Sri Lankan cuisine

Sri Lankan cuisineis known for its particular combinations of herbs, spices, fish, vegetables,rices, and fruits. The cuisine is highly centered around many varieties of rice, as well ascoconutwhich is a ubiquitous plant throughout the country. Seafood also plays a significant role in the cuisine, be it fresh fish or preserved fish. As a country that was a hub in the historicoceanic silk road, contact with foreign traders brought new food items and cultural influences in addition to the local traditions of the country's ethnic groups, all of which have helped shape Sri Lankan cuisine. Influences fromIndian(particularlySouth Indian),IndonesianandDutch cuisinesare most evident with Sri Lankan cuisine sharing close ties to other neighbouringSouthandSoutheast Asian cuisines.
Sri Lankais historically famous for its cinnamon. The 'true cinnamon' tree, orCinnamomum verum, used to be botanically namedCinnamomum zeylanicumto reflect its Sri Lankan origins. This is a widely utilized spice in Sri Lanka, and has a more delicate, sweet taste in comparison toCinnamomum cassia, which is more common in some other Southeast Asian cuisines. Contrasting the local cuisine with those of neighbouring regions, Sri Lankan cuisine is characterized by unique spice blends with heavy use of Sri Lankan cinnamon and black pepper, as well as by the use of ingredients such asMaldives fish,goraka(Garcinia cambogia),pandan leaf,lemongrass, andjaggerymade from kithul palm syrup. Sri Lanka is also a consumer of many varieties of red rice, some of which are considered heirloom rices in the country. Tea is also an important beverage throughout the country, and Sri Lanka is known for producing some of the world's finest tea.
In areas located on the island's coasts seafood is a standard feature of the local dishes.Tamil cuisine, especially inJaffna, shares many similarities withSouth Indian cuisine.KandyanSinhalesecooking is based on local ingredients, including hill vegetables and fruits.
Herbs:pandan leaf(rampe),curry leaf(karapincha),coriander leaf,shallot,goraka,lemongrass,tamarind,garlic,ginger,lime,cayenne pepper,tabasco pepper
Fish:Maldives fish,dried fish,mackerel,tuna,shark,sprats, fermented preserved fish
Fruits:bananas,mangoes,pineapple,soursop,guava,avocado,orange
Grains:white rice(some common varieties are Samba, Kekulu, and Suwandel),red rice(some common varieties are Kekulu, Pachchaperumal, Kaluheenati, and Madathawalu),finger millet,hog millet,olu haal(water lily seed)
Meats:chicken,beef,pork,mutton
Oils:coconut oil,sesame oil, cowghee, buffalo ghee,mustard oil
Spices:cinnamon,black pepper,fennel,cardamom,cloves,fenugreek,nutmeg,mace,cumin,coriander,turmeric
Sweeteners:kithuljaggery, coconut jaggery,palmyrahjaggery
Vegetables and greens:gotukola,green papaya,snake beans,bitter melon,snake gourd,luffa,pumpkin,winged bean,moringa
Yams, roots and tubers:lotus root,purple yam,tapioca,kohila(Lasia spinosa),Arrowleaf elephant's ear
Other:Coconut milk and grated coconut are ubiquitous in the cuisine, and are freshly prepared almost every day in most households. Maldives fish is heavily used in vegetable dishes to add anumamiflavour.
The central feature of Sri Lankan cuisine is boiled or steamed rice, served with acurryoffishormeat, along with other curries made withvegetables,lentils, orfruits.
Dishes are accompanied by pickled fruits or vegetables,chutneys, andsambols.Coconut sambolis especially common, a paste of groundcoconutmixed withchili peppers, driedMaldives fish, andlime juice.
Kiribathorpaal soru(lit.'milk rice')  is rice cooked in salted coconut milk until the grains turn soft and porridge-like. Generally eaten for breakfast,kiribathis also prepared on special occasions such as birthdays, New Years' and religious festivals. It is usually served withlunu miris, a relish made with red onions and chillies. There is also a method of cookingkiribathwithmung beans. DuringAluth Avurudu/Puthandu, the Sinhalese/Tamil New Year,kiribathis served with sweets such askavum,kokis,mung kavum,od iba, and others.
Kottu is a spicy stir-fry of shreddedrotibread with vegetables. Optional ingredients includeeggs,meat, orcheese. It was invented in Colombo and literally means 'chopped roti'.
