Coursing through the cuisine of Sri Lanka is a great observance to details and tradition. It truly is like tasting history.
Sri Lanka, the fabled island of sapphires, rubies, and other precious stones, is home to one of Asia's least known cuisines. Rarely found in restaurants outside the island itself, Sri Lankan fare is often mistaken for yet another Indian regional cuisine. To the culinary explorer, however, Sri Lankan food is as intriguing and unique as the many other customs of this island paradise.
Multiethnic Influences
Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, is located off India's southeast coast. The rugged terrain of the central highlands—characterized by high mountains and plateaus, steep river gorges, and swathes of tea plantations—dominates much of the island. This falls away to sandy lowlands, rice paddies, and long stretches of palm-fringed beaches. Sri Lankan cuisine, which is based upon rice with vegetable, fish, or meat curries, and a variety of side dishes and condiments, reflects the geographical and ethnic differences of the land.
The multi-ethnic mix of people living on this small island comprises Sinhalese, Tamils, Moors (Muslims), Burghers and Eurasians, Malays, and Veddhas. Over the centuries, the cooking of the Sinhalese has evolved into two slightly different styles: coastal or “low country” Sinhalese, and Kandy or "upcountry" Sinhalese. Regardless of where they live, the staple food for Sinhalese (and indeed, for all Sri Lankans) is rice. This is usually accompanied by a range of spiced vegetables, fish, poultry, meat, or game dishes.
In coastal Sinhalese cuisine, fish, and other seafood feature far more widely than poultry or meat, and coconut milk is the preferred base for curries. One Sinhalese specialty from the coast is ambulthiyal, or sour claypot fish. At its best in the Southern town of Ambalangoda, ambulthiyal is a dish of balaya (bonito) which uses goraka (gamboge) as both a flavoring and a preservative. Crab curries and numerous shrimp dishes are also popular. An ingredient known as Maldive fish is widely used as a seasoning throughout Sri Lanka, but especially in coastal regions. It is made from a type of bonito (also known as skipjack) which is boiled, smoked, and sun-dried until it is rock hard.
Kandy, the heart of upcountry Sri Lanka, remained an independent Sinhalese kingdom until the British finally took over in 1815, thus it largely escaped the social and culinary influences of the Portuguese and Dutch. Many Kandian curries are made with unusual ingredients such as young jackfruit, jackfruit seeds, cashews, breadfruit, and green papaya, while various edible flowers such as turmeric, hibiscus, and sesbania may end up in an omelet or curry. Game, including deer and wild birds, was also an upcountry favorite.
The first Tamils are believed to have arrived at about the same time as the Indo-Ayrans, around 2,000 years ago. Successive waves of Tamils from southern India established themselves in Sri Lanka, mostly in the north, on the Jaffna peninsula. Popular Tamil dishes found in Sri Lanka include rasam, a spicy sour soup that is an aid to digestion; kool, a thick seafood soup originating from Jaffna fisherfolk; vadai, or deep-fried savories made with black gram flour; and many types of vegetable pachadi, where cooked vegetables are tossed with curd or yogurt, and freshly grated coconut. Thosai, slightly sour pancakes made with black gram and rice flours, constitute another delicious Tamil contribution to the culinary scene.
Malays, who were brought by the Dutch, have intermarried with the Muslim community and brought with them several dishes which have since become part of the Sri Lankan kitchen. Sathe is the Sri Lankan equivalent of satay, or cubes of meat threaded on skewers and served with a peanut and chili sauce. Other Malay dishes include gula melaka (sago pudding with jaggery), nasi kuning (turmeric rice), barbuth (honeycomb tripe curry), seenakku and parsong (two types of rice flour cakes.)
