Tips from a Sri Lankan: Top 20 Food items you must try in Sri Lanka!

How can someone not like Sri Lankan food!? It has so many flavours, it is mostly healthy and it is often spicy (not always). My father is Sri Lankan and I was brought up with Sri Lankan food and man, I love it and started appreciating it more when I got older. In this article, I will share everything about the delicious food.

What to expect in this article:

About my Sri Lankan roots

I’m half Sri Lankan (Tamil), and if there’s one thing I’ll always proudly talk about, it’s Sri Lankan food. I was raised with both Dutch food (as my mom is Dutch) and Sri Lankan food (my dad). My preference has always been Sri Lankan food more. Once I got older, I appreciated the rice and the amount of veggies more in the Sri Lankan kitchen. My dad can cook amazingly and luckily, I have a lot of aunts who can cook amazingly, so I am lucky that way.

What can I say about Sri Lankan food: The flavours are bold, comforting, spicy (sometimes very spicy, which I can’t handle), and full of love. Trust me when I say this: if you can’t handle spice, you can tell them not to make it spicy and it still will be delicious. My family is a pro now in making non-spicy food for me, unfortunately. I wish I had gotten the skill to eat spicy food from my dad, but after years of trying it, I still can’t.

Lately, a lot of friends and colleagues have visited Sri Lanka and keep asking what to eat. So for convenience, I had to make this article;) If you’re visiting Sri Lanka, these are some dishes you really shouldn’t miss!
P.s. in Sri Lanka you eat with your hands!!

1. Curry (Sri Lankan Style)

Let’s start with curries. Most people know curries from South India, and yes, I have had most dishes also in South India. But Sri Lanka has its own curries. Sometimes more coconutty than India.

So you have to try the curries in Sri Lanka. Whether is it a chicken curry, prawn curry or mutton curry.

Taste: Rich, spicy, aromatic
Eat it with: Rice or Roti

2. Puttu / Pitu

Putu is not something you can find easily in Sri Lanka. It is more of a Sri Lankan Tamil dish, so it is mostly found in the north. If you find it, you won’t regret it!
Puttu is a steamed cylinder made from rice flour and fresh coconut. It’s soft, crumbly, and lightly nutty.
Usually eaten with curry, banana (yes really), or coconut milk. Putu is essentially like rice or roti, and it is always accompanied by some vegetables (or meat).

Taste: Mild, coconut-rich, comforting

3. Appam (Hopper)

Appam is a bowl-shaped pancake with crispy edges and a soft, fluffy centre. Made from fermented rice batter and coconut milk. If made well, it tastes so good and it is great to have for breakfast.

Taste: Slightly tangy, creamy, light
Try it with: Egg in the middle or a spicy curry. Just by itself it can be amazing as well.
One of my familymembers in Jaffna made this for us and I still dream about the one she made…

Don't forget to book a food activity in Sri Lanka

4. Idiyappam (String Hoppers)

In English, it is called String Hoppers, but in Tamil Idiyappam

These are delicate rice-flour noodles, pressed into thin strings and steamed. Light, airy, and perfect for soaking up curry. Like putu, idiyappam, you don’t eat alone. The idiyappam is basically the rice or roti and you add something to it

Usually served with: Coconut sambol or curry.
In my family, we eat this during dinner. While travelling in Sri Lanka, I’ve had it as a breakfast dish.

5. Sri Lankan Roti

This is not your average flatbread. Sri Lankan roti is thick, chewy, often mixed with coconut, onions, or chilli. While travelling in Sri Lanka, I had a super hard coconut roti, but oh so tasty. I never had that before, but hopefully I can eat that again in the future. Oh man, I am dying to visit Sri Lanka again!

Usually served with: Curries, vegetables and meat

Did you know: India and Sri Lanka are perfect for vegetarians. Due to religion, a lot of people are vegetarian (or on certain days), so there are lots of vegetarian options.

6. Kottu Roti

If you hear loud clang-clang sounds at night, then that’s Kottu being made. Chopped roti stir-fried with vegetables, eggs, meat, and spices. Yum!! You can’t leave Sri Lanka without trying kottu!

Taste: Spicy, salty, indulgent. Can be super spicy, but my dad makes amazing non-spicy kottu.

2.5 weeks itinerary Sri Lanka: Ella, Sigiriya and Jaffna?

7. Sri Lankan Biryani

Anyone who has been in India knows biryani! Sri Lankan biryani is rich, aromatic, and deeply spiced, often with chicken, mutton, or beef.

Fun story: I love biryani and wanted to try it in Pondicherry (India), but as I can’t eat very spicy food, I often cried while eating, because it was so damn spicy. In 2022, I spent around 2 months in Pondicherry (as my boyfriend was living there at the time) and we tried many biryanis. We always ordered 1, because after a few bites, I could not handle it anymore and gave it to my bf. After a month or so, we finally found the perfect not-so-spicy biryani for me!! Now, luckily, my bf’s mom is back in town, and she makes the best biryani of India!

My aunt in the Netherlands can make amazing, not-so-spicy Sri Lankan biryani, lucky me.

Taste: Fragrant, super spicy, slightly oily (in a good way).
Special occasions: Often eaten during weddings & celebrations, but lots of people also eat it at home.

8. Dosa

Dosa or Dosai (Tamil) is crispy fermented rice-lentil pancake. In Sri Lanka, it’s often thicker and served with coconut sambol or sambar. The Indian round Dosa is much crisper. I love both versions!

