Millet, Olu Haal (Water Lily Seed), Red Rice (typical varieties include Kekulu, Pachchaperumal, Kaluheenati, and Madathawalu), and White Rice (typical types include Samba, Kekulu, and Suwandel) are examples of shark grains.

Oils: Sesame, Mustard, Coconut, and Ghee (Cow and Buffalo). Oil

Vegetables: Snake Gourd, Bitter Melon, Gotukola, Green Papaya, Lotus Root, Pumpkin, Purple Yam Tapioca Meats: Pork, Goat, Chicken, Beef

Fruits: Mango, orange, pineapple, guava, pineapple, soursop, and woodapple

20????Sri Lankan Traditional Dishes You Must Try

1.??????Achcharu

This meal, which consists of a variety of pickled vegetables, is typically served as a relish with other foods or as a side dish. It often combines sweet, hot, and sour flavours, however each restaurant or household will serve their own version of this meal based on taste preferences or a traditional family recipe. A variety of spices, including mustard seeds, garlic, vinegar, ginger, chilli powder, and sugar are typically included.

2. Aluwa

Traditional Sri Lankan desserts in the shape of diamonds typically include toasted rice flour, sugar syrup or molasses, ground cashew nuts, and spices like cardamom or cloves.

3. Devilled Seafood

'Devilled' refers to spicy foods in Sri Lankan cuisine, and based on our personal experience (and the fact that we enjoy spicy food), they were unquestionably on the hot side of the spectrum. It is frequently served with some sort of seafood, like fish or prawns. With a tomato, chili, and turmeric basis, the sauce is flavourful and rich. It is served with rice, flatbread, and one or two side dishes, like the majority of Sri Lankan meals.

4. Fish sour fish curry Ambul Thiyal

The traditional meal Ambul Thiyal was created in southern Sri Lanka as a means of refrigeration-free fish preservation. Among the many available fish curries, it is one of the most favoured versions.

Cut into cubes, a large, firm fish like yellowfin tuna or sailfish is utilized. The fish is then sautéed in a mixture of herbs and spices, including dried goraka, pandan leaves, curry leaves, turmeric, black pepper, and cinnamon. The dried goraka, a little fruit that gives the fish its sour flavour, is the key component. Goraka, a tropical fruit that resembles tamarind and is one of the key components, lends this dish its somewhat sour, tangy flavour. Traditionally, rice, String Hoppers, and even hot Coconut Roti are served with this meal.

5. Godamba Roti

Godamba Roti is a straightforward flatbread typically made from wheat flour in Sri Lanka. The pockets, which have a triangular appearance, contain a variety of various substances. Vegetable and fish While all types of rotis are well-liked, the Pol Roti, which incorporates freshly grated coconut into the dough, is the most well-liked. Another variation is the spicy Roti, where the dough is made with chopped green chilies and onions. Triangle rotis are fried in a pan as opposed to being deep-fried, like samosas.

6. Pennywort Salad, or Gotu Kola Sambol

Gotu Kola Sambol is one of the dishes or salads made with green vegetables that is most widely accessible in Sri Lanka. Southeast Asia is home to a variety of small, leafy green medicinal herbs known as gotu kola (Asiatic pennywort). It has recently been classified as a superfood and tastes a lot like kale. In Sri Lanka, raw materials put together are referred to as sambol.

To make this nutritious green salad, thinly slice the gotu kola and combine with the spices, fresh grated coconut, red onion, lemon juice, and Umbalakada fish. Curry and other hearty, hot foods go well with gotu kola sambol because it is tangy, cool, and tasty.

7. Hoppers, either Appam or Appa

Hoppers, which are sometimes referred to as Appa or Appam, are a traditional dish from Sri Lanka and a favourite among families. In essence, Hoppers are a pancake as it is known in Sri Lanka.

Rice flour, palm toddy or yeast (for fermentation), coconut milk, occasionally coconut water, and a hint of sugar are combined to make the batter. The batter is then fried in a small wok so that the bottoms and edges of the hoop cakes are thin and crunchy.