Colonial Tastes
The wave of Western expansionism, which began at the end of the fifteenth century, was also to have a significant impact on Sri Lanka. Colonialism affected not only the agriculture, social structure, and religions of the country, but also the cuisine. The first Portuguese ships chanced upon Sri Lanka in the early sixteenth century and set about trading in cinnamon and other spices. There followed four hundred years of Western presence in the form of Portuguese, Dutch, and finally the British before Sri Lanka regained her independence in 1948. The Portuguese introduced a number of plants they had discovered in the Americas, the most important being chili, as well as corn, tomatoes, and guavas. It is hard to imagine Sri Lankan cuisine without chili, but prior to the introduction of this taste-tingling plant, all Asians had to rely on pepper for heat. The Portuguese impact on the cuisine of Sri Lanka has lasted until today, but almost exclusively in the area of rich cakes: bolo de coco (a coconut cake), foguete (deep-fried pastry tubes with a sweet filling), and bolo folhadao (a layered cake). The Dutch left a number of cakes to become part of the culinary legacy of Sri Lanka, and particularly of the Burgher community, including breudher, a rich cake made with yeast. Dutch meatballs, or frikadel, appear as part of a cross-cultural dish served on special occasions in many Sri Lankan homes. Lampries (a corruption of the Dutch lomprijst) combines these meatballs with a typically Sinhalese curry made with four types of meat and a tangy sambol, all wrapped up in a piece of banana leaf and steamed. Another Dutch recipe is smore, or sliced braised beef.
Spice and Other Things Nice
Spices, so important to the Sri Lankan kitchen, actually helped shape the history of the island. The Portuguese arrived at the beginning of the sixteenth century, and it was Sri Lanka's famous cinnamon which became the prime source of revenue for the Europeans. Sri Lanka's cinnamon trees, which grew wild on the southern and western coasts of the island, were said to produce the finest cinnamon in the world. Cinnamon was still the most important source of revenue by the time the Dutch seized control of the island. They introduced penalties to protect it, making it a capital offence to damage a plant, and to sell or to export the quills or their oil. The Dutch did eventually succeed in cultivating cinnamon, but still relied largely on the wild supply. By the nineteenth century, however, the supremacy of cinnamon was challenged by the cheaper cassia bark grown elsewhere in Asia. Cardamom, indigenous to both Sri Lanka and southern India, was another valuable spice which flourished in the wetter regions of the country. All of Sri Lanka's spices are used to flavor savory dishes such as curries; some also add their fragrance and flavor to desserts and cakes. Spices such as cinnamon therefore command a very important position in Sri Lankan culture, not only as culinary flavorings but also by virtue of their having played such a major role in the country's history.
The Sri Lankan Table
Breakfast in Sri Lanka is often a batter of rice flour cooked in special hemispherical pans to make appa or hoppers. These are small, bowl-shaped pancakes with a soft, bready center and crisp brown edges that goes well with treacle and buffalo-milk yogurt. Crack an egg into the middle of a hopper before turning the pan results in an egg hopper; these go best with thick, highly spiced sambol. Another rice-batter dish, called the “string hopper," is quite different. These are tangled little circles of steamed noodles usually served with a hodhi or thin curry sauce.
Sri Lankans lunch between noon and two, often with a plate of “short eats." These divide equally between crisply baked filo-dough biscuits and frikadels or deep-fried rolls or balls. The interiors are filled with meat, fish, or vegetables. Short eats are joined by vadai, or deep-fried donuts of lentils, spices, and flour. Another common snack is roti, a square or triangular wrap of dough stuffed with fresh chilies, onions, vegetables, and cooked egg, meat, or fish, which is fried on a searing sheet-metal griddle over a propane burner. Many prefer a rice-and-curry lunch packet. Inside a banana leaf or thin plastic wrap is a cup or two of boiled rice, a piece of curried chicken, fish, or beef for non-vegetarians, or simply some curried vegetables.
A proper rice-and-curry dinner involves three or more accompaniments, at least two of them vegetables. When choosing which curries to serve with the rice, Sri Lankan cooks ensure that there is a variety of textures as well as flavors, with at least one fairly liquid, or soupy, curry to help moisten the rice, and usually a relatively dry curry with a thick gravy. One of the curries will most likely be a spiced lentil dish, and there is sure to be at least one pungent side dish or condiment known as a sambol. These sambol, also know as “rice pullers," are guaranteed to whet the appetite with their basic ingredient—anything from onion to bitter gourd, dried shrimp to salted lime—heightened by the flavors of chili, onion, salt, and Maldive fish. One of the most popular sambol, pol sambol, is made with freshly grated coconut.
