Embark on a culinary journey through Sri Lanka and savor the exotic flavors of its renowned cuisines. Indulge in spicy curries, fresh seafood, and aromatic spices in this food lover’s paradise. Discover the essence of Sri Lanka’s rich culture through its delectable dishes.

The quintessential dish of Sri Lanka is a nutritious plate of rice and curry. Curries are everywhere, from roadside cafes to hotel buffets and everywhere in between. Sri Lankans love their spices and a lot of preparation goes into making a good curry. The most commonly used spices are cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, chili, mustard seeds, coriander, cumin, peppercorn, saffron, and curry leaves.

Hoppers are a Sri Lankan version of thin pancakes but with crispy edges. They are shaped like a bowl and are made from fermented rice flour, coconut milk & coconut water. The batter is then fried in a very small wok and swirled around to cover the sides of the pan.

Kottu is another traditional Sri Lankan dish made of roti, vegetables, oil, spices, and egg, chicken, or cheese. The bread is chopped very finely on a hot plate with two blunt blades and you can hear them rapidly chopping Kottu from a mile away.

The noodles are made purely with rice flour and then pressed into a noodle shape and steamed. They are then eaten with coconut sambal, dahl curry, and a coconut milk curry.

It consists of boiled eggs, eggplant, frikkadels, mixed meats, and sambol. Infused with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and rice the mix is then wrapped in a banana leaf and baked in the oven at a low temperature for several hours.

Rice and curry is Sri Lankan comfort food. Dhal curry is made from red lentils cooked in coconut milk. Onions, tomatoes, and fresh green chilies are sautéed and mixed with tempered spices like cumin seeds, turmeric, fenugreek, mustard seeds, and pandan leaves.

It is made with chopped greens and chilies then seasoned with salt, pepper, and lemon juice as well as ginger, shallots, and a sprinkling of freshly grated coconut. Gotu kola leaves are used to make a tangy, salad-like tabouleh.

Pol Sambol is prepared with grated coconut, onions, red chili powder, lemon, salt, and Maldive fish. It is usually eaten with rice.

Mallum is more like a green salad and is prepared by mixing shredded green vegetables, onions, coconut, and some basic spices for garnishing. The name Mallum literally means “mix up” and is usually a combination of shredded greens, onion, chili, Maldive fish (Umbalakada), and coconut.