Get a taste of Ceylon in 3 courses, from Don’t Give A Fork

Lamprais, Watalappan and more from Sri Lanka at this food pop-up in Mumbai this weekend.

Mumbai | Updated: February 2, 2016 02:47 PM IST

3 min read

The fifth edition Mumbai-based food pop-up Don’t Give A Fork will feature Sri Lankan cuisine. (In picture: Kothu Roti, Source: Dontgiveafork.com)

Mumbai-based pop-up Don’t Give A Fork — set up by food bloggers Payal Bhuptani and Upasana Shukla Maheshwari — is onto their fifth outing this weekend with a Sri Lankan pop-up. Says Bhuptani, “We set up the blog two years ago and launched our first pop-up in August 2014.” The two partners are also travel enthusiasts, and most often come up with ideas for their pop-ups based on their trips. The Sri Lankan pop-up is a result of Maheshwari’s travels to the country in December last year. Adds Bhuptani, “She came back with recipes and masalas, and since I’ve been to Sri Lanka before as well, we were sure that this was something we could pull off.” Both Bhuptani and Maheshwari test out their menu a month ahead to decide whether they’re ready to roll. While the pop-up included three courses — including both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes — here are some traditional Sri Lankan dishes that will be a fantastic introduction to the cuisine:

Kothu Roti

This dish evolved on the streets of Sri Lanka and has now turned into a staple at restaurants across the world. Kothu literally means chopped, and like most street food, Kothu Roti is an unsightly dish of shredded roti, vegetables, egg and meat. It’s bursting with flavours and is cooked on a large flat tawa — similar to the ones used to make Pav Bhaji and Dosas on the streets of India.

Kothu roti (Source: Dontgiveafork.com)

Lamprais

A 16th-century recipe, the Lamprais owes its existence to Dutch Burghers — a group of Europeans who settled in Sri Lanka. To put it simply, Lamprais is savoury rice and meat cooked in banana leaves, but it involves complex assembling of flavours and dishes for the Lamprais to come together. It is served with Vambatu Moju (brinjal pickle) Seeni Sambol (made of caramelized onions and fish flakes), and deep-fried meat balls known as Frikkadels.

Lamprais (Source: Don’tgiveafork.com)

Watalappan

A coconut custard, the Watalappan is usually served with seasonal fruits. At the pop-up, it will be served with curd, Kithul or palm treacle, strawberry wine jam and spiced walnuts.