There are few native desserts but many rasokavili or sweets. Kaum is a battercake made of flour and treacle deep-fried in coconut oil. Aluvas are thin, flat, diamond-shaped halvas, or wedges of rice flour, treacle, and sugar cane. Coconut milk laboriously boiled down with jaggery and cashew nuts yields kalu dodol. Kiribath, a festive dish of rice cooked in milk, is the first solid food fed to babies. Kiri peni or “curd and honey" is buffalo-milk yogurt and treacle.
THE ESSENTIAL FLAVORS OF SRI LANKAN COOKING
Ingredients common to the Sri Lankan pantry include dried spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, fennel, fennugreek, mustard seeds, and turmeric. A good supply of basmati rice is a must. Fresh or dried curry leaves, fresh cilantro, coconut milk, and tamarind are also easy to come by and will prove indespensible. Fresh green chilies are used in curries and sambols, dried red chilies, chili flakes, and chili powder are common too. If Maldive fish is unavailable, substitute with small dried shrimps.
Sri Lanka, famous for its pristine beaches and stunning landscapes, also boasts one of the most intriguing cuisines in Asia. The fruits of land and sea are plentiful, and sitting down to a Sri Lankan meal is a truly fantastic epicurean adventure.
Roasted Curry Powder
This is used as an ingredient in curries or can be sprinkled on vegetables before serving.
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
6 cardamom pods
½ cup (100 g) coriander seeds 6 cloves
Dry-roast all the ingredients in a skillet over low heat, stirring constantly, until the spices become a deep golden color. Grind them to a fine powder in an electric blender. Store in an air-tight container.
Coconut Gravy
1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds
2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 sprigs curry leaves
2 pieces pandanus leaf
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods, crushed
2 green finger-length chilies, deseeded and finely sliced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons dried shrimp or fish, ground to a powder in a blender
2 cups (500 ml) coconut milk Salt and lemon juice to taste
Wash the fenugreek seeds and soak them in the chicken stock in a saucepan for 30 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients except the coconut milk, salt, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and simmer on very low heat until the onions are tender.
Add the coconut milk and heat the entire mix to boiling point, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste
Coconut Sambol
1 teaspoon chopped dried chili
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried shrimp or fish, ground to a powder in a blender
2 cups (200 g) grated fresh coconut or
1½ cups (120 g) unsweetened desiccated coconut, moistened
3 tablespoons lime juice Salt to taste
Grind together the chili, onion, pepper, and Maldive fish. Add the grated coconut and season with lime juice. Mix well by hand to ensure all the coconut is coated. Best served freshly made.
Bird's-eye Chili Sambol
½ cup (100 g) bird's-eye chilies
½ onion, sliced
1 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons lime juice Salt to taste
Combine the chilies and onions and grind finely in a blender. Add the pepper, lime juice, and salt. Best when served freshly made. Store in a covered container in a cool place and use as desired.
Butter Rice
¼ cup (50 g) butter or ghee
½ onion, finely chopped
2 curry leaves
2 cardamom pods, crushed
2 cloves
½ small cinnamon stick
2½ cups (500 g) uncooked Basmati or other long-grained rice, washed
3 cups (750 ml) Chicken Stock (page 73)
½ teaspoon salt 1 small potato, peeled and sliced into matchsticks, then deep-fried
1 tablespoon roasted cashew nuts
1 teaspoon sultanas
Heat the butter and fry half the onion until golden. Add the curry leaves, spices and rice. Fry over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring continuously, then add the stock, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, fry the remaining onion and set aside to be used as garnish.
When the rice is cooked, remove the spices, place the rice on a platter and garnish with fried potato matchsticks, roasted cashews, sultanas, and reserved fried onions.
Tamarind Claypot Fish
The southwestern coastal town of Ambalangoda first made this dish famous. The tamarind both imparts its characteristic sharp taste and also acts as a preservative. Even in Sri Lanka's heat and humidity, an ambulthiyal can keep for up to a week. Serve with plain rice.
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp soaked in
4 tablespoons water
1 lb (500 g) tuna or other firm fish Juice of
1 lime
2 teaspoons ground red pepper
1 teaspoon ground pepper Salt to taste
½ cup (125 ml) water 6 cloves
1 slice of ginger
5 cloves of garlic
1 sprig curry leaves
Soak the tamarind pulp in 4 tablespoons water, stir and strain, discarding any solids.