The end product is a pancake in the shape of a bowl that can be served spicy (like egg hoppers, kiri (milk) hoppers, or string hoppers) or sweet (like pani (honey) hoppers). While the pancake cooks, all extra ingredients are poured into the centre. Breakfast dishes like egg hoppers are frequently served with lunu miris, a condiment made of red onion, red chili, lemon juice, salt, and occasionally Maldivian fish.

8. (Milk Rice) Kiribath

In Sri Lanka, kiribath, a specific kind of rice prepared with thick coconut milk, is a common meal. After being cooked, the milk and rice mixture is placed in a shallow plate to cool. The meal is then customarily served like a slice of cake after being cut into squares or diamond shapes.

Pieces are frequently either consumed salty with curry or chili sauce or sweetened with jaggery (unrefined sugar) and bananas when they are served alongside a variety of other Sri Lankan cuisines. Kiribath is frequently garnished in several ways, one of which is with a hot Lunu Miris (Chilli Sambol).

Kiribath is traditionally provided during rare or auspicious occasions to symbolise prosperity and good luck, as well as to mark new beginnings. It is always enjoyed on Sinhalese New Year and during key life events such as birthdays.

9. Kottu (sometimes spelled Kottu Roti)

Kottu, often known as Kottu Roti, is a popular Sri Lankan Tamil street meal. Simply listening for the sound of metal against metal (you'll know it when you hear it) will alert you that a Kottu merchant is nearby.

Kottu roti is typically cooked with Gothamba roti (a flat, crispy bread) with veggies, eggs, or meat, as well as a variety of spices. On a heated plate, each kottu is made individually. The method begins with frying spices including ginger, garlic, pandan leaves, curry, Chile, cardamom, and cinnamon to release their powerful scents. The spices are topped with carrots, onions, cabbage, or other vegetables, then sliced roti is placed on top.

This spice, vegetable, and roti mixture is then sliced and chopped using a metal blade in each hand. Some of the best kottu chefs write their own songs and sing them while rhythmically chopping their blades against the metal frying surface, slicing the roti with each chop.

Kottu comes with a separate bowl of hot curry sauce, which you can use as a dip or pour over the entire plate to moisten and flavour the stir-fried flatbread.

? Egg Kottu - a combination of egg and vegetables

? Cheese Kottu - the texture is comparable to cottage cheese.

10. Kukul Mas Curry (Chicken Curry)

Chicken curry is a popular Sri Lankan meal with several variations depending on geography and taste preferences.

Layers of flavour are created by combining fresh local food, rich spices and herbs (such as fennel seeds, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon sticks, chili powder, curry powder, turmeric, pandan leaves, lemongrass, curry leaves), and Sri Lankan staples such as coconut milk.

This meal is best accompanied by rice, string hoppers, and roti.

11. Lamprais (Lump Rice)

Lamprais is derived from the Dutch word lomprijst (meal package) and was introduced to Sri Lanka by the Dutch Burgher people. This Sri Lankan dish excellently exemplifies the country's cuisine's external influences.

Rice cooked in meat stock is combined with two frikkadels (Dutch-style meatballs), a mixed meat curry, eggplant curry, and spices such as cinnamon, clove, lemongrass, and cardamom to make these little packets of food.?All of these ingredients are then wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed or cooked in an oven.

12. Lunu Miris (Chilli Sambol)

Lunu miris is a delicious Sri Lankan staple that is commonly served as a condiment with egg hoppers, a popular breakfast dish, and Kiribath. Lunu means onions in Sinhala, and Miris means chilli, alluding to the two key components needed to manufacture this hot sauce.

Red onions and red chilies are typically blended with salt, pepper, lime juice, and Maldives fish before being mashed with a mortar and pestle.

13. Parippu (Dhal Curry)

Parippu, also known as Dhal Curry, is the most frequent curry in Sri Lankan cuisine and a staple in any restaurant or family. Masoor dhal (split red lentils) is blended with a lovely blend of spices like as cumin seeds, turmeric, fenugreek, mustard seeds, and curry leaves. Sautéed fresh ingredients such as onions, tomatoes, and fresh green chilies are also added to this combination. Then, for a rich flavour and creamy texture, a few spoonful of fresh coconut milk are added.

