LESSON 16

SRI LANKAN CUISINE

CONTENTS
16.0 Aims and Objectives
16.1 Introduction
16.2 Sri Lankan Cuisine
16.3 Cooking Ingredients
16.4 Special Equipments Used
16.5 Main Foods of Sri Lanka
16.5.1 Rice and Curry
16.5.2 Hoppers
16.5.3 String Hoppers
16.5.4 Pittu
16.5.5 Kiribath (Milk Rice)
16.5.6 Kolakenda
16.5.7 Thosai
16.5.8 Uppuma
16.5.9 Vadai
16.5.10 Roti
16.6 Popular Srilankan Dishes and their Receipes
16.6.1 Tomato and Onion Sambol
16.6.2 Wattalappam
16.6.3 Tuna Fish Balls
16.6.4 Sri Lankan Crab Curry
16.6.5 Sri Lankan Red Chicken
16.6.6 Katta Sambol
16.7 Let Us Sum Up
16.8 Lesson End Activity
16.9 Key Words
16.10 Questions for Discussion
16.11 References

16.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

At the end of this lesson, students should be able to

demonstrate appropriate skills, and show an understanding of the
following:
Sri Lankan Cuisine – Cooking Ingredients, Special
Equipments, Main Foods of Sri Lanka and
Popular Sri Lankan Dishes.

16.1 INTRODUCTION

Sri Lanka, the beautiful spice island once known as Ceylon,

is a rich melting pot of cuisines. The cuisine of Sri Lanka draws
influence from that of India, as well as colonists and foreign traders.
It seems every nationality that has visited and traded with Sri Lanka
Food Production over the years has left a mark on the cuisine - the Dutch,
and Patisserie - II Portuguese, English, Arabs, Malays, Moors and Indians.

Sri Lankan food is unique like it's Culture. Most of the Sri
Lankans eat vegetables. The specialty in Sri Lankan food is that
same food is differently made in different regions. With a large
community of farmers, the Rice and curry is the main food in Sri
Lanka. They make special sweets with coconut milk, floor and Honey
at cultural festivals of New Year, Vesak and Poson.

The curries come in many varieties of colors and flavors

enriched with Sri Lankan Hot Spices. Most of the species has a great
ayurvedic value when used in curries.

16.2 SRI LANKAN CUISINE

Sri Lanka’s cuisine mainly consists of rice, which is

consumed daily with a wide range of spicy curries. Kiribath is a
famous rice dish, which means milk rice. Rice can also be found in
special occasions and is the favorite dish for Sri Lankans for their
lunch and dinner.

Sri Lankan food is a labour intensive cuisine as many dishes

are intricate and time consuming. Hoppers are an example - they're
the bowl shaped rice flour pancakes which are used to scoop up
curry and rice. Even more labour intensive are stringhoppers which
are fine rice flour strings that have been squeezed through a sieve
and are curled into a little circular mat and steamed - these are a
feature of banquets for special occasions.

Fresh coconut is grated every day and used in sambols,

vegetable dishes such as mallung, and desserts. Often coconut is
dry toasted and added towards the end of the cooking of a curry to
thicken and add a lovely toasty flavour.

Desserts are rich and sweet and reflect the many influences
on the cuisine - from elaborate cakes to rich custards flavoured with
spices such as wattalappam. Many expats mourn the inability to find
a simple but exquisite favourite called kiri peni - curd and kitul palm
treacle.

