Sri Lankan Culinary Communities.

Sri Lanka is home to some pretty amazing food, be it rice and curry, kottu, or anything else sweet or packed with spices. While we have things that are uniquely Sri Lankan as a whole, we also have a few dishes which are kind of exclusive to each ethnic community within the country — and I say 'exclusive', because that's what each community is known and loved for. For example Christmas, when Catholics break out the Christmas Cake, or Eid that brings about hot pots of biryani and watalappam. You get the idea – that's how you know who to approach when each festive season rolls around.

We decided it would be fun to do a piece based on what dish each ethnicity makes best, so here goes. Feel free to tell us your favourites or what we've missed out!

The Sinhalese

Kavili


Image courtesy of isrilankan.com

Avurudu, nuff said. Deep fried delicacies like kevumkokis, and aasmi are seasonal favourites, especially among the non-Sinhala community. Yes, kokis is something we got from one of our colonial ancestors, but it's so built in to our culture today that it's a big part of local celebrations.

Ambul Thiyal


Image courtesy of rasakama.com

Best made with thalapath or tuna, ambul thiyal was originally a method of preparation to preserve fish. It's intensely flavourful, with a ton of spices thrown in and the fish is slow cooked for a while. It's apparently best prepped in a clay pot.

The Tamils

Pongal


Image courtesy of www.rediff.com

Made traditionally on Pongal (as the name suggests), this includes predominantly a variety of pulses and rice. It's also sweet, with jaggery and raisins in the mixture, and texture-wise is almost comparable to kiribath. Temples make vats full of this, so if you wander into one during Thai Pongal, you'd be able to get a portion or two.

Dosai

Other popular favourites are dosais, especially masala, and ghee dosais. We're rather biased towards the ghee dosai at this joint in Fort, because of how crisp, aromatic, and perfectly flavoursome it is. Combined with chutney and sambar, the ghee dosai makes for a light and filling meal. The best part is that you can get it at any time of the year, so no waiting for a festival to roll around.

The Muslims

Moors

The Moors have biryani. Despite also being an Indian dish, this is insanely popular especially during Muslim weddings and festivals in the country. It's popular with beef and/or mutton, but chicken's a decent substitute too.

Malays

Contributions into the food scene include what our local foodcourts make a mess of — Nasi Goreng — and meatier items like satays and beef rendang. That beef rendang is something, tbh. You can get it at Sentosa, or the Good Market

The Burghers

Lamprais

Lamprais and wine, with wines more specifically focused on milk wine and king coconut wine. Lamprais is like biryani's brother in terms of rice popularity; we've even had a grand lamprais taste-off which you can read about (tl;dr: best over the counter lamprais is at Fab and the DBU). I just realized that I've never actually had homemade lamprais despite having Burgher friends (I'm looking at you, Crystal).

Breudher

Oh, and this baked little goody. We're not sure of homebakers who specialize in Breudher, but we've seen it at Perera and Sons during festive seasons. 


Image courtesy of www.pennylanekitchen.wordpress.com

There are plenty of things which are common to all Sri Lankans, regardless of which community they're from — like rice and curry, haal-masso, pol sambol, but there are also dishes which are special to each ethnic community on our little island. If you haven't had any of these while living here, it's high time you befriend someone who could bring a dish over, come Vesak, Pongal, Eid, or Christmas.

Happy eating!

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on whatsapp

Highlights.

Latest.

KAMU.

The Art of Fusion Cuisine at Mövenpick Hotel

By Vera Wadugodapitiya We walked into Robata Grill, Mövenpick. Instantly, what struck me about the

Highlights Kamu

A Taste of Mexico – Cinnamon Red’s Latest International Cuisine

By Shamrina Carim Every month, Cinnamon Red has come up with an exciting initiative to

Highlights Kamu

A Classical High Tea Encounter with the Coronation at Mount Lavinia Hotel

By Shamrina Carim Mount Lavinia Hotel hosted a casual evening of classic high tea encounters

Highlights Kamu

The Bento Box at Royal Thai, Cinnamon Lakeside

By Hiruni Herath When you step into the Royal Thai Restaurant at Cinnamon Lakeside, you’ll

Highlights Kamu

Totally Hooked – The Ultimate Seafood Destination

It is not a surprise that “Totally Hooked CMB", the talk of the seafood town,

Highlights Kamu

International Hummus Festival 2023 at Hilton Colombo

By Hashini Pathirana Ramadan Kareem! Festivities have just begun for the Muslim/Islam community in welcoming

Highlights Kamu

Trending.

Hilton Sri Lanka Unveils ‘Enchanting Beginnings’ Wedding Sale

Swoon over exclusive wedding packages in stunning venues for a lifetime of memories Colombo, Sri

Trending

Ramada Colombo’s Exclusive Limited Time Wedding Discount

Book before June 15th and enjoy 25% off Planning the perfect wedding can be an

Trending

The 30th Gratiaen Prize shortlist was announced with the launch of the Gratiaen Trust Young Writers Club

The Gratiaen Trust in association with the John Keells Foundation partnering with the Trust for

Trending

Hilton Sri Lanka is set to commemorate Mother’s Day in grand fashion

Continuing our long-standing tradition of celebrating extraordinary mothers, Hilton properties across Sri Lanka have gone

Trending

Celebrate the Most Precious Woman in Your Life at Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Colombo

Celebrate the Most Precious Woman in Your Life at Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Colombo Colombo,

Trending

7 Degrees Restaurants offers a unique dining experience in Colombo

Sri Lanka’s first and only immersive dining experience 7 Degrees Restaurants, a new and exciting

Trending

Yamu Guide.

7 Decent BnB spots for under LKR 7500 – Sri Lanka

We all like spending mini vacations at affordable spots to relax or stay on the

Highlights Yamu Guide

7 Places to Dine Under LKR1500 LKR per person

By Udaraa Gamage Are you a foodie looking for budget places to satisfy your taste

Highlights Yamu Guide

The Aesthetics of Club Palm Bay

Club Palm Bay is a hotel located in the heart of a charming fishing village

Yamu Guide

High Tea Affairs at L.A.B by Hilton Colombo

By Hashini Pathirana A little chit chat with your besties, while sipping onto an Iced

Yamu Guide

The Art of Gifting with Shirohana

By Rahma Rifkhar From the picturesque green hills of Nuwara Eliya, nurtured by experienced hands

Highlights Yamu Guide

7 places to have Pasta- 2023

By Shamrina Carim Our taste buds crave for that perfect chef-kiss Italian cuisine once in

Kamu Yamu Guide