Lamprais

Another dish showcasing the influence of colonisers on Sri Lankan cuisine, lamprais was popularised during the Dutch occupation (1658–1796) and comes from their ‘lomprijst’, meaning ‘lump of rice’. It’s well loved among expat Sri Lankans as well as the Burgher diaspora, a group descended from the unions between locals and European colonisers. As a dish it has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity recently, and has found its way into top restaurants in Colombo. Chefs will agree that lamprais is a little painstaking to make, but it’s a real labour of love with a rich reward at the end. It consists of rice, meat curry, frikkadels (breaded Dutch meatballs), wambatu pahi (pickled aubergine), blachan (spicy shrimp paste balls), fried plantain and a fried boiled egg, all wrapped in a banana leaf and baked. I’ve provided the recipes and methods separately on the following pages; for a real special-occasion meal to serve four believe me, it’s worth it!