I have always believed that the way to understand a region’s heart is through its food — much like a man’s is through his stomach. I find it fascinating how local cuisine reflects a region’s culture and heritage — the stories behind its produce, and the people who nurture the land.
It was this element of food that excited me when I planned my Sri Lanka travel itinerary. As an ardent fan of celebrated chef Peter Kuruvita, whose TV show beautifully showcased the diverse provinces of Sri Lanka, I was eager to try some of the dishes I had seen on his program.
While we didn’t quite manage to visit the eateries that I had shortlisted, we still sampled enough of the local cuisine to truly enjoy the essence of Sri Lankan flavours. Here are some of the dishes I tasted: many were memorable, while a few fell short of my expectations.
The morning cuppa
Landing in Sri Lanka early on Christmas day, our first instinct, as true Bangaloreans, was to hunt for a tumbler of hot filter coffee. But reminding ourselves that we were now in the land of the famed Ceylon tea, we decided to embrace the local brew and ordered tea at a highway restaurant.
That’s where the first little hitch appeared. We were an eclectic bunch of friends travelling together, and most of us were staunch masala-chai loyalists. The tea arrived in charming little pots, with milk and sugar served separately, resulting in a flavourful yet rather mild concoction by our standards.
Being from Assam, where tea is typically savoured in its pure form without milk, my husband enjoyed the Sri Lankan black tea, though he did admit that he still preferred his robust Assamese cuppa.
So, if you are someone who is open to trying light, aromatic tea without milk, you will love the tea there. For the ones used to getting a ‘kick’ out of the strong Indian milk chai, this might feel a bit subtle.
Hoppers and sambal (sambol)
Each morning, we would arrive at our breakfast table to find a stack of crisp appams, or hoppers, as they are called there — the sight of their upturned, lacy fringes instantly transporting us back to the coastal towns of Kerala. On the side sat bowlfuls of thick dal and a condiment called sambal—the OG Sri Lankan flavour bomb that could transform any meal into a delicious affair.
On par with our spicy chutneys, and reminding me particularly of Goan kismur, sambal is made from freshly grated coconut, red onions, chillies, lime juice, and salt – all coarsely pounded together and sometimes sprinkled with dried Maldive fish (tuna) for an extra punch of flavour.
To create a mess-free, perfect mouthful, I would place my sunny-side-up egg inside the hopper, layer a little dal over it, and finally top it with a generous spoonful of sambal. Et voilà — all I had to do was hold the hopper like a taco, and my flavour-packed meal was ready!
Let me know how you like to enjoy your hopper.
The staple order – curry rice
As we continued through our Sri Lanka itinerary, we realised that the best order for a large group of people was the one that catered to everyone’s palates – an approach that saved us both time and money. For, contrary to countless influencers’ promoting Sri Lanka on social media, it was definitely not the cheap holiday destination they had made it out to be.
Running our fingers down the length of the menu, we would almost always settle on the rice-and-curry combo — a choice that remained a constant throughout our stay in Sri Lanka. It typically included rice served with a homely dal, a vegetable curry, a side of chicken or fish, and a zesty sambal. After a long day out in the sun exploring various sights, this comforting meal would soothe us with its homestyle warmth.
I must mention that although most of us in the group were non-vegetarians, we unanimously felt that the vegetarian dishes in Sri Lanka outshone the others by a large margin. Perhaps the country’s pesticide ban has helped produce such vibrant, flavourful vegetables — each dish retaining a natural sweetness and depth that truly surprised us.
The one that was a miss
One of the dishes I was most eager to try was Sri Lanka’s famous kottu roti. I had watched countless shows where vendors chopped up rotis into bite-sized pieces, folding in a medley of veggies and meats, all the while beating out a rhythmic melody on the griddle. Unfortunately, the kottu roti we had fell massively short of expectations.
We ducked into a small food joint in Hikkaduwa just as a torrential downpour began hammering overhead. Perfect weather, we thought, for a plate of hot kottu roti. I kept my ears tuned for the signature music of the kottu maker, but perhaps it was swallowed by the relentless drumming of the rain on the eatery’s tin roof. After a long wait, the kottu roti that finally arrived was a lukewarm, stodgy mess. A case of ordering the wrong item at the wrong place, I suppose. Anyhow, we had our kothu parotta back home in southern India, and that will have to do.
Another observation, at the risk of voicing an unpopular opinion, was that the coconut water from the king coconuts tasted much the same as the ones in our coastal towns in India.
.….and the ones we missed tasting
As we closed our trip, a few foods on my wish-list remained unticked, such as the Sri Lankan fish/meat buns and the rolls. We were usually on the move during snacking hours, or by the time we reached a place that sold snacks, we were already too full to order anything.
Snacks menu at a highway halt
Sri Lankan buns and other assorted bakery goodies
I also missed having a full-fledged sea food meal, especially the Sri Lankan mud crab curry, chiefly because we didn’t have time to visit the places I had earmarked, viz. Ministry of Crab and Ceylon Curry Club at Colombo. Other dishes that eluded me were pol roti and lamprais – the latter being a Sri Lankan Dutch-Burgher dish where rice, curry, sambal, and frikkadel are packed together and baked inside a banana leaf, much like our very own Pothichoru in Kerala.
Finally, some tips
If you are travelling along the Southern Expressway, do take a break at Canowin Arcade, a food court that serves a variety of cuisines. It houses several international F&B brands, including Subway and KFC, as well as local outlets offering biryani, rolls, boba tea, and more. The food court is spacious, and the washrooms are clean, though chargeable.
Canowin Arcade along Southern Expressway
As I mentioned earlier, Sri Lanka is by no means a cheap destination for budget-conscious Indian travellers, and even water is sold at a fairly steep price. For a large group like ours, who needed plenty of water, the refilling stations on the route from Kandy to Sigiriya proved to be very helpful. The prices were reasonable, and since we refilled our own bottles, it was kinder to the environment as well.
A water refilling station
So that’s how my gastronomic journey through Sri Lanka unfolded — a blend of familiar flavours encountered in a new setting. Most dishes were hits, a few were misses, and some remain on my list for a future trip. Who knew two lands separated by sea could share so much on the plate?
Have you tried these dishes on your trip to Sri Lanka? Which one was your favourite? I would love to know!
Meanwhile, do read:
Leave a Reply