16.3 COOKING INGREDIENTS

Curry Leaves Picked from a tree related to the citrus family, curry
leaves are often fried in oil before using in curries
and chutneys. Although they are also available in
dried or powdered form, they are at their aromatic
best when fresh.
Coconut Oil Coconut Oil is a fragrant cooking oil to be used
sparingly due to its high saturated fat content.
Pandan Most Sri Lankan households grow the pandanus
Leaves plant whose long green leaves are used to perfume
234 curries and rice. Pandan is often referred to as the
vanilla of Asia, such is its beautiful aroma.
Drumsticks / A long, ridged dark green pod with a slightly bitter Sri Lankan Cuisine
Murunga flavour which is a popular ingredient in vegetable
curries, particularly kiri hodi or white curry. Discard
the outer skin before scooping out the pulp in the
soft centre.
Green Green Chillies are renowned for their pungant – hot
Chillies taste. Sri Lankan food uses several types of chillies
for blisteringly hot curries and zingy sambals.
Ghee A clarified butter made by simmering butter to
remove the milk solids and evaporate the water
present. It has a distinctive flavour, heats to
temperatures well above to melt butter without
burning and this keeps for extended periods of time
unrefrigerated.
Red Lentils For a partially vegetarian population, pulses are a
key element in the Sri Lankan diet. Dhal is eaten
with most meals and always with curry and rice.
Coconut The coconut palm is referred to in Sinhalese as a
gift of the gods. Every part of the tree is used – in
building, for utensils, right down to the milk, the oil
and of course the flesh. Finely grated coconut
kernel is mixed with sambals and mallungs, added
to curries and baked into sweet delights, it is the
quintessential Sri Lankan ingredient.
Maldive Fish Spiced, dried, smoked and finely shaved bonito,
Maldive fish is the shrimp paste or fish sauce
equivalent for Sri Lankan cuisine. It is a key
ingredient in the essential pol (coconut) and seeni
sambols and is also sparingly used as a thickening
and flavouring agent in curries.
Samba Rice A rice native to Sri Lanka, the samba rice grain is
approximately 1/3 the size of basmati and has a
distinctive flavour and aroma deemed by locals to
be an acquired taste. Nutritionally, it's hard texture
results in a denser and more filling meal than most
other varieties. The addition of a pandan leaf when
cooking is said to dissipate the strong smell.
Chutneys, It would be unthinkable to have a meal in Sri Lanka
Pickles and without any accompaniments. These serve to
Sambols enhance the flavours of curries and awaken the
tastebuds. They range from savoury eggplant and
tomato pickles, tangy lime and date chutneys to
fiery sambols based on salt, lime, Maldive fish, chilli
and onion.
Goraka A souring and thickening agent unique to Sri Lanka,
goraka is a fluted orange fruit whose segments are
dried, turning black. It can be soaked in hot water
and ground to a paste or added whole and removed
after cooking. It is most commonly used in fish
curries such as ambul thiyal.
Chilli Powder A powder made from ground dried chillies which
varies in pungency (hot) and flavour depending on 235
the type of chilli used.
Food Production Black Black peppercorns were the precursor to the chilli in
and Patisserie - II Peppercorns Asia before their introduction by Columbus. Black
peppercorns are the dried unripe berries of the
pepper plant.
Cinnamon The outer bark peelings of the cinnamon tree whose
Quills fineness is seen as the mark of superior quality.
Cinnamon has a pleasant sweet aroma and taste
and is used in both savoury and sweet dishes.
Cloves The dried flower bud of a type of myrtle tree, the
name clove is taken from the French clou meaning
nail. Highly aromatic and strongly flavoured, they
are used sparingly in both sweet and savoury
dishes.
Fenugreek No Sri Lankan curry is complete without these
small, brown square-shaped seeds which add a
slight bitterness and have a thickening effect on
sauces. They must be heated slowly to prevent
bitterness.
Cumin Cumin is related to the parsley family. Cumin seed
is gathered from the dried fruit of the cumin plant,
whose existence dates back to biblical times. Its
warm, earthy flavour features in most spice blends,
including curry powder and garam masala.
Curry Ceylon curry powder gets its colour, aroma and
Powder distinctive flavour from dark roasting of its spice
components, including coriander, cumin, fennel
seeds, fenugreek and cardamom. Sri Lankan
curries are generally classified as white: mild and
rich in coconut milk; red: rich in chilli powder or
ground chillies; or black peppercorn.

