Popular Sri Lankan Foods

Homemade Food Prepared by a Sri Lankan Family

Popular Sri Lankan Foods

Sri Lanka is a small country situated in South East Asia, famously known as the 'pearl of the Indian Ocean.' Because of its beaches, historical sites, mountains, and greenery, Sri Lanka has earned its place as a highly tourist attracted country. Besides Sri Lanka is a famous country with incredible travel destinations, Sri Lanka is also renowned for its traditional and street food. 

So, if you have not visited Sri Lanka yet, make sure to put it on your bucket list, and of course, don't leave the country without trying out each and every one of these mouth-watering dishes. But before that, make sure that your stomach is empty because surely, for this food hunt, you're going to need that space. So, let’s get started!

Banana Leaf and Lotus Leaf with Curries: Dhal curry, Bitter gourd salad, Banana flower mix curry, Gotukola Sambol, Eggplant curry. 

Lotus Leaf Sri Lankan Food

Curry Rice & Lump Rice

The most commonly eaten food in Sri Lanka is curry and rice. Rice is usually eaten for lunch, breakfast, and, well, let's say, dinner too. Yes, it is that common. But because of the variety of curries, this dish stays delicious and quite exciting to eat. So, what exactly is curry rice? Simply said, it is rice with many curries, but they are not just any curry; they are traditional 'Sri Lankan curries.' 

Some of the more popular curries you will typically find in any traditional Sri Lankan curry, and rice is; Chicken curry or fish ambulthiyal, jack fruit curry, dhal curry, and brinjal moju. All of these curries have a unique flavor, but something they have in common is the spiciness! Yes, Sri Lankans absolutely love spice; this explains why most Sri Lanka dishes are quite hot. If you're not used to eating spicy food, make sure to keep a bottle of cool water by your side!

If you want to give a twist to this dish, make sure to try lump-rice. This is simply warm curry and rice wrapped in a banana leaf. You must be thinking, 'why banana leaf?' well, don't underestimate the flavor a banana leaf can bring; to know this, you MUST try it for yourself!

Kottu Roti

Kottu

Another dish that is very popular in Sri Lanka is Kottu. Kottu is a type of street food and is not at all hard to find. There is absolutely no Sri Lankan that has not heard about Kottu, but if you find someone who hasn't heard about Kottu, that would be weird, because if you're a Sri Lankan, you must know about Kottu; it is that popular!

So, what exactly is Kottu? Said in short, Kottu is a type of dish made with Godhamba roti. This roti is cut into tiny pieces mixed with a kind of curry and vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, leaks, and much more. After that, chicken, eggs, and seafood are added according to your preference. You can choose different Kottu types: the Vegetable Kottu, Egg Kottu, Chicken Kottu, Cheese Kottu, and Seafood Kottu.

All of them are delicious. But, out of all these, you MUST try the cheese Kottu because once you dig in, the cheese just melts in your mouth and the fact that it's very juicy and creamy makes it only better. The various flavors in your mouth will definitely make you finish the whole bowl at once, and if the first plate didn't fill you up, you will definitely go for a second plate.

Isso Wade

The next famous Sri Lankan street food is Isso Wade. This is more of a type of snack than an actual meal, but it is definitely delicious. Some of the main ingredients of this snack is given away by its name 'Isso', Isso translated from Sinhala to English means prawn. So yes, the main ingredient is prawn.

If you ask, 'how is Isso wade made?' the answer is simple. The wade is made out of dhal, and then a prawn is attached to it. Afterward, you must deep fry it in oil until it is golden brown. The part that gives this snack its flavor is a special sauce added on top of it. This sauce is made with red chili powder, salt, and lime; a little heads up, this sauce is very spicy, so you might want to take some precautions because, as I said before, Sri Lankans love spice. Getting back to the point, this sauce is added on top of the prawn wade with another topping of chopped onions, carrots, and spring onion. Eat it while it's warm, and you will feel the flavors just burst in your mouth, and the crustiness of the wade just goes well with it.

Hoppers (Appa)

Another Sri Lankan favorite is Hoppers. Hoppers, also known as Appa in Sri Lanka, is typically eaten for either breakfast or dinner. The best part about this dish is that you can eat it as a snack or as a meal. Appa is also a famous party dish in Sri Lanka and Kottu, so let's see why people in Sri Lanka love this dish so much.

Hoppers are quite unique because it is crusty and soft at the same time. It is basically formed like a bowl, and the middle is very soft, while around it, it's very crusty, which makes it quite fun to eat. People add chili paste or curry into the middle because of its bowl-like shape, which is very convenient.

Looking at what it is made of, the main ingredient is rice flour. The flour is mixed to create a watery consistency. Then it is poured onto a heated pan that looks like a bowl. Because of the pan's shape, most of the mixture flows to the middle, making the top part crusty and the middle part soft.

This is eaten with a type of chili paste or salsa called 'Lunu-Miris'. It is made with onions, salt, chili powder, lime juice and a tiny piece of tomato. All the ingredients are chopped together until a thick paste-like texture is formed. After it's done, break a piece off the hopper and dip it in the paste.

If you ever decide to visit Sri Lanka, make sure that you don't leave the country without trying out all the above food. Because what is a vacation without food?! I can guarantee the extra calories you gain from eating these foods will definitely be worth it. So, what more are you waiting for! Pack your bags already, and begin your journey!