This peppery fish dish originated in Southern Sri Lanka as a method to preserve fish. Cubed fish (usually tuna) is sautéed in a blend of spices including black pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, garlic, pandan leaves and curry leaves. The most significant ingredient is dried goraka, a tamarind-like fruit that gives the fish its distinctive, tart flavour. All the ingredients are simmered with a small amount of water and cooked until the liquid reduces. This allows the spice mixture to coat each …

It’s the ultimate Sri Lankan street food. It’s basically a stir-fry which originated as a simple way of dealing with leftovers. Featuring pieces of roti (bread) mixed together with finely shredded vegetables or pieces of meat, soya sauce, spices, ginger, and garlic, on a flat iron skillet using two metal cleavers with wooden handles.

Simple to make, chicken curry is a common household dish in Sri Lanka. Spices like fennel seeds, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon sticks are tempered in hot oil before being combined with chicken and spices like chili powder, curry powder, turmeric, pandan leaves, lemongrass and curry leaves. Coconut milk contributes to the rich base of the curry gravy. Depending on the recipe, a puree of tomato is often included. The chicken is stewed for an hour or so until the essence …

Rice and curry is Sri Lankan comfort food. Dhal curry is made from red lentils (masoor dhal) cooked in coconut milk. Onions, tomatoes and fresh green chilies, are sautéed and mixed with tempered spices like cumin seeds, turmeric, fenugreek, mustard seeds and pandan leaves. This is even more delicious when made in an earthen pot.

It consists of boiled eggs, eggplant, frikkadels (Dutch-style beef balls), mixed meats (soya for vegetarians) and sambol. Infused with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and rice the mix is then wrapped in a banana leaf and baked in the oven at a low temperature for several hours.

Hoppers is a bowl-shaped thin pancake made from fermented rice flour.

The young green jackfruit called polos is sliced into small chunks and boiled until soft. It's then cooked with onions, garlic, ginger and spices such as mustard seeds, turmeric, chili powder, curry powder and pandan leaves. Coconut milk has to be added towards the end and simmered to reduce most of the liquid, leaving all the beautiful flavors within the cubes of jackfruit!

One of the most celebrated classic Sri Lankan dishes with plenty of regional variations. It tastes like a caramelised pickle and is usually served with rice. The eggplant slices are deep-fried until brown and then combined with, chili powder, ground mustard seeds, cloves, salt, sugar and vinegar to create a piquant dark saucy moju. This is then added to fried shallots, crushed garlic and shredded ginger and served with plain rice.

Kiribath With Lunu Miris is a special type of rice, cooked with thick coconut milk and often served during special or auspicious occasions, such as Sinhalese New Year.

There are a few versions of kiribath, but the basic procedure is to start by boiling a pot of rice.
Before the rice finishes cooking, add coconut milk and a pinch of salt. The coconut milk makes the rice creamy and rich and helps it form a sticky consistency. Once the rice is …

Wood Apple Juice is a favourite with the locals is a wood apple smoothie, a blend with jaggery and water.