Food reflects the identity of a nation, and street food does it best. It is unpretentious, authentic, and perfected, capable of beating haute cuisine any day. The unassuming street food stalls that come alive at different times of the day support local economies. Sri Lankan street food is one of the last frontiers of global cuisine. It is multicultural, colourful and intricately flavourful. Let’s learn about some of the best dishes to try.
Kottu Roti
The rhythmic clank of two square cleavers on a metal griddle is a familiar sound you hear on the streets in the evening. When you hear this, you know Kottu is getting made. It’s a stir fry of vegetables, pieces of roti, shredded meat, egg, spices and sauces. Some variations include cheese as well. The cleavers chop the ingredients while mixing them. The delicious aroma fills the air while it all comes together. It is a dish that often makes use of the leftover ingredients. Kottu Roti is the king of the street food scene in Sri Lanka. Watching it getting made is a treat in itself.
Vade/Vadai (Lentil fritters)
Vade is an Indian food which arrived in Sri Lanka with the Tamil community. These take the form of Parippu Vade and Ulundu Vade. Parippu Vada is crispier with a softer middle. Ulundu Vade has a doughnut shape, crispy skin and a spongy inside. Parippu Vade uses a coarser and a larger lentil variety, while Ulundu Vade uses a smaller and softer lentil. The ground lentil mix contains onion, chilli, curry leaves and spices. Ulundu Vade is often eaten with a chutney, sambal or a curry. Parippu Vade has more iterations, those topped with prawns being a favourite. It also makes appearances by train windows and on trains, sold by mobile vendors.
Hoppers (Appa)
These crepe bowls can be plain, topped with an egg or sweetly brown. Made from a fermented batter of rice flour, coconut milk, salt and sugar, a thin layer is swirled on a tiny wok to create crispy edges and a spongy base. Plain hoppers are marbled white and brown. Often eaten with lunumiris (sambal of onion, chilli, salt and lime), they are delicious with pol sambol, fish ambul thiyal and other curries, too. With an egg cracked into the middle while cooking, egg hoppers have a distinctive yellowish colour. Pani Appa or treacle hoppers have sugar or coconut treacle in the batter and folded in half.
Vegetable roti (Elavalu roti)
A wet and stretchy dough is shaped into a square and then wrapped around a filling of potato, leek, carrot, onion, and chilli in a triangle shape. Once toasted on a griddle, these have a thin roti encasing and a spicy, warm middle. You will also find fish rotis, often shaped into rectangles. Sometimes, the filling is dunked in batter, covered in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. Whichever you choose, they are all scrummy.
Pickle (Achcharu)
While there are different types of pickles in Sri Lanka, you are most likely to find pickled fruit sold by street vendors. Sweet, tangy and spicy, the relishes are made from unripe fruit. These include mango, pineapple, amberella, veralu, jambu, apple, date and more. Give them a try and awaken your tastebuds for an eccentric flavour explosion.
King Coconut (Thambili)
Imagine a hot, sweltering day when you want something that beats the regular chilled drink but is refreshing and healthy. King Coconut is native to Sri Lanka. These orange globes are a coconut variety, and their water is sweet and cooling. The flesh inside is also eaten and is plump and luscious. Often sold by roadside vendors, stop by for a thirst quench when you spot them.
Fried chickpea
Steaming away on their carts, street vendors sell boiled chickpeas, fried with onion, chilli and curry leaves and garnished with pieces of coconut. You will get them in a paper cone to enjoy them on the go.
Spicy pineapple
Pineapple vendors usually sell thick-cut slices of pineapple sprinkled with salt, pepper and chilli powder. It is a different way to enjoy pineapple, and we recommend it. If you find it too spicy you can always wash out some of the spiciness.
Exploring authentic tastes with Blue Lanka Tours
There is a world of culinary craftsmanship tucked away in modest street stalls of Sri Lanka. It is a multidimensional take on food, culture and people. Sampling Sri Lankan Street Food is your chance to eat like a local and enjoy the simple things that offer greater satisfaction.
At Blue Lanka Tours, we believe in authentic experiences that demystify stereotypes and labels. We want to add meaning to your travel by personalising it to your taste and revealing the known and the unknown in equal measure. With our highly-trained professionals, responsible travel ethics, dedicated customer service and a well-regarded portfolio, we are ready to make your Sri Lankan holiday sumptuous.