Sri Lankan Food for Beginners: What to Order First

A first-timer’s order, in order. What to get, what to skip for now, and what will make you come back.

Sri Lankan menus can be intimidating if you have never seen one. Here is exactly what to order on your first visit, and in what order to work through it.

Start with biryani

It is aromatic rather than fiery, everybody likes it, and it gives you a baseline for how the kitchen cooks. If a place makes a good biryani, the rest of the menu is probably good too.

Then get a kottu to share

Kottu roti is the dish that will make you a convert. Chopped flatbread stir-fried on a griddle with egg, vegetables and meat. Chicken or cheese kottu is the easy entry point. Do not order it as your only dish the first time, share it.

Add one curry

A chicken curry or a dhal. Dhal in particular is soft, mild and comforting, and it shows you what the coconut and roasted spice actually taste like without much heat in the way.

What to save for next time

Devilled dishes, which are the spiciest things on the menu and are meant to be. String hopper biryani, a lighter take on biryani that people love at events. And crab curry if you are ever feeding a group, since it is a special order worth planning around.

On heat

Ask for mild. Say it clearly. Any kitchen will do it and nobody is judging you. Sri Lankan food traditionally runs hotter than Indian restaurant food in Canada, and there is no medal for suffering through your first plate.

The one rule

Mix things. Sri Lankan food is not a main and sides, it is a set of components you are supposed to combine. Rice, a bit of curry, a pinch of sambol, all in the same bite. Do that and you will get why people are so attached to this food.

Where to start

We are a family-run halal Sri Lankan and Indian kitchen in Scarborough and we are used to first-timers. See the best Sri Lankan dishes to try, or read how spicy it really is.

Ready to try it? Start with our chicken biryani or kottu roti, and order online for delivery or pickup.

First orders by group size, with prices

Real numbers from our menu, before tax:

  • Just you: Biriyani ($12) and a Mango Lassi ($6). $18, and you learn the kitchen's style.
  • Two people: Biriyani ($12), Kottu Roti ($13) and Chicken Devil ($12.99) to share. $37.99.
  • Four people: add Paalandi (Half Chicken) at $40 and a Vattalappam at $15 to the two-person order. $92.99.

Our menu, mildest to hottest

  1. Gentle: potato milk curry, chicken korma curry and green peas curry. All are creamy, with coconut or a tomato-onion base.
  2. Medium: Biriyani, Kottu Roti and Sri Lankan Noodles.
  3. Hot: Chicken Devil, Beef Devil, Chilli Chicken and Boneless Mutton Devil.
  4. Hottest bite on the plate: maasi sambol, which is meant to be eaten in pinches.

Words you will see on a Sri Lankan menu

  • Devil: in Sri Lankan cooking, a wok-tossed dish in a hot, slightly sweet sauce, usually with onion and capsicum.
  • Moju: a sweet-sour pickle-style dish, often made with eggplant.
  • Acharu: a vinegar pickle of fruit and vegetables.
  • Kuruma or korma: a milder, richer curry.
  • Chukka: a dry-fried, heavily spiced meat dish.
  • Puttu: steamed rice flour, often layered with coconut.
  • Vattalappam: a coconut custard made with kithul jaggery, eggs and spices.

Allergies to mention when you order

Kottu, vattalappam and egg masala contain egg. Maasi sambol contains fish. The green-pea cashew curry has cashews. Mango lassi and yogurt sambal contain dairy.

First-visit questions

Can I sit down and eat there?

No. We are takeout, delivery and catering only, with pickup on Saturday and Sunday at 328 Passmore Avenue, Unit 59. Order ahead on our direct ordering page so it is ready when you arrive.

What can a vegetarian order?

The Biriyani comes in a vegetable version, and the Green Peas Curry is a request item described on our menu as naturally vegan. For groups of 20 or more, the Vegetable Biryani Combo is $15 per person.

What is good for kids?

Biriyani, Kottu Roti and a Mango Lassi. Keep the devilled dishes for the adults.

What if I want something not on the online menu?

Call or text (647) 449-2924. Butter chicken and lamb biryani are made to order this way.