Sri Lankan Flavours

Huge glass jars stood on the shelves, full of cardamom, curry powder and cloves. Dried fish hung from the ceiling. Sambols were made using huge mortars and pestles. Chutneys and pickles were mixed by women sitting on low stools. And outside in the lush garden grew curry leaf plants, lime trees, pepper and coffee plants, while red rice was delivered straight from the surrounding paddies. Chef Channa Dassanayaka returned to Sri Lanka to rediscover the flavours, places and memories of his childhood. He travelled to the bustling city of Colombo, where the streets are full of the hot spicy aromas of Sri Lankan food, and also to the hill country where he revisited his grandmother's village to savour the traditional clay-pot cooking over wood fires. Eat as the Sri Lankans do combining a mixture of curries - lamb with coriander, hot fish, cauliflower, cashew and green pea, mango or mustard potatoes - with some sambols - coconut and tamarind, caramelized onion with dried fish and spices, date chutney or tomato and lime pickles. And accompany the feast with some coconut roti, scented rice, hoppers (pancakes made from rice and coconut milk) and some spiced tea. Sri Lanka also has a strong tradition of hawker-style food, little bites of flavour eaten on the run. A stunning mix of travelogue and food, Sri Lankan Flavours celebrates the food and traditions of this exotic island.