What is Lamprais? Your Guide to Sri Lanka's Iconic Culinary Treasure

Ever wondered, 'What is Lamprais?' You're in for a treat! This all-in-one culinary marvel is a testament to Sri Lanka's rich history and diverse flavours.

Lamprais is a Sri Lankan dish of Dutch Burgher origin: a full meal of rice and accompaniments packed into a banana leaf and baked together. The word comes from the Dutch "lomprijst," meaning a lump of rice. What sets it apart from other rice dishes is that everything is assembled into one parcel and baked, so the flavours blend during cooking.

What is inside

A traditional lamprais has rice cooked in stock, a mixed-meat curry (often three meats), seeni sambol, blachan (a savoury shrimp paste relish), a fish cutlet and a boiled egg. It is wrapped in a banana leaf and baked, which steams everything together and adds a subtle aroma from the leaf.

How it is different from biryani

Biryani is layered rice and meat cooked in a pot. Lamprais is a set plate of specific components baked in a leaf. Lamprais is more of an assembled meal than a rice dish.

Try ours

We make lamprais by hand on weekends. Order ahead for pickup or Uber Eats delivery in range. Zabihah halal.

How to get it

Lamprais is assembled by hand, so ordering ahead helps. We are a weekend kitchen, so pickup is from our Scarborough location on Saturday and Sunday, 12 to 5. If you are inside our Uber Eats delivery range, we can also drop it at your door.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is lamprais?

A Sri Lankan Dutch Burgher dish of rice and accompaniments packed into a banana leaf and baked together, so the flavours blend during cooking.

What is inside lamprais?

Stock rice, a mixed-meat curry, seeni sambol, blachan, a fish cutlet and a boiled egg, all wrapped in banana leaf and baked.

How is lamprais different from biryani?

Biryani is layered rice and meat cooked in a pot. Lamprais is a set of specific components assembled and baked in a banana leaf.