Before this week, I only knew a little about food from Sri Lanka. I was looking forward to trying some unique curries, but I quickly discovered there’s a lot more to Sri Lankan cuisine than that!
Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia, located just south of India. There is evidence to suggest the island was inhabited at least 125,000 years ago.
Between 1000 and 500 BCE, Sri Lanka shared many cultural and economic ties with southern India. In 543 BCE, a man named Prince Vijaya from North India is said to have founded the Sinhalese kingdom. Today, the Sinhalese people make up the majority of Sri Lanka’s population. Mahinda, the son of an Indian Emperor, introduced Buddhism around 250 BCE. It was quickly embraced by the Sinhalese rulers at the time, and has been the dominant religion ever since.
For centuries, Sri Lanka was divided into competing kingdoms. They often fought each other, and there were also frequent invasions from southern India. In 1215, a new invader from India arrived and devastated many of the island’s ancient kingdoms, marking the beginning of a long period of political decline.
Despite this, Sri Lanka remained an important center for trade. Merchants from India, China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East regularly passed through.
The Portuguese arrived in 1505 and gradually established control over much of the coastline. In the 17th century, the Dutch allied with the Kingdom of Kandy (the Sinhalese monarchy at the time) to expel the Portuguese. Their victory allowed them to take control of most of the coastal regions.
In 1796, during the French Revolutionary Wars, the British grew worried about Sri Lanka falling under French control. So they occupied the island instead. Eventually, they defeated the Kingdom of Kandy and the entire country came under colonial rule as British Ceylon. During this period, Sri Lanka became one of the world’s leading exporters of coffee, tea, and rubber.
In 1948, Sri Lanka gained independence, and it became a republic in 1972, when it took the name ‘Sri Lanka’.
From 1983 to 2009, Sri Lanka endured a civil war between a Tamil separatist militant organisation and the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. The separatists wanted an independent Tamil state (the Tamil people are a large minority in the country), but they were ultimately defeated.
Sri Lanka is currently a developing country and a geographically important trading post. It has one of the highest levels of human development in South Asia and the second-highest GDP per capita in the region.
What Do People Eat in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lankan cuisine features an interesting blend of local and imported ingredients and shares many similarities with Indian cuisine. Due to the country’s status as a trading hub for centuries, influences from other countries are prominent, most notably Indonesia and the Netherlands.
Sri Lanka is famous for its cinnamon. The country also produces some of the world’s finest tea. Coffee production is seeing signs of revival after coffee plantations were devastated by a fungal disease in the late 1800s.
Sri Lankans enjoy a wide variety of curries, typically served with rice. Although these curries feature common Indian spices such as cumin, coriander, cardamom, and turmeric, the addition of ingredients like lemongrass, goraka, and pandan leaves makes them unique. Coconut is also a very common ingredient.
Seafood features in many local dishes, while common meats include chicken, beef, pork, and mutton.
What I Made
- Deviled Shrimp (Spicy Shrimp)
- Sri Lankan Omelette (Spicy Omelette with Vegetables and Herbs)
- Achcharu (Pickled Vegetables)
- Beetroot Curry
- Kukul Mas Maluwa (Chicken Curry)
- Egg Hopper (Rice Flour Pancake Bowl with Egg)
- Seeni Sambol (Caramelized Onion Relish)
- Miris Malu (Chili Fish Curry)
- Bread and Egg Kottu (Bread, Egg, and Vegetable Stir-Fry)
- Pol Roti (Coconut and Chili Flatbreads)
Scroll down to read about other popular Sri Lankan dishes I didn’t make!
Deviled Shrimp (Spicy Shrimp)
Deviled shrimp (or prawns) is a sweet and spicy stir-fry. I love shrimp, and this was a quick and easy dish, so I knew I had to try it.
First, I briefly marinated the shrimp in a mixture of salt, pepper, and lime juice.
Meanwhile, I made the sauce out of water, cornstarch, ketchup, soy sauce, and sugar.
I sautéed the shrimp in my wok until they were barely cooked through, then transferred them to a bowl and set them aside.
I added garlic and ginger to the wok, followed quickly by chili flakes and chili-garlic paste. I cut down on the chili amount here as I thought it may be a bit much for me. I added red onion and bell pepper strips to the wok and sautéed for a few minutes. Then, I stirred in the shrimp, followed by the prepared sauce, and finally chopped tomato.
This came out really good, but spicy! I’m glad I cut the chili amount; I think this came out just right. This is definitely something I would make again.
