Hoppers
“A savoury, thin bowl-shaped pancake, hoppers are traditionally eaten for breakfast. It has a crispy basin which accompanies a filling like a runny egg or honey. Hoppers are Sri Lanka’s take on a crepe and it is famously available everywhere, from street food stalls to restaurant menus,” says Yajantha Yapa, a Dubai-based engineer. “Cooked in a small, curved pan, the batter for hoppers is made from the fermented rice flour, mixed with coconut milk, coconut water and a dash of sugar. Usually, it is enjoyed with a spicy sambol or chicken curry.
“I love this dish because it’s a quick and light bite and it takes me back to our holidays in Sri Lanka, enjoying a hopper along a quiet country road or on a beach,” says Yapa.
Where to eat: TPH Lakwil Restaurant, Lounge & Bar, Signature Hotel Apartments & Spa, Dubai Marina, and Ceylonian Restaurant in Karama
Lamprais
“Lamprais is a mix of either meat or chicken curry, ghee rice, ash plantain, brinjals, meatballs, belacan, seeni sambol, and many more depending on where you go. It has all of Sri Lanka’s best dishes wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed,” says Salome Joanna De Motte, who works at Dubai Airport. “I love this dish not only for it’s taste but whenever we have it in Dubai, it takes us back home.”
Where to eat: Chef Lanka in Al Karama and Food Shack restaurant at International City
Kottu
“This is a delicious mix of meat or chicken curry with chopped up rotti, Sri Lankan flatbread, mixed with vegetables, such as carrots, cabbage and onion. It’s almost like the Sri Lankan version of fried rice; but cooked with chopped rotti. It’s prepared by knives hitting the griddle to mix and chop the kottu,” says Ranjitha Reginold, who works as a teacher. “Travelling around Sri Lanka is synonymous with the rhythms of street food vendors making kottu, with its aroma filling the air.”
Where to eat: Chef Lanka and Food Shack
