Street food is one of the most popular foods adventures globally. While many destinations are known for a variety of street food splendour, Sri Lanka has quite a few places unique to itself.
Even though many aren’t functioning due to the current Covid-19 situation, there are few in operations and we go on a journey of street food to reflect the good times of snacking.
Aluthkade Street Food
Looking for that street food vibe? Aluthkade Street Food has taht. It has all the street food for you to eat away. The spiciest sandwiches, naans, parathas, Indian/ Lankan curries and juices — not forgetting hotdogs and burgers with a Lankan twist.
Reasonably priced, this is your opportunity to grab a good feast under Rs. 700. The sandwiches are locally inspired, made with the most authentic Sri Lanka spices. It’s hard to say what you shouldn't try, but the tandoori chicken, naan and salad are an absolute must-try.
Achcharu (Sri Lankan Pickle)
Back in the days, there were achcharu at every nook and corner, and it was everyone’s favourite school snack. Now it isn’t available as frequent as before, but still, the pickled fruits are one of the favourite snacks on the streets. These delights include many mouth-watering veralu, amberalla, mango and pineapple achcharus. It has extended beyond the family for generations.
Pickling has been a mode of preserving fruit and veggies for centuries. The mango or amberalla achcharu are made to create an exciting snack to relish. These pickled delights have a lovely tang and a spicy kick, which are sure to pep up any meal, or you can just snack on them.
Looking for some achcharu? Check out The Achcharu Station and Kattoo Mittoo. They serve the most traditional of achcharus, and are readily available on UberEats.
Isso Wadey (Prawn Wadey)
The fond memories of Galle Face Green — after a dip in the sea, munching on those crunchy Isso Wadey. The wadey comes in various shapes and sizes, even though it’s less in sightings now. The closest to the isso wadey delicacy is now served at Epi-Q. Try it out and relive the memories.
And not to forget the other street snacks at Galle Face, deep-fried crabs, kunisso wadey, and the various rotis. What fond memories!
Hoppers/ Parata & Rotis
Another Sri Lanka traditional street snack, and it's equally good as the kottu. This is a light snack commonly served with some spicy katta sambol, chicken curry or lunumiris. The most loved hopper kind is probably the egg hopper, which usually features a runny egg in the middle. These snacks are quite common and taste awesome with plain tea/milk tea. Each plain hopper would cost you about Rs 20 and the egg or milk hoppers are usually priced at Rs 60 and above. It tastes best when eaten at roadside joints, especially around the Galle Road strip.
Murukku/ Mixture
When there is little to no time, murrukku and mixture come in hand. The crunchy bite comes in all shapes, sizes and flavours (sweet and savoury) and fills the stomach when it screams in hunger. This is easy to find at every shop and is very reasonably priced — starting from Rs 80 for 100g. Places like Amal Gram Store has the widest range of mixtures and murukkus.
Boiled Peanuts/ Chickpeas
Another interesting snack is boiled chickpeas. Salty, boiled and served with those coconut pieces and chopped onions and chillies, these are considered somewhat healthy and can be easily found towards the evening. These usually are sold wrapped in paper cones that start from Rs 50 onwards. The roadside peanut selling carts are hard to find these days, but you cal always get them from the nearby gram store.
02 Samosa
The samosa with chutney is a popular snack for many, and you can find some of the crispiest and spiciest samosas from the Bombay sweet shops or in front of mosques.
During the Muslim festivals, you can find many vendors selling a variety of samosas. The small ones start from Rs 30 and the regular ones at Rs 60-70. It best goes with a chilled falooda as it dials down the heat.
01 Jalebi
Even though you don’t find it by the street corners, as found in India, it still can be found at most saivar kades or any sweet selling shops. Jalebi is a sweet snack dunked in sugar syrup and so much similar to our pani walalus.
At Bombay sweet shops, 100grams of this cost about Rs 80.
While some are still available many are rarely seen now. Hope we were able to bring back those memories of your favourite childhood street food.