This recipe is from Hungry Lankan.
Sri Lankan Omelette (Spicy Omelette with Vegetables and Herbs)
This is an omelette made with common ingredients found in Sri Lanka, so it’s easy for people to make often. I’m always interested in discovering more egg dishes!
I whisked the eggs with salt, pepper, and a little coconut milk, and set them aside.
I sautéed onion, tomato, green chili (I used serrano), curry leaves, turmeric, and chili flakes for a few minutes. I seasoned with salt and spread everything over the bottom of the pan. Then, I poured in the egg mixture, making sure it covered everything, and covered the pan.
Once the omelette was cooked on top, I added chopped cilantro. Then, I folded the omelette and slipped it onto a plate. I served this with some plain white rice. This was a delicious take on an omelette!
The recipe I used is from Island Smile.
Achcharu (Pickled Vegetables)
Sri Lankan meals are usually served with a few side dishes, and achcharu seems to be a popular choice. It’s a sweet and spicy pickle that can be made with a variety of vegetables, but the version I chose features little red onions or shallots.
I used a bag of little red onions for this, though the recipe called for shallots. I began by soaking them in water for 15 minutes. I think this was meant to help make it easier to remove the skin, which was the next step, but I still struggled! I also cut off the root ends.
I heated some white vinegar, then added ground black mustard seeds, cayenne pepper, and sugar. I stirred in minced ginger and salt, and brought the mixture to a boil. After a minute, I removed the pan from the heat and let it cool.
I added the onions, chopped dates, and whole green chilies to the cooled liquid and stirred until everything was well combined. Then, I covered the bowl and left it out, stirring every couple of hours. The dates dissolved until they became a paste. The recipe said to avoid refrigerating for 24 hours, but I just left it out until evening after beginning in the morning. Then, I stored it in the fridge.
I thought this was okay, but a bit too sweet for me. The amount of dates I used was not exact since the recipe called for whole dates with seeds (with a step to remove the seeds), but mine already had the seeds removed. I tried using less dates to account for this, but I probably could have cut down even more.
The recipe I used is from Island Smile.
Beetroot Curry
This beetroot curry sounded interesting to me. It’s usually served alongside rice and other curries.
I began by peeling the beetroot and cutting it into strips.
I briefly sautéed cumin seeds, curry leaves, and a cinnamon stick in coconut oil, then added sliced green chilies, onion, and garlic. After cooking for a few more minutes, I added curry powder, cayenne pepper, and turmeric, followed by the beetroot, chopped tomato, and salt.
I covered the pan and let everything cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until the beetroot was cooked through. Just before serving, I stirred in some lime juice.
This was pretty good. I don’t cook beetroot that often, but I do enjoy it, and I liked the flavors here. I ate this alongside my next dish, a chicken curry.
This recipe is from Steemit.
Kukul Mas Maluwa (Chicken Curry)
Sri Lanka’s national dish is ‘curry and rice’, but there are many types of curry. For my curry and rice dish, I chose to make this chicken curry.
First, I toasted the whole spices in a dry skillet: coriander, cumin, fennel, cardamom (seeds only), peppercorns, and curry leaves. I let the spices cool for a few minutes, then ground them up in my spice grinder.
I cooked onion, garlic, and ginger in coconut oil for a few minutes, then added the toasted spice blend, along with paprika, turmeric, and salt. After a few more minutes, I stirred in tomatoes, chilies, and curry leaves.
I added the chicken and stirred until it was coated in the onion mixture. Then, I added a cinnamon stick and a lemongrass stalk and simmered for about 20 minutes, until the chicken was nearly cooked through. I was also meant to add pandan leaves at this point, but I omitted them.
I stirred in coconut milk and continued to cook until the sauce thickened and the chicken was done. Then, just before serving, I added some white vinegar.
This chicken curry was really good; I loved the flavor of the homemade spice blend! I’d make this again.
This recipe is from New York Times Cooking.
Egg Hopper (Rice Flour Pancake Bowl with Egg)
I thought this was an interesting-looking dish. It’s basically a thin pancake made out of rice flour, shaped in a pan so that it’s more of a bowl shape, with an egg cooked on top. I used a non-stick saucepan, but it looks like you can buy special hopper pans, which would help with the shape.
The day before I wanted to make my egg hoppers, I made the batter out of rice flour, a little yeast, and water, and let the mixture sit overnight (covered). The next day, I stirred in sugar and coconut milk and let it sit for another half hour. I added salt, and then the batter was ready.