Cut the fish into eight pieces, wash them well with the lime juice and arrange the pieces in a single layer in a pan.
Blend the tamarind water, ground red pepper, pepper, salt, and a little water to a paste. Mix this paste with the fish in the pan, coating each piece thoroughly. Add the cloves, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, and the water, and bring to a boil. Simmer until all the gravy has reduced and the fish pieces are quite dry, about 15 minutes.
Shrimp in Coconut Curry Gravy
2 tablespoons oil
¾ cup (100 g) minced onion
6-7 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 sprig curry leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1-2 green finger-length chilies
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 teaspoons Roasted Curry Powder
1 large tomato, diced Salt to taste
1 lb (500 g) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails intact
1½ cups (375 ml) thick coconut milk
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion, garlic, ginger, curry leaves, cinnamon and green chilies until the onion is golden brown.
Add the ground red pepper, tumeric, and curry powder, the diced tomato, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato is fully mashed, about 10 minutes.
Add the shrimp and simmer until cooked, about 3 minutes. Finally, add the thick coconut milk and bring to a boil again. Remove from heat and serve.
Stir-fried Spicy Shrimp
1 lb (500 g) medium shrimps, peeled and deveined, with tails intact Salt to taste
2 teaspoons coarsely pounded red chilies
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon lime juice
1-2 teaspoons oil
1 cup (200 g) sliced onions
5 cloves garlic, sliced
2 green finger-length chilies, sliced
1 small cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon crushed peppercorns
1 small tomato, cut in wedges
1 sprig curry leaves
Rub the shrimp with the salt, red chilies, turmeric, and lime juice and allow to marinate for 20 minutes. Heat the oil in a wok and quickly stir-fry the shrimp at high heat until half done, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, fry the onions, garlic, green chilies, cinnamon, pepper, tomato wedges, and curry leaves until crispy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the shrimp and cook them while tossing to coat the shrimp completely, for 3 minutes or until done.
Fish Lemon Stew
Seer, or Spanish mackerel, is Sri Lanka's tastiest fish. Besides pan-frying, there are many other ways to bring out its flavors, as in this delicate stew recipe.
1 lb (500 g) Spanish mackerel fillets (substitute with kingfish or cod) Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 red onion,
1 diced and
1 sliced into rings
2 sprigs curry leaves
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 green finger-length chilies, finely sliced
4 cardamom pods, crushed
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 stalk lemongrass, tender inner pari of bottom third only, finely sliced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk Juice of
1 lemon
Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Heat the oil until hot in a large stir-fry pan and sear the fillets to firm the flesh, then set aside.
Reheat the oil and add the diced onion (not the onion rings), curry leaves, garlic, green chilies, cardamom pods, fenugreek and lemongrass. Stir-fry over medium heat until fragrant.
Add the coriander, cumin, and turmeric, and stir-fry until the oils are released and their aroma is strong. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and add the onion rings and the fish fillets. Simmer until the onion rings and fish fillets are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool slightly and add the lemon juice to taste.
Crab Curry
Sri Lankan crab is famous throughout the region. Fresh crabs, so plentiful in the seas here, are simmered to perfection in a spiced coconut curry gravy.
4 lbs (2 kgs) fresh crabs
1 red onion, sliced
2 green finger-length chilies, chopped
3½ tablespoons Roasted Curry Powder (page 148) 2 teaspoons ground turmeric ½ teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
2 teaspoons tamarind pulp soaked in 2 tablespoons water, stirred and strained to obtain juice
1 sprig curry leaves
2 cups (500 ml) water
4 cups (1 liter) thick coconut milk 2 teaspoon ground mustard Juice of 1 lime Salt and pepper to taste
Clean the crabs, divide each into 4 portions, and place in a large pan. Add all the other ingredients except coconut milk, mustard powder, lime juice, and salt.
Bring to a boil then add the coconut milk, return the mixture to simmering point, and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Add the lime juice, mustard powder, and salt, and stir for a few minutes until the flavors are married.
