Sri Lanka is
among the most diverse countries in the world; culturally,
geographically, and gastronomically. Sri Lankan cuisine is vast,
electrifying and unique, and there is something new to reconnoitre in
every district. If you’re seeking a culinary escapade like no other, the
pearl of the Indian Ocean is the place for you.
A journey to the island
of Sri Lanka is an opening to feast on its lavish, melting-pot cuisine,
which is swayed by its geography. Positioned in the mighty Indian Ocean
amid Western and Eastern culture, one can expect a profusion of
flavours…
Discover Sri Lanka through food…
While on a city tour on the streets of the island’s commercial
capital, it’s common to witness the rhythmic clank of the ‘kottu’ maker
on the streets – the ultimate Sri Lankan street food. The recipe entails
a stir-fry which had originated as a simpler way of tackling with
leftovers. The dish features pieces of roti mixed with finely shredded
vegetables and meat, seasoned with spices, garlic, ginger, and sauces,
on a flat iron skillet, with the aid of two metal cleavers. One may
usually find this in the evenings on the many street stalls of the city.
Dig into Colombo’s street food scene and eat, eat, eat your way through
the city like a local!
A Sri Lankan dish introduced by the island’s Dutch Burger population
community. ‘Lamprais’ originates from the Dutch terminology that
translates as ‘a packet of food’. The dish consists of eggplant,
frikkadels (Dutch-style beef balls), boiled eggs, sambol,
and mixed meats. The recipe is further infused with cinnamon, cloves,
cardamom, and rice. The ingredients are then mixed and enclosed in a
banana leaf and baked in the oven at a low temperature for a couple of
hours.
The
comfort food of Sri Lanka is rice and curry. As such, the dhal curry is
made from red lentils and cooked in coconut milk. The dish is seasoned
with tomatoes, onions, and fresh green chilies. Later, all are sautéed
and mixed with tempered spices like fenugreek, mustard seeds, cumin
seeds, turmeric, and pandan leaves. The dish is much more delicious to
relish upon when prepared in an earthen pot.
This is among the most celebrated classics of the Sri Lankan cuisine
with an abundance of regional variations. Traditionally served with
rice, the taste is of caramelised pickle. The eggplant is sliced and
deep-fried and then mixed with ground mustard seeds, sugar, cloves,
salt, and vinegar to form a piquant dark saucy moju. This is then added
to shredded ginger, fried shallots, crushed garlic and served with plain
rice.
Traditionally cooked at home over coconut-shell embers, the hoppers
are the Sri Lankan version of thin pancakes with crispy edges. These
delightful crepe
looking bowls are prepared from coconut milk, fermented rice flour,
coconut water and a dash of sugar. A ladle of batter is poured into a
tiny wok and whirled around. To complete the hopper, an egg is cracked
into the bowl-shaped pancake as it cooks. Once cooked, the hopper is
garnished with lunu miris – a local sambol which entails of lime juice,
onions, chilies, and salt. One may also relish this dish with Pol
sambol,
a fresh coconut relish which is a simple blend of finely grated
coconut, dried whole chilies, red onions, dried fish, lime juice and
salt. This is sprinkled over almost everything and is found all over Sri
Lanka.
When in Sri Lanka, one may discover seafood in all nooks and crannies
of the island, including the beaches at major tourist hotspots who
hosts an
assortment of different street vendors offering fried crab together
with countless other seafood specialties from their localities. Most of
these dishes are served spicy hot with fried peppers added to go and
wrapped in a cone paper takeaway. It’s simple, fresh and spicy hot!
Rooting
back to Southern Sri Lanka, the dish originated as a method of
preserving fish. Cubed fish (mostly tuna) is sautéed in an assortment of
spices containing curry leaves, cinnamon, pandan leaves, garlic,
turmeric, and black pepper. To add to all this, the most noteworthy
ingredient is dried goraka,
a tamarind-like fruit that bestows the fish its distinctive, tart
flavour. All the aforementioned components are simmered with a bit of
water and cooked until the fluid lessens. This permits the spice
concoction to coat each cube of fish while paving way for a dry curry.
8. Jaffna kool
Originating from the northern region of the island, “Kool” is a mixed seafood broth consisting of fish, prawns, crab, and cuttlefish with added spinach, long beans, and tamarind.
We hope you relished reading on the many delicacies of the Sri Lankan cuisine. Have you tried Sri Lankan food before and what did you think of the food from the country, please do share…
Source: bbcgoodfood.com
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