Sri Lankan Food & Drinks

THE national dish. A plate of rice surrounded by 3-12 different curries including dhal, vegetables, meat or fish, plus sambols and papadums. Eaten with right hand traditionally.

Dutch Burgher dish - rice cooked in stock, meat curry, frikkadels (meatballs), blachan (shrimp paste), seeni sambol, and ash plantain curry, wrapped in banana leaf and baked.

Rice cooked in coconut milk until thick and creamy, then shaped into squares or diamonds. Served with lunu miris (spicy onion sambol) or jaggery.

Fragrant spiced rice dish with meat, influenced by Muslim/Malay communities. Sri Lankan version uses local spices and techniques.

Bowl-shaped fermented rice flour pancakes with crispy edges and soft center. Egg hoppers have an egg cracked in the center. Served with curry or sambol.

Steamed rice noodle nests - delicate white or red rice noodles formed into circular mats. Served with curry and sambol.

ICONIC street food - godamba roti chopped on griddle with vegetables, eggs, and/or meat, mixed with curry sauce. Rhythmic sound of preparation is signature.

Thick flatbread made with scraped coconut, flour, and sometimes chilies. Hearty and filling breakfast staple.

Steamed cylinders of rice flour and scraped coconut layered in bamboo or metal tube. Crumbly, comforting texture.

Flat, crispy, roasted bread slices. Thin and crunchy, usually toasted in the oven. Perfect for dipping in curry.

Fermented rice and lentil crepe. Crispy edges, soft center. Tamil cuisine staple served with chutneys and sambar.

Steamed savory cakes made from fermented rice and lentil batter. Soft, fluffy, and mild.

Dry sour fish curry - signature southern dish. Tuna or seer fish cooked with goraka (Garcinia cambogia), peppercorns, and spices until dark and dry.

Red lentils cooked with coconut milk, turmeric, and tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, onions. Creamy, comforting staple at every meal.

Northern specialty - mud crab cooked in rich, fiery gravy with roasted spices. Jaffna style uses different spice blend than southern curries.

Young jackfruit slow-cooked with roasted spices and coconut milk until it mimics the texture of tender meat. Dark, rich, and savory.

Spicy and aromatic chicken stewed in coconut milk with lemongrass, curry leaves, and unroasted curry powder. The gravy is rich and yellow-red.

Dark, roasted pork curry made with 'kalu pol' (blackened coconut) and goraka. Rich, fatty, and deeply flavorful.

Mild, yellow coconut milk gravy cooked with turmeric, fenugreek, onions, and lime. Non-spicy comfort food.

Creamy eggplant curry where fried eggplant is simmered in coconut milk and spices. distinct from the pickle/moju version.

Sweet, sour, and spicy eggplant pickle. Deep-fried eggplant strips mixed with vinegar, sugar, mustard, and onions. Preserved perfection.

Creamy, rich curry made with tender raw cashews soaked and cooked in coconut milk. Mild, slightly sweet, and utterly decadent.

Vibrant red curry where beetroot is cooked with spices and coconut milk. Earthy, slightly sweet, and visually striking.

Rich and spicy curry made with goat meat (commonly called mutton). Thick, dark gravy with roasted curry powder.

Spicy cuttlefish (squid) curry. Can be a wet curry with coconut milk or a dry 'devilled' stir-fry.

Firm shark meat cooked in a spicy gravy. Popular for its meaty texture.

Small green/white Thai eggplants cooked in a creamy mustard and coconut milk curry. Slightly bitter but delicious.

Boiled jackfruit seeds cooked in a dark, roasted coconut gravy (kalu pol). Tastes like chestnuts or potatoes.

Boiled cassava tubers cooked in a rich coconut milk gravy infused with turmeric. Creamy and filling.

Jaffna's signature seafood soup. A thick, spicy broth thickened with palmyra root flour (odiyal) and loaded with crab, prawns, cuttlefish, and vegetables.

THE sambol - scraped coconut mixed with chili flakes, onion, lime juice, and salt. Present at almost every meal.

Fiery chili paste with red onion, Maldive fish flakes, lime juice, and salt. EXTREMELY HOT. Traditional accompaniment to kiribath.

Sweet and spicy caramelized onion relish slow-cooked until dark and sticky. Balance of sweet, spicy, and tangy.

Fresh green salad made from shredded pennywort (gotukola) leaves, coconut, lime, and onions. Nutritious and refreshing.

Pastry-wrapped fried snacks with savory filling. Egg rolls have spiced mashed potato with boiled egg. Fish rolls have spiced fish mixture.

Savory lentil donuts - deep-fried until crispy outside, soft inside. Various types: ulundu (urad dhal), masala, parippu.

Spicy vegetable filling wrapped in a thin godamba roti folded into a triangle or rectangle and griddle-cooked.

Spiced mackerel and potato balls, breaded and deep-fried. Crispy outside, soft and spicy inside.

Half-moon shaped pastry filled with spiced fish or potato mixture, deep-fried or baked. Flaky pastry crust.

Bright orange lentil fritters topped with whole prawns (head and shell on). Famous snack sold on Galle Face Green.

Crunchy, deep-fried fritters made from coarsely ground chana dal (chickpeas) and spices. Harder and crunchier than soft vade.