Beef Smore
A dish of Dutch origin. In Sri Lanka, beef smore is a real treat—a whole beef filet or loin which is slowly simmered in a spicy coconut milk gravy and then sliced and served in its own gravy. Eat with rice or breads of your choice.
1 lb (500 g) beef sirloin
2 tablespoons white vinegar Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil for stir-frying
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 stalk lemongrass, tender inner part of bottom third only, finely sliced
1 onion, sliced
½ teaspoon ground red pepper
1-2 green finger-length chilies, deseeded and finely sliced
1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk
Pierce the beef all over with a fork or skewer and marinate in vinegar, salt and pepper for 2 to 4 hours.
Heat the ghee or oil until very hot and sear the beef until lightly browned on all sides. This seals the meat and helps to retain the juices. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
To the same pan add the curry leaves, lemongrass, onions, and green chilies. Fry until half cooked, about 3 minutes. Add the ground red pepper and mix well. Return the beef to the pan and add the coconut milk. Stir well and simmer until the coconut milk reduces into a thick gravy and the meat is done to your liking, about 25-35 minutes.
Remove from the heat, slice the meat to the desired thickness and pour the gravy over the slices.
Pork Curry
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 in (3 cm) ginger, chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, tender inner part of bottom third only, chopped
1 lb (500 g) boneless pork, cubed
2 teaspoons tamarind pulp soaked in
2 tablespoons water, stirred and strained to obtain juice
1¾ cups (400 ml) water
2 sprigs curry leaves
4 teaspoons Roasted Curry Powder (page 148)
1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
2-3 cloves
½ small cinnamon stick
Heat the oil in a pan and stir-fry the onion, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass until the onion is golden brown.
Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until the gravy is thick and the pork tender, about 25 minutes.
Spicy Lamb Curry
2 tablespoons oil 1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped 1in (3 cm) ginger, chopped
2 green finger-length chilies, chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, tender inner part of bottom third only
½ small cinnamon stick 2-3 cardamom pods, crushed
1 lb (500 g) boneless lamb, cubed
6 teaspoons Roasted Curry Powder (page 148)
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 large tomatoes, diced
¾ cup (200 ml) thick coconut milk Salt to taste
Stir-fry the onion, garlic, ginger, green chilies, lemongrass, cinnamon, and cardamoms in oil until the onion is golden brown.
Add the lamb and stir well to coat, then add the curry, chili, and tumeric powders, the pepper, and the tomatoes. Cook over medium heat until the meat becomes tender, about 40 minutes. Add the thick coconut milk, bring to a boil and simmer a few minutes longer, adjust the seasoning, and serve.
Eggplant Pickles
2 tablespoons oil
1 lb (500 g) eggplant (aubergine), thinly sliced
1 small onion, sliced into thin rings
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tablespoons vinegar
2-3 green finger-length chilies, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons dried shrimp or fish, ground to a powder in a blender
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil and fry the eggplant until golden brown. Remove and set aside to cool.
In the same pan, add the onion and stir-fry until soft. Add the remaining ingredients and the fried eggplant. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve at room temperature as an accompaniment to other dishes.
Green Mango Curry
This classical Sinhalese dish can be traced back to the fifth century, when it was served at the court of King Kasyapa of Sigiriya.
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
½ in (1 cm) ginger, chopped
2 sprigs curry leaves
2 red finger-length chilies, sliced
4 teaspoons Roasted Curry Powder (page 148)
½ small cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon salt
1 lb (500 g) green mangoes, peeled and pitted, flesh cut into long, thick strips
1/3 cup (100 ml) thin coconut milk
2 teaspoons ground mustard
3 tablespoons vinegar
¾ cup (200 ml) thick coconut milk
1 tablespoon sugar
Heat the oil in a pan and stir-fry the onion, garlic, ginger, curry leaves, and red chilies until the onion is soft.
Add the curry powder, cinnamon, salt, mango, and thin coconut milk. Bring to a boil and simmer until the mango is just tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the mustard with a little vinegar to form a paste. Stir the mustard paste into the thick coconut milk and, when the mango is tender, add the mustard and thick coconut milk, and the sugar, to the curry.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning. The gravy should be thick enough to thoroughly coat the mango.