A taste of Sri Lanka

I recently tried Sri Lankan cuisine for the first time and found it delicious. But it wasn't as spicy as what South East Asians are used to — to my Western palate's advantage.

My culinary experience took place at The Junction, Traders Hotel, Dubai, as part of its promotion-themed Sri Lankan Zest.

Buffet blast

Daily through August 20, from 7.30-11.30pm, guests can taste an array of 35 buffet dishes created by Chandrasena Sudusinghe, the hotel's executive chef, known as Chef Sudu.

A native of Sri Lanka, Sudu is pleased to present authentic dishes from his homeland, using indigenous mixtures of selected ingredients and herbs, known as Thuna-Paha, to preserve original flavours.

I found the Sri Lankan hoppers (appams) yummy. These bowl-shaped pancakes are light, made from rice batter and coconut milk.

Cooked in small half-moon pans, they can be topped with an egg sunny side up in the centre and served hot with sambals (spicy condiment) and coconut shrimp curry.

“We eat them for breakfast or in the afternoon as a snack,'' Sudu explained.

Decorated with wooden furniture contrasting with red chair cushions and large beige lampshades, the restaurant features Sri Lankan objects and posters lent by the Sri Lanka Tourism Bureau.

Among the other items on the menu are the tuna cutlets, or tuna balls filled with spices and mashed potato.

They include green chilli, onions, curry leaves, pandan leaves, black pepper, garlic and ginger.

My favourite was probably the sweet potatoes tempered with curry leaves and onions — the two basic ingredients of Sri Lankan cuisine.

The sweet potato makes the dish simple while the spices make it colourful and flavourful. I went to the buffet twice to get more.

Next to the ash plantains with dry curry and the red curry chicken with cashew nut gravy and dark curry powder (mixture of cumin, coriander, curry, cardamom and cloves) was the down-spiced devilled crab (kakuluwo). The crab legs were perfectly tender.

“We call it devilled because it's normally very spicy, with lots of chilli and peppercorn,'' Sudu said.

Red-hot delicacy

Vegetarians should enjoy the curry ash pumpkin dish with rice, cashew nuts and beans and the dal curry with wing beans (parippu maluwa).

The chef advised me to accompany my food with red rice because it's very nutritional, containing iron and no sugar.

For those who aren't too keen on red rice, steamed and fried rice are also available.

For dessert, I had a semolina bar (ruling aluwa) and a piece of semolina pudding. Not my favourite part of the meal but I like salty food better (Is there an expression like I have a sweet tooth but for salty stuff?).

The Sri Lankan Zest costs Dh80 per adult and Dh40 per child.

Sri Lankan hoppers (Appams)

Add yeast and sugar to lukewarm water and set aside. Mix all the ingredients into a creamy texture and keep aside in a closed container for 1-2 hours.

Pour spoon full into heated, greased hopper-pan apply oil thinly inside of the pan. Add the batter and move around until it form to ca thin pancake.

Close with lid and cook until done. To make egg hoppers, cover the inside of the pan with the batter by swirling it (same as before) and then crack-drop an egg to the centre, close with lid and cook until done.

Sri Lankan cutlets

Coating

Drain the jack mackerel and crush the meat into flakes. Heat a pan and add oil, then garlic, onion, curry leaves, rampe, ginger and cinnamon and cook for a few minutes.

Add the other spices and cook well. Add flaked jack mackerel and mix well. Add the potatoes and mix well. Taste for salt.

Remove from fire. When semicold, add the lime juice. Shape the mixture into small balls of two-inch diameter. Make a light batter using egg, flour and water.

Coat the balls with the batter and breadcrumbs. Deep-fry until golden brown.