Top 5 Must-Try Foods to Eat in Sri Lanka

Part of any experience in Sri Lanka combines the ancient kingdom, beautiful natural wildlife, and of course the gorgeous food.Sri Lankan cuisine is lavishly aromatic, spicy and as colorful as its scenery.

Here are 5 must-try dishes during your Sri Lankan getaway.

Curry

Curry and rice is a typical Sri Lankan meal and is the main meal in every household. There are so many different types of curries including fish, squid, shrimp, chicken, Thai eggplant, jackfruit, beet-root to name just a few. The culinary tradition is that all dishes are put on the table at the same time. The rice is always placed on to the plate first and then you choose from the gathered curries and condiments. Sri Lankans often eat by hand forming a bite sized ball of rice or using a flatbread to dip into the spicy curries. Spicy condiments such as chutney and sambols are common accompaniments and are made from delicious, fresh ingredients such as onions, lime juice, chillies and coconut.

Roti

Roti are small flatbreads cooked on a hot griddle to accompany curries or to be stuffed and eaten as street food. Roti are made from flour, water, salt and freshly grated coconut and are rather like a thick tortilla. You must also try Paratha which is a greasy, flaky melt in the mouth flatbread. Try dipping these breads in coconut milk curry sauce…. delicious.

Kottu

Sri Lankans love their street food and one very popular dish is Kottu. It is made with shredded Roti mixed with any choice of meat and an assortment of spices. Kottu can also be made with vegetables such as leek, onions and cabbage all covered in egg. There is also cheese Kottu made with cheese that is rather like cottage cheese with lots of yellow curry powder added for that extra kick. For Sri Lankans Kottu is the equivalent of the hamburger and equally tasty.

Coconut

The whole island is covered in coconut palms and it is a vital ingredient in traditional food. There are many varieties of coconut on the island, including the orange coloured king coconut.  Coconut milk is used in both fiery and mild curries and grated coconut is in constant use. You can buy a coconut from a street stall to enjoy the sweet water it contains.

Kiribath

Kiribath or milk rice is a traditional Sri Lankan dish often eaten for breakfast and the first day of each month and on important occasions such as Sinhalese New Year. It is cooked and served as the first meal of the New Year. ‘Kiri’ is the word for milk in Sinhalese and ‘bath’ means rice and the dish is made by cooking rice in coconut milk and is a kind of rice pudding. It is served with onion sambola which is a very hot mix of red onions and spices or you may prefer it with a banana.

Now I’ve got your mouth watering, all that’s left is to fly over and try for yourself.