16.4 SPECIAL EQUIPMENTS USED

Coconut There are a variety of graters: some are a curved

grater metal spike that is attached to a bench top or low
stool, another looks like a metal citrus juicer with
teeth.
Spice grinder Many cooks love to toast their own spices in seed
form and grind them fresh. A coffee grinder is a
good substitute.
Clay chatty A deep lightly glazed clay bowl used to cook directly
on the heat

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16.5 MAIN FOODS OF SRI LANKA Sri Lankan Cuisine

Figure 16.1 Sri Lankan Food

16.5.1 Rice & Curry

Rice & Curry is the main food of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans
enjoy some of the spiciest foods in the world. Meat, fish and
vegetables are prepared as curries. Sliced onions, green chilies,
black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and saffron are
used to add flavors. The rice is always put on to the plate first and
then the curries are selected from the other dishes to mix with it so
you have a collection of minor meals around the plate.

16.5.2 Hoppers

Hoppers are much like sour-dough pancakes or muffins. The

rice batter is fermented in the traditional way with a little palm toddy,
which gives the hoppers a delicious liquor tang. The batter is left to
rise overnight, then thinned with coconut cream and baked in a
round cast-iron pan.The hopper has a soft, fluffy, well-risen center, a
golden brown crisp border and is lightly flavored with a hint of palm
toddy and sesame oil with which the pan is greased. An egg is
sometimes baked into the center, sunny-side up. Hoppers are
equally good with hot sambals a hot sharp 'relish' of ground chilies,
grated coconut's shallots & cured fish or curries or with jam-the one
rule is to eat them hot.

16.5.3 String Hoppers

String hoppers are made from a hot-water dough of rice-meal

pressed out in circlets from a string mould on to little wicker mats,
then steamed. Light and lacy, string hoppers make a mouthwatering
meal with curry and sambol.

16.5.4 Pittu

Pittu probably came to Sri Lanka with the Malay regiments of

the Eruption colonial period. It is however completely naturalized
now and is a staple of Sri Lankan cuisine. Pittu is a mixture of fresh
rice meal, very lightly roasted and mixed with fresh grated coconut, 237
Food Production then steamed in a bamboo mould. It has a soft crumbly texture and
and Patisserie - II is eaten with fresh coconut 'milk' and a hot chilli relish or curry.

16.5.5 Kiribath (Milk Rice)

Kiribath is a ceremonial speciality and included in all special

occasion menus. The rice is cooked in thick coconut cream for this
un-sweetened rice-pudding which is accompanied by a sharp chilli
relish called Lunumiris or with a tackey coconut and treacle
confection called Panipol

16.5.6 Kolakenda

It is a modern nutritionist’s dream of a perfectly balanced

meal and porridge of brown rice and coconut cream flavoured with
the juice of green herbs. Kolakanda is served steaming hot with a
piece of jaggery.

16.5.7 Thosai

The Tamils of Sri Lanka who mainly live in the northern and
eastern parts of the island have preserved some of their own
distinctive ethnic breakfast. Thosai is a great favourite, delicious and
nutritionally perfect.Thosai is eaten with a finely ground coconut and
chilly sambal and is a delicious and satisfying meal.

16.5.8 Uppuma

Uppuma is another favourite meal among the Tamils. This is

a savoury porridge made of semolina and flavoured with fried onion,
chilly mustard and curry leaves.

16.5.9 Vadai

The classic partner for thosai is vadai-a triumph of Tamil

cuisne. These are small savoury rissoles of ground urid dhal - a fine
red lentil.The lentil paste is mixed with minced shallot, green chillies,
curry leaves and a dash of cumin and red chilli powder, fashioned
into flat cakes and deep fried in coconut oil. Urid or ulundu vadai are
always made with a hole in the centre.

16.5.10 Roti

Roti is a quickie meal, little cottagey and easy to prepare.

