Sri Lanka’s national dish is unmistakably rice and curry. Rice and curry does not simply include one type of curry, but several kinds. This meal is a great big platter made up of rice and at least three different curries around it placed near the rice. Rice and curry dishes are customarily eaten by hand, an art easy to master after a couple of tries.
Crab Curry
Sri Lanka is paradise for seafood lovers. A juicy crab curry is a must-try for those who do not mind getting dirty. It is a finger-licking experience! Crab curries are omnipresent on menus all over the country. They are prepared by cooking the crab in a paste of spices and coconut milk. After you have broken the crab apart and extracted all the meat, be sure to mop up the flavorful gravy with some bread (such as pol roti). Ministry of Crab, in Colombo's historic Old
Dutch Hospital complex, is devoted to the crustacean. It is the hottest place for all things crab, including traditional Sri Lankan crab curry.
Parippu (Lentils Curry)
Parippu aka the humble lentils curry is a must-have when you
travel to here. Sometimes, it is part of our every single meal. A good parippu curry is served alone with almost everything in Sri Lanka. Perfectly scented in coconut gravy, the light-red Mysore Dhal (Masoor Dal) turns into a pleasing yellow colour with a few pinches of turmeric. Often spiced up with chilli powder, mustard seeds and saffron, chopped garlic, onions and curry leaves are used as flavouring-enhancers.
Haalmesso Sudata (Dried Sprats Curry)
Dried sprats, mildly treated with
Sri Lankan spices are cooked with rich coconut milk until the gravy gives a thick, creamy texture. The gravy is best enjoyed with roast paan and loaves of bread (known as kade paan in Colombo) making it one of the popular staples of Upali’s menu. It is also quite popular in Sri Lankan households to add boiled potatoes and sliced tomatoes which gives a whole different taste and appearance.
Jackfruit Curry
The jackfruit sure looks a bit strange but it is an ever-present feature in curries in Sri Lanka, where it grows in abundance. Even before the jackfruit has ripened, it is made into curry. This type is known as polos (baby jackfruit or green jackfruit). Once cooked, its texture resembles pulled pork. Ripe jackfruit is called kos, and it is made into a very different tasting curry called kiri kos maluwa. In contrast to the hot and spicy polos maluwa, this curry is mild and creamy with thick coconut milk and fewer chiles. Eat it with rice or roti.
Ambul Thiyal (Sour Fish Curry)
The most amazing thing about this curry is not its taste, which is beyond delicious, but that’s pretty obvious. It is the fact that this curry can stay at room temperature for a week without going bad. The trick?
Tamarind, or goraka as it is called in Sri Lanka, used to marinate fish prior to cooking is a natural preservative. Ambul thiyal is a dry curry with a slightly sour taste. It originated in the South of the island but overtime became typical Sri Lankan food.
Beetroot Curry
Along with usual chicken and fish curries, or dhal curry, there is one particular vegetable-based curry. Even though it isn’t the most common, it really is quite spectacular. The beetroot is cut into thin slices and cooked in the usual delicate spices of vegetable curries. The special flavour of beetroot curry is crunchy, sweet and spicy all at once and you literally cannot eat just one bite.
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Source Internet