It goes well with anything, but it's especially good with rice, fresh roti, or paratha flatbread.

14. Pittu (Coconut Funnel Cakes)

The Sri Lankan Pittu funnel cakes are made using flour (either rice or karukan), fresh shredded coconut, and desiccated coconut. Traditionally, the cylindrical cakes are steamed in bamboo, but they are now also steamed in cylindrical shaped moulds.

Pittu goes well with fresh sweetened coconut milk, sugar, Lunu Miris, spicy meat or fish curries, and so on.

15. Polos (Jackfruit Curry, Green)

Sri Lankan cuisine is famous for its curries, and Polos, or Young Jackfruit Curry, is a must-try. This curry is made with young green jackfruit, which has a similar feel to potato or cassava and is chopped into bite-sized chunks before being simmered till mushy. Garlic, ginger, onions, and spices such as chili powder, mustard seeds, turmeric, pandan leaves, and curry leaf are then added. The curry is finished by adding coconut milk.

It is best served with rice and a spicy sambal.

16. Pol Sambol (Coconut Relish)

Pol Sambol is a straightforward combination of finely shredded coconut, red onions, dried whole chilies or chili powder, lime juice, salt, and Maldives fish. The components are diced or ground before being combined in a mixing dish.

This flavourful combination of spice, acidity, salt, and a subtle sweetness from grated coconut is a popular garnish or side dish. It's delicious with curries and rice, pol roti (coconut roti), fresh paratha flatbread, hoppers, and string hoppers.

17. Crab Curry from Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan Crab Curry is undoubtedly the most well-known of all Sri Lankan dishes, and for good reason! Crab meat (blue swimmer or mud crabs), lime juice, milk or coconut milk, curry leaves, grated coconut, ginger, shallots, garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, fenugreek seeds, and red chili peppers combine to make this delectable dish. The curry is simmered until the crabs are completely cooked and the gravy thickens.

This recipe is best served hot, with rice and flatbreads on the side.

18. Sri Lankan Rice and Curry

The National Dish in Sri Lanka is rice and curry, and recipes vary based on where you are in the nation and the products available.

Sri Lankan rice and curry typically consists of hot, fluffy boiled or steamed rice served with a variety of side dishes known as curries. Along with the rice, a variety of curries are frequently given, one of which is usually based on fish or meat. Another two or three curries are vegetarian dishes like Parippu (Dhal), Polo (Jackfruit), beetroot curry, or pumpkin curry. Dishes are also served with pappadams, pickled fruits or vegetables, chutneys, and sambols.

19. String Hoppers (Indi Appa or Idiyappam)

String Hoppers or Iddiyappam, as opposed to Hoppers, are fashioned from a thick dough made from rice meal or wheat flour. To make thin strands of noodles, the dough is forced through a string hopper maker, similar to a pasta press. These noodles are then steamed on little wicker mats in the shape of nests.

String hoppers are popular for breakfast, but they can also be eaten for dinner with a curry and used to soak up the sauces.

20. Wambatu Moju (Pickled Eggplant / Brinjals)

Wambatu Moju is a candied eggplant (brinjals) pickle that is commonly served with rice and curries. Deep-frying eggplant (aubergine) strips is followed by caramelization with sugar, vinegar, red onions, green chilies, mustard seeds, chili powder, and a pinch of ground turmeric till the colour turns practically black.

This dish is a culinary delight! The eggplant's delicate and juicy texture melts in your tongue, and somewhat sweet, sour, and salty flavours linger on the palette.

In conclusion

When tasting Sri Lanka's diverse traditional foods, expect hot and spicy, acidic and sweet flavours. Sri Lankan cookery produces a variety of amazing meals due to its liberal use of native fruits such as coconut and jackfruit, seafood, and a diverse array of spices.

Have you ever been to Sri Lanka? Which traditional Sri Lankan dish was your favourite??

(Source: exit45travels.com)