How to explore food in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka is a vibrant country with a multicultural population living in peace and harmony. Just like there are plenty of World Historic Sites, wildlife and nature reserves to explore, food too is a subject you could delve into during your time here. Here's how to find your way in Sri Lanka with food.

Kottu

Walking down the streets, especially the streets of Colombo you are sure to hear a rhythmic clamping of steel. Follow the sound and you'll begin to smell the aroma of something great cooking. Follow the aroma and you'll probably find yourself at what the locals call as petti kade, which translates to small shop in a corner selling the best street food in Sri Lanka, Kottu! This is a combination of godamba roti cut into pieces stir-fried with vegetables and your choice of egg, chicken or fish. You can also add on cheese for a taste that's truly out of this world! The dish is served with a spicy curry to complete it all.

Appa

                                                    Img via Wikimedia Commons

        

This is more or less a Sri Lankan pancake that is called hoppers in English. Although, this is not just your typical pancake. Hoppers are made from fermented rice flour with coconut milk and once fried comes in the shape of a bowl or the thachchiya in which it is cooked, with a crispy, thin exterior and soft centre. This is found only in Sri Lanka and there are different versions to it as well. You can try it plain or with an egg in the middle and lunu miris which is an onion sambol. Or you can opt for the sweet version made with jaggery.

Malu ambul thiyal

Since Sri Lanka is a tropical island, it has its fair share of authentic fish curries and the ambul thiyal is what's most popular here. The dish is made of fresh tuna, mackerel or bonito could be suitable substitutes as well. The fish is well marinated with a bunch of aromatic local spices and the main ingredient that gives the dish tangy sour flavour would be goraka or malabar tamarind. Initially, the fish dish cam from the south where it would be prepared this way for preservation. Now, however, ambul thiyal has become a local favourite an enticed many tourists as well. Ambul thiyal is available even at the best restaurants in Colombo.

Lamprais

Yet another exciting dish, this has been passed down to Sri Lanka from the Dutch burghers that came to the island a long time ago. The best part about lamprais is that the elements are all cooked twice. The rice and the curries are first cooked separately and then served into a plantain leaf and wrapped and baked in the oven where the essences of each curry are brought out in a strong way. The curries consist of fried ash plantain curry, wambtu moju (eggplant curry), seeni sambol (onion cooked sweet), fish cutlet, a fried boiled egg and lampara curry.

Idiyappam

This is a dish that came to Sri Lanka from South India and dates back to the first century AD! Rice flour is made into tiny noodle-like cakes. These are served with various curries; a lentic curry is a must-have on the plate with Idiyappam. This goes great with a coconut sambol made spicy, kiri hodi (spicy coconut milk) and a fish or chicken. The dish is common at both high-end restaurants like Rare Bar + Kitchen Colombo and small wayside eateries for breakfast or dinner. It is quite a light meal and easy to digest, so don't forget to try it out.