Sri Lankan cuisine is vastly underrated: its larger neighbors usually steal the stage when it comes to cooking. Many visitors to the island come with few expectations and leave pleasantly surprised. Rice and curry – Sri Lanka’s most iconic dish – is simplified in language but highly complex in execution. The ‘Curry’ that accompanies rice in Sri Lanka is actually an array of dishes made up of different vegetables that might be sauteed in spices, boiled in coconut milk, tempered, deep fried, caramelized, and even served raw with grated coconut. The ingredients themselves may also be things you are unfamiliar with: lotus root for example, or banana blossom. Take a visit to a local market to see the wide array of tropical fruit and vegetables on offer in Sri Lanka, and then get a hands-on cooking experience in the traditional setting of a wattle and daub mud hut.

Experience Overview

Start the experience with a visit to a local vendor, where you can purchase fresh vegetables before heading to meet the Chef. Then travel in your vehicle to a small rural village located on the banks of the Kapu Ela river for the cooking class. When you arrive you will be greeted with cold towels and a welcome drink and you can make yourself at home inside a rustic wattle and daub mud hut. Here you will learn how to prepare and cook your favorite Sri Lankan dishes such as brinjal pahi (deep fried and caramelized aubergine), pol sambola (coconut and chili sambol) , gotukola sambola (Indian pennywart salad), parippu (lentil dhal) and ratu alla hodi (beetroot curry). You will also discover how coconut milk is made, learn to crack open and scrape out your own coconut, and taste samples of each dish as you go along. The end product is a feast of eight unique dishes served in a lotus leaf which you can eat local-style with your fingers if you are up for the challenge.

Includes:

water, welcome drink, lunch, cooking class and market visit

Duration:

5-6 hours

Difficulty:

easy

Suitable for children:

yes, children will very much enjoy both the setting and the activities

Times:

8am-2pm

What to wear or bring along:

cool clothing that can get a bit dirty – aprons are not included in the cooking class.

Important to know:

The chef is an expert on Sri Lankan cooking but his English skills are a little more basic. He can converse easily but extremely complex questions might need to be phrased in more simple terms. A little patience and understanding will go a long way.

Private or not?

This experience is always private

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Traditional Sri Lankan cooking class - Experience - Sri Lanka In Style

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Managing Expectations

“ It is important to remember that, whilst they are experts in their field, the people who run or host our experiences are not necessarily used to working in the tourism industry and may not offer the level of service you would find at a five-star hotel. For example, instead of a formal lecture, you may get a relaxed conversation where open discussion is encouraged. All of our hosts are, however, extremely engaging, knowledgeable and passionate about educating visitors about their chosen subject and we have worked with them to ensure that they deliver worthwhile, fulfilling experiences. We welcome feedback, so please let us know what you thought and if you think any improvements could be made to the experiences we offer. ”

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Traditional Sri Lankan cooking class