The Best of Sri Lankan Cuisine | Must-Try Traditional Dishes
By Abdul Aziz Mondal
27 June, 2022
FoodLifestyle
Last Updated on: October 24th, 2024
Most South Asian countries have cuisines centered around boiled rice, meat, fish, lentils, and some exquisite veggies. Their tradition of aromatic spices full of flavor and coconut in cooking makes some of the best cuisines. Similarly, Sri Lankan cuisine isn’t different!
Also, surrounded by the ocean, seafood is regular in the normal Sri Lankan kitchens. Some Sri Lankan cuisines are worth not missing out on – especially when visiting Sri Lanka.
Wait, are you going to Sri Lanka? Please, please, please try these cuisines that I have in mind. Even if you are not going to Sri Lanka, you can still try them from any Sri Lankan restaurant in your town.
The Best of Sri Lankan Cuisine: Sri Lankan Dishes You Must Try!
Check out the top 10 dishes from Sri Lankan cuisine that are a must try when you are in the beautiful country:
1. Asmi:
Cinnamon is the treasure of Sri Lanka, and they are good at using it to its best potential. This famous dish from the Sri Lankan cuisine is made using rice added to rice flour. Then, they squeeze cinnamon leaves into a cup of coconut milk and use it to make the batter.
They deep fry it in oil and garnish it with treacle syrup. This Sri Lankan snack is tasty to munch on when you need something.
2. Fish Curry & Mixed Rice:
It’s unimaginable to think of a dish without Fish curry. Firstly, this Sri Lankan cuisine is nutritious, delicious, and heavenly.
Secondly, once you have a plate full of rice piled with veggies and, obviously, fish curry, there is nothing more you will ask for six hours ahead.
3. Gotu Kola Mallum Sambola:
I know doctors keep saying – green veggies, eat green veggies. How about some Sri Lankan green salads with shredded green and coconuts?
You can find basic spices like chili, onion, Umbalakada fish, and coconut mixed with green veggies. Moreover, if you have steamy hot rice, then this might be a good addition on the side.
4. Sri Lankan Cuisine Parippu:
Not just in Sri Lanka, Dahl Curry is one of the major dishes in the south Asian countries. This dish is made of Masoor Dahl ( lentils).
In addition, they use different spices to make the Dhal and add some coconut milk on top to add flavor and create a rich stew.
Dhal Curry is everywhere in Sri Lanka. If you are eating rice, then it is an integral part of your dish.
5. Polos:
Spices are the treasure of Sri Lanka, and they can make jackfruits taste hot like nobody else. First, they roast the spices dry and mix them with small pieces of jackfruit. Now, use mustard oil on the heated pan, then fry the onions, garlic, lemongrass, and cinnamon. Finally, they add the mix of jackfruit and coconut and cook it for an hour – that’s how they make jackfruits hot – you must try.
6. Chili Fish Curry:
Polos and the salad I mentioned before are indeed tasty. But if your tongue craves something nonveg, then the chili fish curry is your Sri Lankan cuisine.
It is full of flavor, fragrance, and oil (although I am not too happy about the oily part, it doesn’t hurt occasionally). If you are grabbing a plate of rice, grab a plate of chili fish curry, too.
7. Wambatu Moju:
So, you have grabbed a plate of mixed rice and chili fish curry; you even have Gotu Kola Mallum Sambola.
But what about a side dish? I can already imagine your eyes getting bigger. Yeah? Yeah! Just get Wambatu Moju.
This flavored eggplant pickle makes up for the best Sri Lankan side dishes. They deep fry the eggplants and then caramelize them using sugar, vinegar, green chilies, and red onions.
You can smell it, can’t you? No wonder it is one of the best Sri Lankan cuisines.
8. Kottu:
If you want to eat hamburgers in Sri Lanka, why not eat something made in Sri Lanka? Kottu is another Sri Lankan cuisine I cannot stop admiring. They fry this flat and crispy bread called Godamba Roti.
Then they add some vegetables and spices and serve it with curry sauce. There are cheese, egg, and veg options for this dish.
9. Sri Lankan Cuisine For breakfast:
So you are staying in a Sri Lankan hotel and not sure what to order for breakfast? Here, we have some egg hoppers. This tasty and yummy pancake is made of rice flour (fermented overnight), coconut milk, and eggs.
This is one Sri Lanka cuisine you must try in the morning.
10. Kiribati:
Sri Lankans keep some delicious and special dishes for occasions. Kiribati is a tasty food that makes Sri Lankan special occasions happier.
They boil rice and cook it in coconut milk with a pinch of salt. You will love the taste and texture of this Sri Lankan cuisine.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some popular questions about Sri Lankan cuisine. If you need to know more about these questions, their answers may help.
Here are some of the famous foods of Sri Lanka –
1. Fish ambul thiyal
2. Kottu
3. Lampard
4. Dhal Curry
5. Kukul Mas Curry
The national food of Sri Lanka Is Kottu Roti. It is tasty and is common among most Sri Lankan households. You must try it once you visit Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan and Indian foods seem very identical. Especially when you look at the choice of ingredients and the dishes, which seem identical. However, significant traits of Sri Lankan dishes distinguish them from Indian dishes.
For instance – they have thinner curries, but they are heavily spiced. Sometimes, non-native ingredients are majorly noticeable in Sri Lankan dishes.
Bon Appétit!
The Sri Lankan cuisine that I talked about here are yummy, spicy, and hard not to enjoy. You can take Kottu, Asmi, Fish Curry, and Kiribati. It will be a waste if you don’t taste one of these dishes upon a visit to Sri Lanka.
If you have tried any of them, please share your experience, and if you haven’t then it’s about time you did so. Bon Appétit!
Read Also:
1. 12 Best Asian Cuisines You Must Try [Country Wise Best Guide]
2. Vietnamese Cuisine – Top 10 Traditional Dishes You Must Try
3. Turkish Cuisine – Top 10 Traditional Dishes You Must Try
