Ambul thial

This is a favourite in Sri Lanka—there are many recipes for this dry fish curry, but its signature flavours are Goroka, black pepper, chilli and lime. My recipe is more complex than many and has been pulled straight out of our family kitchen.

Traditionally, Ambul thial is cooked in an earthenware chatty (clay pot) stacked between two other chatties filled with hot coals so that the food is cooked from above and below and tastes slightly smoky.

In a modern kitchen, you might