If you’re interested in discovering the food and culture of Sri Lanka, a culinary lesson on the island is an activity not to be missed. You’ll gain insights into Sri Lankan food culture, try your hand at preparing ingredients using traditional cooking techniques, and learn to prepare rich and creamy curries from scratch. Best of all, you can easily whip up a range of mouthwatering Sri Lankan dishes long after your trip, right from your kitchen stove.
Karuna’s Cooking Class at Sonja’s Healthfood Restaurant, Unawatuna
Discover the finer points of Sri Lankan cuisine by joining in Karuna’s cooking classes during your stay in Unawatuna. Your culinary lesson will kickstart with a trip to the lively Galle market to purchase ingredients needed for the day. During the lession, you will try your hand at making fresh coconut cream and milk, as well as whipping up a range of local delights, such as coconut rotti, hot onion sambal, and curry dishes made with devilled potatoes, pumpkin, beans, dhal and fish.
Karuna’s warm laughter, as well as her willingness to share her extensive knowledge on local dishes make the lessons a highly enjoyable experience. There’s good news for vegan diners too – all curry recipes taught here are made with coconut milk and cream, so you won’t have to source or request for substitute ingredients.
Ella Spice Garden, Nuwara Eliya
Culinary lessons at Ella Spice Garden are delicious experiences involving plates of sumptuous local fare, discovering cooking techniques used by the locals and learning the basics of creating Sri Lankan spice mixes. Lessons here are conducted for groups ranging between two to eight participants. Culinary classes are conducted as guided workshops here, which means that particiapants will observe cooking demonstrations by the chef and assist in food preparation, rather than prepare food at their own cooking stations. This may be helpful for beginners and novice cooks, but may not appeal to experienced cooks.
After your lesson, don’t leave without taking a tour of the spice garden; a guide will show you around and explain the variety of spice plants in the garden. Of course, the best part of the class comes at the end – when you sit down to savour a range of delectable, homemade fare.
Cooking By Colour, Colombo
Interested in discovering the flavours of Sri Lanka in the homes of the locals? There are few places better to do so, than the kitchen of Mohara Dole. Join her at the stove, and embark on a fascinating culinary journey made up of tasty curries with rice, sambols and salads. Cooking demonstrations are conducted in a breezy terrace, followed by a lunch session to savour the dishes prepared. You’ll leave with newfound knowledge about Sri Lankan fare, a leaflet filled with delightful recipes and a sample of freshly ground spices prepared by Mohara.
Cooking Classes with Juliet Coombe, Galle
Discover the cuisine and culture of Sri Lanka by joining in the food and walking tours conducted by Juliet Coombe. Cooking classes are conducted in groups, and start off with an introduction about the food culture of the locals.
Demonstrations are conducted by Juliet, and participants are encouraged to join in the food preparation processes. You’ll be involved in preparing ingredients, such as grating coconuts by hand, as well as cooking dishes like the well-loved pol sambol, green bean sambol, fish curry and pumpkin curry. Flavourful and fragrant, you’ll be tantalised by the aromas, and look forward to sampling the dishes at the end of the lesson. The fun certainly doesn’t end here; walk off the calories as you join Juliet in an exploratory tour around Galle Fort after the meal.
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