The shared food heritage of Sinhalese and Indian festive menus

Copyright © HT Digital Streams Limit all rights reserved. Lounge Teja Lele 4 min Read April 14, 2025, 04:24 pm Ist Sinhalese Kokis, similar to Kerala’s rose cookies, is a staple on the Sri Lankan New Year’s Menu. (IStockphoto) Summary Mid-April Heralds New Year celebrations for Indians as well as Sri Lanka; And their festive dishes illustrate that ‘food is a shared language’, the astrological shift as the sun moves from the house from fish to the House of Ram is a turning point – in time, seasons and food. In the Indian subcontinent, this heavenly swing is celebrated as a period of new beginning with local New Year’s festivals such as Vishu in Kerala, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, Pana Sankranti in Odisha and Aluth Avurudu in Sri Lanka. These new annuals can occur across different countries and countries, but the festive food reveals a deep-rooted culinary relationship-especially when it comes to South Indian and Sinhalese dishes. Sri Lankan kitchen is known for its depth and diversity. In the research-based editorial publication Journal of Ethnic Foods, an article in 2020, entitled Indigenous and Traditional Foods of Sri Lanka, ‘elements of Afro-Arabian, Central Asian, European, Southeast Asian and Oriental Food Cultures followed with the trade activities, royal marriages, while is, while inhabiting the habit, the culture, and the palate of island. indigenous and traditional food culture in a nutshell. ‘The influences that Sri Lankan kitchen has formed can be many, but the strongest are those of the neighboring South India. The shared pantry, which includes coconut milk, rice flour, jaggry and bananas, is a legacy of centuries of cultural and trade exchange across the Palk Street, an ancient passage through water connecting Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Southern India and Sri Lanka share agricultural roots, and their new annual rituals reflect the gratitude for harvesting and hoping for abundance. “We have general rituals, including the relief of the fireplace and the preparation of the first meal at an astrologically chosen time, with herbal oils as a purifying ritual, and meet with family and friends to share the first meal of the new year,” says Srija Naganathan, a Sri Lankan Tamilian who works in a Colombo resort. Foods prepared during this time are symbolic – sweet dishes are abandoned a sweet year, while rice, in its many forms, represents wealth. Also read: Re -Create New Year recipes from Odisha, Bihar and Tripura Anuruddha Rathnayake, Chef de Cuisine, NH Collection Colombo, agree that Sri Lanka food speaks a shared dialect with Indian Kitchen. “Turmeric, mustard seeds, curry leaves, cumin, coriander and most importantly, chillies are everyday necessities. Our curry powder, although unique Sri Lanka has in their depth and often fried profile, still carries the soul of Indian masalas. The layer of heat, aroma and warmth connect us over the sea,” he says. Chef Deepak Barua, executive chef at Anantara Kalutara Resort, realized that the extent of India’s influence on the Sri Lankan kitchen, due to historical and geographical connections, was in the islandland in the three years. “Rice plays an important role in Sri Lankan cuisine and it is a staple that is consumed during all meals – just as in the South India,” he says. During a new year of celebration at Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle, I do a round of the festive table and see many foods similar to some Indian dishes. Sri Lanka’s Konda Kavum, a pillow-like, deep-fried sweet made of rice flour and sugar-palm tractors, finds a parallel in Kerala’s Unniyappam, sweet spiced fritters made with rice flour and banana; The Aluwa, square treats made from roasted rice flour, travel, cashew tone and cardamom are much like coconut barfi; Kiribath (literally milk rice) is similar to pole Pongal or Coconut Milk Payasam; And Kokis just looks another name for that crispy calala sugar, acchapam or rose cookies. The Murukkus is the same on both sides of the border. Look at the full image The Sri Lankan festive specialty Kiribath is made with rice and coconut milk. (Istockphoto) I serve myself a little of all the dishes, the sweets and savouries, the curries and the sambol, the valley and rice, and see the commonality. The structure of a Sri Lankan meal – rice, curry and the many accompaniment – channels at the heart of an Indian Thali. The connection runs deep, even when it comes to sweets. Liggers Mung Kavum (sweet pieces made with green grams, rice flour and jaggry or treacle, then plunged into turmeric-infused batter and roasted until golden brown), and Athirasa (a round, flaky disc, made from a dough powder rice and crunched hunting and deep in holes. Same: Celebration. Symbolic of part and homecoming. Just like the first slice of milk rice or a sweet laddu, every bite is meant to introduce wealth and happiness. “Sri Lanka and Indian traditions not only reflect each other; it reinforces the truth that food is a shared language, which carries culture, comfort and hope from one kitchen to another,” says Rathnayake. Colombo Hotspots to Enjoy Sinhalese Rates • Upali’s by Nawaloka • Palmyrah Restaurant • Culture Colombo • Galaxy lounge Lifestyle.