Similar to fish rolls/Chinese rolls but filled with a spicy minced mutton and potato mixture. Darker, richer filling.

Fruit pickle mix sold in small bags. Raw mango, amberella, pineapple, wood apple mixed with vinegar, sugar, salt, and chili powder.

Omelet loaded with chopped onions, green chilies, tomatoes, and black pepper. Distinctly spicy and savory.

Thinly sliced cassava deep-fried until crispy. Often seasoned with chili powder and salt. Sri Lanka's answer to potato chips.

Triangle-shaped soft bun filled with spicy fish and potato mix. The most popular Sri Lankan 'short eat'.

Round soft bun filled with sweet and spicy caramelized onion sambol (Seeni Sambol).

Long, crocodile-shaped bun sprinkled with coarse sugar. Slightly hard/crispy crust with soft inside.

Small, round, sweet bun with raisins. Simple and soft.

Bun slit in the middle and filled with red fruit jam, dusted with sugar.

Donut-shaped savory fritter made from urad dal batter. Crispy outside, soft and fluffy inside. Served with chutney.

Iconic Sri Lankan extruded corn snack. Comes in small packets. Popular flavors include onion and spicy.

Buffalo curd (thick, tangy yogurt) drizzled with kithul or coconut treacle. Simple perfection. Best from Embilipitiya area.

Malay-influenced coconut custard pudding with jaggery, cardamom, and cashews. Rich, aromatic, and celebratory.

Crispy, deep-fried rosette cookies made from rice flour and coconut milk. Turmeric gives the yellow color. Savory-sweet crunch.

Deep-fried oil cake made from rice flour and kithul treacle. 'Konda Kavum' has a small mound on top resembling a hair knot.

String hoppers stuffed with a sweet filling of coconut and pani (treacle). A delicious sweetened variation of string hoppers.

Steamed sweet dough made from kurakkan (finger millet) flour, coconut, and treacle, wrapped in a kanda leaf. Earthy and distinctive.

Rich, dark, jelly-like sweet made from coconut milk, kithul jaggery, and rice flour. Slow-cooked for hours until oily and glossy.

Fudge-like sweet made with condensed milk, sugar, butter, and chopped cashews. Sweet, milky, and crumbly.

White, diamond-shaped sweet made from roasted rice flour, sugar syrup, and cashew nuts. Milky and powdery texture.

Balls makes from sesame seeds, jaggery, and coconut. Nutty and sweet. Often wrapped in colorful tissue paper.

Steamed flour crumbs mixed with treacle and coconut, pressed into squares. Texture resembles moist sand (weli).

Rich, dark, moist coconut cake made with shredded coconut, kithul treacle, and spices. Sri Lanka's answer to fruit cake.

A sweet oil cake made from rice flour and jaggery, flattened into a disc and fried. Dense, sweet, and chewy.

Intricate white lace-like fritter drizzled with pink sugar syrup. Made using dawul kurundu leaf mucilage to create the batter strings.

Coils of fried urad dal batter soaked in kithul treacle syrup. Chewy, juicy, and intensely sweet.

Famous Burgher delicacy. Semolina cake flavored with rose water, spices, honey, and cashews. Inside is moist and chewy, outside is golden.

Dutch yeast cake, buttery and bread-like. Traditionally eaten with Edam cheese and bananas during Christmas/New Year.

Creamy pudding made from sago pearls boiled in coconut milk and sweetened with jaggery.

Crystallized ash pumpkin candy. Translucent, sweet, and chewy. Often served with tea or after meals.

Solid blocks of crystallized palm sugar syrup. Natural sweetener eaten with herbal porridge or plain tea.

Soft fudge made with mashed potatoes, sugar, milk, and butter. Surprisingly delicious dessert.

Cereal balls made from a pre-mix of roasted corn, rice, soya, and green gram, mixed with scraped coconut and sugar.

Orange-colored coconut unique to Sri Lanka. Refreshing water inside is naturally isotonic and hydrating. Found everywhere by roadside.

World-famous black tea grown in Sri Lanka's highlands. High-grown (Nuwara Eliya) is delicate; low-grown (Ruhuna) is strong and malty.

Traditional spirit distilled from fermented coconut flower sap (toddy). Sri Lanka's national spirit. Clear or aged in halmilla wood.

Mildly alcoholic fresh sap from coconut or palmyra palm. Sweet and refreshing when fresh (morning). Low alcohol (~5%). Traditional village drink.

Rose syrup milk shake with basil seeds (kasa kasa), vermicelli, jelly cubes, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Pink, sweet, and cooling.

Thick smoothie made from wood apple fruit pulp, coconut milk, and jaggery/sugar. Sweet, sour, and earthy flavor.

Elephant House Ginger Beer. local soda brand made with natural ginger. Spicy and sweet carbonated soft drink.

Herbal porridge made from green leaves (gotukola, mukunuwenna), rice, and coconut milk. Served with a piece of jaggery.

Sri Lankan iced coffee is spiced with cardamom and cloves, made with strong coffee and sweet condensed milk. Rich and aromatic.

Freshly squeezed lime juice with sugar and salt. Simple, zesty, and refreshing in the heat.

Fresh passion fruit pulp mixed with water and sugar. Seeds are typically left in for crunch. Tangy and tropical.