Aromas from Lanka

Author-chef Dr T Publis Silva decodes interesting aspects of the cuisine from India's island neighbour

While India shares history and waters with Sri Lanka, it's not often that one gets to savour its rich cuisine in the city. For those keen to try it, Dr T Publis Silva, chef and author of 23 books is hosting a Sri Lankan food festival at a suburban five-star that promises to showcase the culinary secrets of the country.

Fish ambul thiyal

Silva, director – culinary affairs and promotions at Mount Lavinia Hotel, is also a Deshbandhu awardee, which is the third highest national honour awarded in Sri Lanka.

Silva shares seven culinary facts about Sri Lankan cuisine

Hoppers

• Traditional Sri Lankan cuisine goes back a long way. According to Mahavamsa, the great chronicle of Sri Lanka, a disowned Indian prince named Vijaya arrived in Sri Lanka 2,500 years ago and was impressed with the traditional cuisine.
• It is a custom to pray while cooking and this is believed to add medicinal power to the meal.
• Rice and curry make for a quintessential Sri Lankan meal. The sacred tooth relic in Kandy is offered 32 curries with rice every day during puja. It is said that the favourite meal of the last king of Sri Lanka, Sri Wickrama Rajasingha, was also rice with 32 curries.
• No artificial flavour or colour, animal fat or animal milk is used in traditional Sri Lankan cuisine.

Jaggery and coconut pudding

• Coconut oil and coconut milk are the two key ingredients used to cook most dishes and the most popular cooking method is over wood fire and in clay pots.
• Sri Lanka is famous for its curries. There are around 32 different preparations and the ingredients that lend most of these curries their unique flavour are coriander, cumin and sweet cumin (which is used while making the curry powder).
• Desserts form an integral part of the meal. Curd and treacle, jaggery and coconut pudding, kavum (oil cake), coconut pancake and fresh fruits are a part of every function.

TILL: September 8, 12 pm to 3 pm and 7 pm to 11.30 pm
AT: Citrus, The Leela Mumbai, Andheri East.
CALL: 66911359
COST: Rs 1,895 (lunch), Rs 2,095 (dinner)

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