The classic English breakfast remains the most popular choice for breakfast, but once you warm up to traditional Sri Lankan breakfast, you will be tempted to return. Its breakfast dishes are a delicious combination of spices, herbs, and fresh ingredients— all unique and flavorful. The main breakfast dishes are often accompanied by curries and sambols. Once you embrace the idea of curry for breakfast, you may not want to go back to toast for a while.
Here are the traditional Sri Lankan breakfast dishes that you must try:
This is a type of rice pudding made with coconut milk, resulting in a creamy and sweet dish that is typically served with a variety of accompaniments. Kiribath is often served with a sweet accompaniment such as banana, jaggery, or treacle. It can also be served with savoury accompaniments, such as spicy sambols or curries. It is a versatile dish that can be adapted to suit different tastes and preferences.
It’s the winner of all traditional Sri Lankan breakfasts. They are made from a mixture of rice flour and hot water, which is formed into thin noodles and then steamed to create a soft and delicate texture. String hoppers are often served with a variety of accompaniments, such as a spicy coconut sambol (the best), or a curry made with chicken, fish, or a sweet milk gravy.
While most Sri Lankan breakfasts tend to be heavy or on a high spice route, this breakfast item is for anyone who craves sweet foods. This is a type of Sri Lankan pancake, a beloved breakfast. It is made with wheat flour and coconut milk. These pancakes are soft and sweet from the outside and stuffed with sweet brown paste. The paste includes coconut, palm sugar, and honey/treacle. This classic Sri Lankan breakfast is further topped with grated coconut, jaggery, and spices to enhance its flavour.
One of the most popular Sri Lankan breakfast dishes is hoppers, also known as Appa, which are thin, bowl-shaped pancakes made from a fermented rice flour batter. They can be served plain or with a variety of fillings, such as an egg cracked into the centre, They can be eaten plain or with a variety of accompaniments, such as a spicy onion and chilli sambol, a curry made with chicken, fish, or vegetables, or sweet coconut milk and jaggery syrup.
Coconut Roti or Pol Roti is an everyday breakfast in Sri Lanka. It is a type of thick flatbread that you can enjoy in different ways. It can be eaten plain or with a variety of accompaniments, such as a spicy onion and chilli sambol, a curry made with chicken, fish, or vegetables, or a sweet coconut and jaggery mixture. You can enjoy this traditional Sri Lankan breakfast any way you like, and that versatility is the reason for its popularity.