Foods you should never miss in Sri Lanka

In the travelers circles, Sri Lanka is famous for its pristine beaches, cultural heritage and scenic landscapes. No, wonder all these things clubbed together, makes Sri Lanka a wonderful destination for solo and group travelers.

But, with a lot of western restaurants opening up in the tourist places, we often overrun the tantalizing Sri Lankan dishes. Here are few dishes, that you cannot give a miss.

String Hoppers

String hoppers are thin noodles made from rice flour and coconut milk. It is everyone’s favorite breakfast in Sri Lanka. Often, it is served with fish / chicken / lentil(known as dal in Hindi) curry, but the most delicious combination was with coconut chutney. It’s known as idiyappam in the local language.

Rice and Curry

Like in India, rice is a staple food and eaten with different types of curries usually 3-4 types. The spicy curries will fire your mouth and might be tough for the westerners, but on request curries will be cooked without spice. Rice is usually served with pickles, chutney, curries, lentils and coconut sambol.

Kotthu Rotti

Rotti in Sri Lanka is the Indian version of paratha or chapatti. Kotthu Rotti is a rotti fried with different type of fillings ranging from chicken to eggs to cottage cheese or vegetables. After its fried, the rotti is chopped into small tiny pieces and served with a liquid gravy made from tomato and onion.

Wattalappam

Wattalappam is a desert which is an absolute favorite of mine. It’s a pudding made from mixing coconut milk, eggs, jaggery, dry fruits like cashew and walnut, a small amount of cardamom is added to finish it off. Do try this, after your lunch or dinner.

The street foods scene in Sri Lanka is lively. Do try the prawns vada and fish patties on Galle Face Green.

On the whole, Sri Lankan food is similar to the South Indian cuisine and expect it to be spicy in the same way.