Fun fact: If you are scared of spice, order a Dosa with coconut sambar, then there’s nothing to worry about. In Sri Lanka, I have noticed, most restaurants do make food less spicy when you ask for it. In India, even sandwiches and pizzas are spicy, so whenever we go out, Dosa is my staple food.

Eat Dosa with: Dosa is like rice, putu, or roti. It is good by itself, but you always need a side dish with it.

9. Sambar

Comfort food that pairs with dosa, idli, and rice. Often eaten like a sambal to add flavour to a dish. It does not have to be spicy at all times. My dad has made amazing coconut Sambars before, which I ate with Putu. Delish!

Taste: Savoury, tangy, lightly spiced

The Spice Garden is a fun spot in Sri Lanka!!

10. Idli (steamed rice cakes)

A Rice cake? It might sound strange, but it tastes amazing. These are soft, fluffy steamed cakes. And just like Putu, Roti or Rice, you can eat it by itself, but mostly you add a side dish to it, like a Sambar or curry. Most people need to get used to the taste at first, but after some bites, you’ll love it.

11. Drumstick Vegetable (Murungakkai)

Drumstick vegetable comes from the moringa tree and is very common in Sri Lankan Tamil cooking. It looks long and green, and you don’t actually eat the outer skin, but you scrape the soft flesh from inside with your teeth.
It is mostly not eaten at restaurants, but more at homes. So you will be lucky if you find it.

Taste: Mild, slightly earthy, gently sweet. This is not something you can eat with cutlery, so again, in Sri Lanka you eat with your hands 🙂

12. Dahl

While making the list, I completely forgot about Dahl. It’s the one dish I eat with nearly everything. It always tastes good and I think, this might be actually my favorite dish then!

It is probably the most comforting dish on a Sri Lankan plate. Made with red lentils, coconut milk, turmeric and curry leaves.

Taste: Creamy, mild, slightly sweet, you can make it as spicy as you want.
Eaten with: Everything: Rice, Roti, String hoppers

13. Mutton or lamb Curry

To be honest, I’m not a fan of lamb curries. This is all because every time I tried, it was super spicy. All the men in my family, including my bf, love lamb curry though. Maybe it’s a man’s thing.

Mutton curry is slow-cooked meat with deep spices, curry leaves and sometimes coconut milk.

Once I have my own house, I also want this map!

14. Snack: Vadai

One of the best snacks in Sri Lanka is Vadai. It is crispy on the outside and soft inside. Made from lentils and spices and often sold at street stalls. There are 2 types of Vadais, one with a hole in the middle (Rava Vadai) and one without (Masala Vadai). Both are good, but my favorite is secretly Masala Vadai. Yumm.

Taste: Savoury, crunchy, peppery
Perfect snack: With tea

15. Snack: Lemon Biscuits

These simple cookies are slightly crunchy with a gentle lemon flavour. It is very nostalgic for me. Anytime I eat this cookie, I think of Sri Lanka!

Found in: Local bakeries and supermarkets

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16. Snack: Rava Ladoo

Unlike Vadai, Ladoo is sweet. These are round, sweet treats made from flour, ghee, sugar, and sometimes nuts or raisins. Again, there are multiple types of ladoos. Rava Ladoo is a traditional dessert made and eaten mostly in my family, and you can make it as sweet as you like. Other types of ladoos are often much sweeter, which I don’t like. One of my aunts is famous for making ladoos; she makes them so hard that you can’t bite them at all and everyone’s mouth hurts after eating one. That’s not how it’s supposed to be 😉

17. Snack: Payasam

Payasam, I often compare it to frogspawn, because it is green and there are little bubbles. It’s very sweet, so you either like or hate it. Some people also eat it with raisins or nuts inside, but I don’t like that at all. Just give me a little bit of Payasam and I am good!

18. Drink: Milo

Yes — Milo is a thing in Sri Lanka…. It is almost the same as chocolate milk, but has a distinct Milo flavour.
Often mixed thick with milk or water and served hot or cold, I prefer it cold. Especially in the heat while walking in Sri Lanka.

Don't forget to book an activity in Sri Lanka!

19. Drink: Chai

Chai (milk tea) is made strong — real black tea, boiled properly, mixed with milk and sugar.

You drink chai all day long in Sri Lanka and you’ll find it everywhere, in homes, roadside stalls, tiny local cafés, bus stations, and even small village shops. Someone will always offer you tea.

Once, I was walking through Little India in Kuala Lumpur and found an iconic statue. That statue was pouring Chai from one cup to another. Sri Lankan people always do this to cool down their Chai (they also do this with their coffee).

20. Fruits: Rambutan, mangosteen, mango, jackfruit

Sri Lanka is a fruit heaven! My dad had many fruit trees in his backyard and knows exactly when to have which fruit. Anyway in Sri Lankan culture, fruit is the medicine for everything for parents. Sad? Here, eat a mango. Happy? Let’s eat mangosteen!

I guess you do know about Mango & Jackfruit. You have certain Mango seasons, you can easily eat a mango every day then.

I want to talk a bit more about Rambutan. This is a small, red, hairy-looking fruit that surprises you when you open it. It is sweet, juicy and refreshing and you won’t regret eating it.

Next to that, you need to know about Mangosteen. Be careful btw, both Rambutan and Mangosteen are a bit difficult to open, but you can still do it with your hands. Mangosteen has a thick purple shell and soft white segments inside. I loved having this for breakfast while travelling in Sri Lanka!!

Final

Sri Lankan meals are about mixing flavours, eating with your hands, and sharing plates. Some dishes might feel spicy at first, but the flavours stay with you long after the meal. You won’t regret eating Sri Lankan food!!