I added oil to my saucepan, and when it was hot, I added the batter in a thin layer and swirled it around the pan. I added an egg and seasoned with salt and pepper. Then, I put the lid on and let it cook until the egg was done to my liking.
It was difficult to get the hopper out of the pan in one piece, so it is very rustic-looking. However, I have to say, for something made with simple ingredients, this was delicious!
The recipe I used is from Hungry Lankan.
Seeni Sambol (Caramelized Onion Relish)
This is another side dish I ate with my chicken curry. It’s basically just caramelized onions with tamarind and spices.
I thinly sliced the onions, then mixed them with chili flakes, cayenne pepper, and turmeric.
I sautéed cardamom pods, cloves, and cinnamon sticks in coconut oil for a few seconds. Then, I added curry leaves (the recipe also called for pandan leaves here, but I didn’t have any). I stirred in the onion and cooked until it began to soften. I added salt and continued to cook, stirring often, until the onions were beginning to caramelize.
I added tamarind concentrate and cooked for a few more minutes. Then, I sprinkled in some sugar and cooked a little longer.
Honestly, I think I would have preferred to cook the onions for longer than I did, but I did not have enough time. They still turned out tasting pretty good. I enjoyed the addition of the tamarind. This is an ingredient I don’t use that often, but when I do, I love the results.
The recipe is from Hungry Lankan.
Miris Malu (Chili Fish Curry)
Fish is popular in Sri Lanka, so I decided to make this fish curry. The recipe called for sailfish, but I used cod.
I made a spice paste from garlic, ginger, curry leaves, shallots, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, turmeric, salt, and pepper. I used my spice grinder, which I have found useful for spice pastes a few times now during this challenge.
I cut the cod into bite-sized pieces and coated them with the spice paste. After letting the fish marinate for about 10 minutes, I cooked it with curry leaves and green chilies, along with a little tamarind concentrate. I poured in some water (too much, I think now!) and let the curry simmer until the fish was cooked through.
I thought this was quite good, but the flavor would have been more concentrated had I added less water.
The recipe I used is from Island Smile.
Bread and Egg Kottu (Bread, Egg, and Vegetable Stir-Fry)
Kottu is a stir-fry made with some kind of bread, often paratha or roti, which has been torn into small pieces. I was immediately drawn to this version since it features eggs!
I whisked the eggs with salt, turmeric, and milk, and set them aside for the moment.
In my wok, I sautéed cumin seeds and sliced onion for a few minutes. Then, I added garlic, ginger, and green chili, and cooked for another minute or so. I stirred in grated carrots, followed by chopped tomatoes, then corn, salt, and pepper. I was meant to add peas too, but instead I added some edamame.
I pushed the vegetables to the side and added more oil to the pan. I poured in the egg mixture and, when it was scrambled, I mixed it with the vegetables.
Again, I moved everything to the side of the wok and added bite-sized pieces of bread. I cooked them for a few minutes, stirring often, then mixed them with the rest of the ingredients. I tossed in fresh cilantro and served.
This dish was super simple, but I loved it! It was a great way to get in lots of vegetables, and it made for a filling breakfast.
This recipe is from Mayuri’s Jikoni.
Pol Roti (Coconut and Chili Flatbreads)
Pol roti are flatbreads flavored with coconut and chili. They sounded right up my alley!
I began by combining all-purpose flour, shredded coconut, salt, red onion, and chili. I added enough water and coconut milk to form a dough, and kneaded it a little until the liquid was well incorporated. I let the dough rest in a covered bowl overnight.
The next morning, I cut the dough into pieces and rolled each one into a ball. I rolled each ball out into a disc, aiming to make them about half a centimetre thick.
I cooked the pol roti in my cast-iron skillet for a few minutes on each side.
These can be eaten with curries, but I ate most of them for breakfast with eggs. I used the pol roti as wraps, which worked well and turned out delicious!
This recipe is from The Flavor Bender.
Other Popular Sri Lankan Dishes
- Pot sambola – a condiment made from freshly grated coconut, chilies, shallots, lime, and salt.
- Sri Lankan love cake – made from semolina and cashews, flavored with honey, fragrant spices, and rose water.
Final Thoughts
This was another excellent week! I really enjoyed trying food from Sri Lanka. My favorites were probably the deviled shrimp and the bread and egg kottu.
Next time, I will be cooking food from Sudan.