Hoppers (appain Sinhala) are based on afermentedbatter, usually made ofrice flourand coconutmilkwithspices.  The dish is pan-fried or steamed. The fermenting agent ispalm toddyor yeast. Hopper variants can be either spicy (such as egg hoppers, milk hoppers, and string hoppers), or sweet (such asvandu appaandpani appa).Spicy hoppers are often accompanied bylunu miris, a mix of red onions and spices.
String hoppers (idiyappain Sinhala) are made from a hot-water dough of rice meal orwheat flour. The dough is pressed out in circlets from a string mold onto small wicker mats, and then steamed. This dish is typically not eaten plain and is often paired with a curry, such asKiri hodi.
ADutch Burgher-influenced dish, lamprais is rice boiled in stock accompanied byfrikkadels(frikadellermeatballs), a mixed-meat curry, blachan, aubergine curry, andseeni sambol.  All of this is then wrapped in abanana leafand baked in an oven. Lamprais is ideal for special occasions with large gatherings considering its richness and the time it takes to prepare. Lamprais is cooked twice; first the rice and the entrees are cooked separately and later what is already cooked is wrapped in a banana leaf and baked in an oven.
Kool is a seafood broth fromJaffnacontainingcrab,fish,cuttlefish,prawns, andcrayfish.  It also contains longbeans,jakseeds,manioc,spinach, andtamarind. The dish is thickened withpalmyraroot flour.
Pittuare cylinders of steamed or roasted rice flour mixed with gratedcoconut.
Godambarotiis a simpler Sri Lankanflatbreadusually made fromwheat flour.
Most popular roti is  Pol roti, where shredded coconut is mixed into the dough, It doesn’t need yeast or any kind of a leavening agent.Another variant is spicy roti, in which chopped onions and green chilies are used when making the dough.
Sambals (Sambolin Sinhala) are enjoyed with many dishes including curry dishes and string hoppers.Seeni sambol,Pol sambol,Lunumiris, Gotukola sambalandVaalai kai sambalare commonsambolsfound in the country.
Mallung is a condiment or side dish, comprising chopped greens which are lightly cooked and mixed with grated coconut and red onions.
Malayachcharu, also known as Sri Lankan Malay pickle or simply asachcharuis a dish that originated from thelocal Malay communityand is now widely popular among all ethnic groups in the country.It is a selection of vegetables in a pickled sauce and blends sweet, sour and spicy flavours.
Chinese chili paste is a condiment eaten alongside Sri Lankan-style Chinese dishes.
Babathoroffalconsists of the stomach of cattle or goats. It is cooked as a curry or deep fried and eaten with rice or more famously with Pittu. Its origins are associated with the Sri Lankan Malay community but it is very common among theMoorscommunity as well. The preparation of babath also consists of Kodal or theintestinesof the animal.
Sateis of Indonesian origin and has become a staple of the Sri Lankan diet.They are served with peanut and chili sauce.
Ekor sop,oxtail soup, is a delicacy of the Sri Lankan Malay community.
Nasi goreng(Sinhala:නාසි ගොරේන්) andmee gorengare popularstreet fooddishes in the country, a result of cultural influences from Indonesia and the country's local Malay community.
A common dessert in Sri Lanka iskevum, anoil cakemade with rice flour andtreacleand deep-fried to a golden brown.  There are many variations of kevum.Moong Kevumis a variant wheremung beanflour is made into a paste and shaped like diamonds before frying. Other types of kevum include athiraha, konda kevum, athirasa, and handi kevum.
Many sweets are served withkiribathmilk rice during theSinhaleseandTamil New Years.
Other sweets include:
Cakes and pastries:
Treacle-flavored sweets:
Puddings and toffees:
Other sweets:
"Short eats" are a variety of snacks that are bought by the dozen from "short eat" shops and restaurants. These are eaten on the go, mainly for breakfast or during the evening.
Short eats includepastries, Chinese rolls andpatties. Other short eats include:
Short eats are served at parties or to guests when they visit a home. Western food such as hot dogs and hamburgers have arrived in Sri Lanka, with theglobalizationof fast-food chains such asMcDonald's,KFCandPizza Hut. However, foods from these establishments are not usually considered short eats. Additionally, hot dogs and hamburgers are also modified to fit local tastes.
Beverages commonly served in Sri Lanka include: