Every week we do a Badagini video. To those of you who've been living under a rock, you should probably check it out on YAMU TV. It's a video series on where to get good rice and curries in Colombo.
For this weeks Badagini, we decided to go to this popular buth kadey in Dehiwala called Thawalama.
The Place
Like most buth kadeys in Colombo/ the country, Thawalama is also dedicated to giving an all Sri Lankan experience in terms of food and ambience. We got this from the mud walls, thatched roof and the clay pots they have on their counter.
They have enough seating space to fit more than 20 people at once. It opens up to the main road so don't be surprised or alarmed if you see a tubby stray dog asleep at the entrance. She is always well-fed, so she won't bug you while you're there. They have a fancy looking sink in one corner of the room with tissues and a bottle of handwash. Neat!
Food
Thawalama specializes in rice and curry, and judging by the number of people who came in while we were there, it's safe to say that they're quite popular for it.
Ordering your food at Thawalama is pretty standard. They have a countertop on one end of the room with some beautifully crafted coir art on it. You tell the guy behind the glass what kind of rice you want, pick your curries, choose your protein, you pay et voila! you have a personalized plate of Lankan goodness all to yourself.
We went with five rice and curry plates, so we're gonna try keeping it short:)
Plate 1: White Rice and Fish Curry priced at Rs. 200. The fish was spiced impeccably. It quite literally left us in tears and wanting more. The capsicum curry doubled the spicy factor, while the pumpkin curry was creamy and soft. It ended up being the perfect break from the spiciness of the whole meal.
Bringing us to plate 2 – Red Rice with Egg (Rs. 180). This bullseye egg didn't have any saltiness, but the sprinkle of pepper really helped out to enhance the spiciness. Crunchy with a hint of lime, gotukola mallum was a flavorful addition.
This is plate 3 – White Rice and Chicken Curry (Rs. 250). They serve a generous piece of nicely prepared chicken with plenty of spicy gravy soaked all the way to the bottom of the rice so you will not miss your daily dose of hodi. The dhal curry was pretty mild – very milky but did not involve a lot of spices.
This is plate 4: Red Rice with Chicken Parts priced at Rs. 200. We know, chicken parts sound hella weird, but don't worry, what it loses through its weirdness, it makes up in taste. Covered with a thick layer of pepper and salt, these chicken parts were deep-fried, and we absolutely loved it. You can even get a separate portion of this for Rs. 150, and that easily feeds around five people. The pol sambol was actually quite peppery but lacked the hints of lime.
Plate 5 – the Chicken Fried Rice, priced at (Rs. 280). AKA Muse de Lamindu. While the chicken piece was soaked in mildly spicy tomato sauce and chili flakes, the rice was seasoned well with pepper, salt and a sprinkle of carrots and spring onions.
Overall
Overall, we firmly believe that if you're around Dehiwala area and craving a good plate of rice and curry, Thawalama is a safe bet.
