8 Must-Try Foods When Travelling to Sri Lanka

When you speak to most people about Sri Lanka, the first thing they’ll talk to you about is the amazing beaches along the coast, the thrill of trying surfing for the first time, or the amazing animals you’ll get to spot within the National Parks. Now don’t get me wrong, all these things are truly amazing but the food in Sri Lanka often gets overlooked. People often mistake the food in Sri Lanka as just Indian food. While it is heavily influenced by Indian spices, due to the close proximity, they’ve taken those classic spices from India to make their own unique dishes. Sri Lanka cuisine has also been heavily influenced by the Dutch colonial powers and Malay contributions.

Now if you are a fellow foodie like me (I presume you are, if you are reading this blog) there is always something so exciting about visiting a new place and trying their cuisine. I was so excited about visiting Sri Lanka because I knew the food was going to be nothing like I have had before. I am big on flavour, I like my food to pack a punch and I knew that Sri Lanka was going to deliver that. I also like my food spicy, so if you don’t mind a chilli or two then Sri Lanka won’t disappoint. They are not afraid of giving Westerners their level of spicy if we ask for it.

Dishes To Try In Sri Lanka

In this blog, I will share with you the different foods that you have to try on your travels to Sri Lanka:

Rice n Curry

This is a staple dish in Sri Lanka, you will see it on almost every single menu and featured on billboards along the street. It is effectively an assortment of different curry’s on one plate with a portion of rice in the middle. It is perfect if you are like me and love trying a little bit of everything. Typically it tends to be mainly vegetarian curry’s and then you can also pick an extra chicken or fish curry. This is a traditional dish that is deep rooted in Sri Lankan culture. In my personal opinion, it was always best at a buffet place, when you could pay a set price and go help yourself to the different curry’s. Aunty would usually be cooking away in the back and then would serve the different dishes in clay pots. The best one I visited was in Mirissa called Dhana's Curry Pot, so you should definitely check this out if you are heading to Mirissa. Some staples that you will always see on a rice n curry dish is aubergine pickle, stir fried okra, daal and coconut sambal! The best part is it is ridiculously cheap, so perfect if you are on a budget. We honestly could have eaten this every night for dinner.

Jaffna crab curry

You are going to have to be prepared to get messy with this dish but it is DEFINITELY worth it. I have never experienced so much flavour in one dish before, it honestly exploded my taste buds. You will absolutely be covered in curry sauce, all up your arms, but it’s all part of the experience, right!? Now this dish is a little higher up in the price range, but if your budget can afford it then I would definitely recommend giving it a go. The best place to try crab curry is in the coastal areas of Sri Lanka, like Negombo or Mirissa. The ultimate place to go to is Ministry of Crab but we went for the more affordable option Culture Colombo. It was so so delicious, we just wanted more instantly. We were given the option of rice or bread, we originally ordered rice but the waiter said to go with bread. We were so so glad he made us change because there was nothing better than mopping up that fragrant delicious curry sauce with the thick buttery loaf. And when I say thick, I mean THICK.

Black pepper curry

This one is for my spicy guys and gals. If you like it hot, then this is going to blow your mind. It’s packed full of chili and the numbing Sichuan peppercorn. It is guaranteed to have your mouth tingling within the first few mouthfuls. But somehow this makes it even more addictive!? Now it is quite difficult to find a good black pepper curry, if you go to any westernised restaurant it’s going to scrap all the chili and go for a sweet flavour instead. You want to go to a rustic homely restaurant for this one, as they will serve it to you in the authentic way. Get the rice at the ready too to cool your mouth down!

Daal

Daal is my ultimate comfort food, this dish just makes me feel all warm and gooey inside. Wherever I go I always want to try their daal but I have to say so far the Sri Lankan daal might be the best version. You know you have a come to the right spot when there is tempered curry leaves and pandan leaves on top of the daal. I highly recommend doing a cooking class at Ella Spice Garden where they will teach you how to make the most amazing daal along with several other dishes. The best part is you get to try it afterwards and trust me this one does not disappoint. On top of that, you get to try to recreate the recipe when you are back home!

Fresh seafood

If you are planning on heading along the coast in Sri Lanka then you need to try the seafood. In particular, I recommend ordering a whole fish which is barbecued in the most amazing Sri Lankan spices. Honestly, is there anything better than sitting by the beach, listening to the waves crashing, sipping a fresh coconut and digging into some fresh seafood. If you are visiting Mirissa, Welligama or any of the coastal towns I definitely recommend going to one of the beach side restaurants. In these style of restaurants you can pick out fish and other seafood yourself or you can order a chef special seafood platter. You’ll find plenty of prawns, crabs, calamari and langoustines served on seafood platter. We got a seafood platter from W&D Beach Restaurant in Mirissa, it was humongous and packed full of flavour and only came to £25. Which is a bargain when you think back at home in the UK it would easily cost £100.

Coconut sambal

We can’t talk about Sri Lankan food without talking about the star of the show. Be prepared to have this with every single meal and to miss having it with all your meals when you get back home. It’s basically fresh coconut shavings mixed with tomato, onion, chilli and lime. Basically a Sri Lankan version of a salsa! They also make plenty of different versions of sambal with different ingredients. It’s a perfect accompaniment to a curry as it’s fresh and light, so acts as a great palate cleanser.

Kottu roti

Another classic dish that you will see on pretty much every single menu in Sri Lanka is kottu roti. Originally this dish was a way to use leftover roti but now they have to specifically make roti for this dish as it’s become that popular. Not along is it popular amongst tourists but also the locals as well. It’s very similar to a stir fry but instead of noodles they use shredded bits of roti. It’s usually mixed with vegetables, egg and then a protein. You can also get one with cheese which made it really creamy, almost like a spicy alfredo. The best part is every single one we tried (and we tried a lot) was a different, everyone had their own take to it. Our favourite one by far was in Mirissa called No1 Dewmini Roti Shop. The way it’s authentically made it with two metal spatulas on a flat grill and then stir fry the mix whilst cutting the mix up finer with the spatulas. In this restaurant you could hear them banging constantly to get the roti cut up really fine and equally coated in spicing. Be warned if you ask for it spicy, they’ll serve it Sri Lankan spicy.

Egg hoppers

Lastly, this dish is a traditional Sri Lankan breakfast dish. If you stay in any homestay during your travels, then they will most likely serve you this dish for breakfast. It's basically like a rounded crepe where the edges are thin and crispy. However, the middle is more spongy like a pancake with an egg cooked on top. It’s fascinating watching them cook this dish as they use a huge wok which they coat in the batter and then crack the egg in the middle and steam the middle with a lid. It is then usually served with sambal, daal and potato curry to dip and fill the egg hopper with. Delicious and a great way to start your day, Sri Lankans don't miss out on flavour even for breakfast!

Conclusion

That brings this blog to a wrap, there are so many more amazing Sri Lankan recipes to try whilst you are travelling but these are definitely the highlights that you cannot miss out on. Just make sure to eat local and where possible avoid western restaurants so you can taste the true Sri Lankan cuisine. My other top tip is be open minded, there will be things you’ve never tried before and sometimes the most unexpected dishes can become your favourite!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog and it will help with your travels to Sri Lanka. If you did like this blog make sure to send to your friends and family, so it can help them with their foodie adventures as well!