The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Sri Lankan Foods. If you manage to be in an Sri Lankan restaurant or you are visiting Sri Lanka, I recommend the following:
1. Kottu
Kottu is a typical Sri Lankan dish. This delicious dish consists of small strips of godamba roti, chopped vegetables, meat or fish, eggs and many spices, such as curry, pepper or chilli, which give the dish a spicy and tasty flavour. It is usually eaten at different times of the day, both for lunch and dinner. Each and every ingredient is poured onto a hot steel plate and, with the help of two types of metal spatulas, chopped and mixed until all the ingredients come together.
2. Chicken Curry
It is usually, but not always, rice-based and has a significant spiciness. However, in some places there are less spicy versions. This is a slow-cooked stew, with different spices in different regions of Sri Lanka. It usually contains cardamom, chilli, curry, cloves, fennel, lime and coconut milk. In addition to rice, it is also often accompanied by roti, the typical Sri Lankan bread. This succulent dish can take more than an hour to prepare, as all the ingredients need to melt and absorb all the spices they contain.
3. Wambatu Moju
Wambatu moju, also known as Sri Lankan aubergine layer or “Batu moju” to Sri Lankans, is a sweet and sour aubergine layer with a hint of chilli. The resulting dish combines the meatiness of the aubergine, the spicy chilli, the acidity of the vinegar and the caramelised sweetness of the fish. Wambatu moju is a common dish on many Sri Lankan tables and is also often served at weddings and special events.
4. Sour Fish Curry
Fish also plays an important role in Sri Lankan food as shown by the fish ambul thiyal or sour fish curry. This curry can be made from a variety of fish, but most commonly tuna is used. It tends to be curious to the Western palate if they are not used to eating such seasoned tuna. In this case, it contains at least turmeric, cinnamon and pepper. For this to be a sour curry, it is important to use dried goraka.
5. Polos
Pole curry or pole ambula is a traditional Sri Lankan curry made with small jackfruit. This jackfruit curry is made from immature jackfruit, at this stage the fruit is often called baby jackfruit or green jackfruit. Curry In Sri Lanka, curry is prepared in several different ways. But the recipes for these paddles are basically the same, with slight differences in the ingredients and the order of cooking. Here’s a vegan and vegetarian Sri Lankan curry you won’t want to miss when you visit the island.
6. Lamprais
We’re talking about a mixture of vegetables, shrimp paste, curry, rice and meat served in a steamed banana leaf. The meat is actually Dutch-style, with two kinds of meatballs or patties called frikkadels, and the rice is cooked in European-style meat broth. In addition, it usually has two different types of curry, one meat curry (beef, pork and lamb) and one vegetable curry made of banana with aubergine. Of course, it is marinated in a spicy sauce, of course.
7. Parippu
Parippu or Sri Lankan red lentil curry is a staple in every household and certainly the most popular dish in Sri Lanka. Lentils are combined with various vegetables such as onions and tomatoes, as well as spices such as cumin, chilli and curry, in a coconut milk sauce. It is a very intensely flavoured dish, which can also have different levels of spiciness. It is one of the few curries that is not accompanied by rice, although it will usually come with roti.
8. Kiribath
This coconut rice pudding called Kiribath is very different from those made in other European countries or Latin America. It is a very firm rice pudding, which has more of a cake-like texture and can be cut with a knife and eaten in chunks. It is one of the sweetest desserts in Sinhalese cuisine and it is really spectacular.
9. Gotu Kola Sambol
Gotu Kola Sambol is a bright green salad made with grated chia kola, grated coconut, lime juice and chilli. It goes well with simple rice and fibre-rich grilled meats such as Huli Huli seitan kebabs or pumpkin noodles in red curry. Gotu Kola, or known as Brahmi in India, is one of the healthiest herbs you can eat.
10. Hoppers
Hoppers are the typical Sri Lankan pancake. Although they are usually sweet, they can also be savoury on occasion. They are made with rice flour and coconut milk, as well as sugar. Egg hoppers are the most common of the savoury ones and they turn the crepe into a kind of bowl where an egg is added with onion, chilli, lime and salt. They are common for breakfast and dinner. String hoppers are different because they are made with rice noodles instead of rice flour, and are very attractive. In this case, as in most hoppers, if they are sweet, they are perfect for breakfast or as a snack in the evening.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Asian Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.