Wheat, rice or kurakkan is mixed with fresh grated coconut and a
touch of oil and baked on a hot griddle in thin flat cakes. Roti is
equally good with chillie relish or with syrup. Shallots, green chillies,
curry leaves and Maldive (cured) fish flakes are akked to bring in the
changes.

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16.6 POPULAR SRILANKAN DISHES AND THEIR RECEIPES Sri Lankan Cuisine

16.6.1 Tomato and Onion Sambol

TOMATO AND ONION SAMBOL RECIPE

Ingredients
4 large tomatoes 3/4 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lime or lemon 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp chopped green chilli 1/2 tsp Maldive fish flakes
Method
1. Cut tomatoes in half, then slice thinly. Set aside.
2. Soak all ingredients exept tomatoes in lime juice for half an hour. This
takes the raw flavour out of the onion and gives the dish a pickled
flavour.
3. When it is time to serve, add the tomatoes, toss through and serve in a
beautiful glass bowl.

16.6.2 Wattalappam

WATTALAPPAM RECIPE
Ingredients
4 large eggs 200ml cream
175g jaggery or dark palm ½ tsp ground cardamom
sugar, chopped coarsely ¼ tsp ground mace
100ml water Pinch of cloves
375ml coconut milk 1 tbsp rosewater
Method
1. Beat eggs wellgently but not so vigorously that they get frothy.
2. Combine the jaggery or palm sugar and water in a small pan and stir
over low heat to dissolve. Cool slightly and strain.
3. Add the spices and rosewater to the coconut milk and whisk in the
cream, then the eggs.
4. Pour into 8 small ramekins and place into a baking dish.
5. Pour hot water to come half way up the sides of the ramekins and place
baking dish on shelf of oven preheated to 140° C
6. Cook for 50 – 60 minutes or until just set. When cool, remove ramekins
from the baking dish, cover with cling wrap and chill overnight.
7. May be served with a little extra palm sugar syrup on top if desired.

Figure 16.2 Wattalappam

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Food Production 16.6.3 Tuna Fish Balls
and Patisserie - II
TUNA FISH BALLS RECIPE
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil salt to taste
10 curry leaves pepper to taste
3–4 onions, chopped juice of 1 lime
1 green chilli, deseeded and breadcrumbs
finely chopped oil for deep-frying
500g tuna, boiled and flaked Batter:
2-3 potatoes, boiled and 1½ cups plain flour
mashed 1 ⁄2 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric 1 ⁄2 cup water
10 mint leaves chopped
Method
1. Heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a pan over medium heat, add the curry
leaves, onions and green chilli and fry until lightly brown. Add drained
tuna and heat through for 2 minutes. Add mashed potato, turmeric and
mint. Mix well and season with salt, pepper and lime juice.
2. Batter:Put flour and salt in a bowl and mix well. Make a well in the
centre and add enough water to make a thick dripping batter.
3. Shape tuna mixture into small balls or croquettes. Dip in batter, coat in
breadcrumbs and deep-fry until golden brown.
4. Serve with tomato or sweetened chilli sauce.

16.6.4 Sri Lankan Crab Curry

SRI LANKAN CRAB CURRY RECIPE

Ingredients
4-5 blue swimmer or blue 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
manna crabs, cleaned 2 sprigs drumstick leaves
½ lemon 4 heaped teaspoons Malaysian
1 tablespoon olive oil fish curry powder
1 brown onion, sliced 2-3 tsp regular curry powder
3 cloves garlic, crushed ¼ cup water
2 sprigs curry leaves 1 tspn salt
8 x 5cm segments rampe 1 tspn ground chillies
1 sliced bird’s eye chilli ½ cup milk or coconut milk
Method
1. Prepare crabs by washing well. Break off the claws, break body in half
and remove the membrane. Drain excess water, squeeze lemon over
crab and sprinkle with salt.
2. In a large saucepan add oil, onion, garlic, curry leaves, pandan, chilli,
lemongrass and ground turmeric.
3. Add water, the drumstick leaves if used, fish curry powder, regular curry
powder and ground chillies.
4. Stir and add crab, then milk or coconut milk. Stir regularly until crab
cooks through.

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16.6.5 Sri Lankan Red Chicken Sri Lankan Cuisine

SRI LANKAN RED CHICKEN RECIPE

Ingredients
8 chicken thighs 8 cloves garlic
½ tsp black pepper ground 5cm (2”) piece ginger
salt to taste 3 teaspoonful chili powder
3-4 tablespoonsful oil 1 teaspoonful paprika powder
2 medium –sized onions 2 teaspoonsful granulated sugar
20 curry leaves
Method
1. Remove the skins from the thighs, and cut off any excess fat. Put the
thighs, the pepper and salt into a pan, together with half a liter of cold
water, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 hour.
2. Remove the pieces of chicken onto a plate. Bring the stock rapidly to a
boil, and continue boiling until it has reduced to about 150 ml (1/4 of a
pint) and set aside.
3. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Grate the ginger. In a
medium –sized pan, heat the oil. Add the onions and the curry leaves,
and fry until the onions are golden brown. Add the chicken pieces and
continue to fry for 2-3 minutes. add the chili, paprika, the ginger and the
stock and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring
occasionally to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan.

16.6.6 Katta Sambol

KATTA SAMBOL RECIPE

Ingredients
2 tbsp of chillie powder 1 tbsp maldive fish (optional)
1 tsp of salt ½ lime
Method
1. Grind the all the ingredients above except lime in a motar and pestle
(wangediya). Squeeze the lime juice, mix and serve.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

State True or False

1. Sri Lanka was also known as Ceylon.
2. The cuisine of Sri Lanka draws influence from that of Pakistan
3. Fresh coconut is grated every day and used in many dishes
4. Goraka is a souring and thickening agent unique to Sri Lanka

16.7 LET US SUM UP

Sri Lanka’s cuisine mainly consists of rice, which is

consumed daily with a wide range of spicy curries. Fresh coconut is
grated every day and used in sambols, vegetable dishes such as
mallung, and desserts.

Rice and Curry is the main food of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans
241
enjoy some of the spiciest foods in the world. Meat, fish and
Food Production vegetables are prepared as curries. Hoppers rice batter is fermented
and Patisserie - II in the traditional way with a little palm toddy, which gives the hoppers
a delicious liquor tang.

String hoppers are made from a hot-water dough of rice-meal

pressed out in circlets from a string mould on to little wicker mats,
then steamed. The other popularly eaten dishes are kiribath,
Kolakenda, dosai, uppuma, roti, etc. The preparation methods for
String hoppers and pittu are same as the Keralites preparation style.

16.8 LESSON END ACTIVITY

1. Collect the menu for Sri Lankan Cuisine. Try any three popular
Sri Lankan dishes.

16.9 KEY WORDS

Treacle First product of refining of molasses from beet or

sugar cane extract is black treacle, slightly less
bitter; will not crystallize
Sambal mixture of chillies and spices, or a relish of raw
vegetables or fruit in spiced vinegar
Mallung Means 'mix-up' and is usually applied to the
leafy green preparations with everything
chopped finely and mixed over heat.

16.10 QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. What are the key ingredients used in Sri Lankan Cuisine?

2. Elaborate the main foods of Sri Lanka.
3. Write the recipe for Sri Lankan Wattalappam.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - ANSWER

1. True
2. False
3. True
4. True

16.16 REFERENCES

1. Suharshini Seneviratne (2003), Exotic Tastes of Sri Lanka,

Hippocrene Books.
2. Hemapala Marambe (1980), Cuisine From Sri Lanka, Lanka Co.
3. Heather Jansz Balasuriya, Karin Winegar (1989), Fire and Spice:
The Cuisine of Sri Lanka, Mcgraw-Hill.

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