Famous for the picturesque beauty and the gorgeous beaches, Sri Lanka is also known as the Island of Rice and Curry. Sri Lankan cooking involves a lot of local fruit like jackfruit and coconut. Here are a few dishes you should not miss. 

• Sour fish curry: Also known as fish ambul thiyal, the dish plays an important role in the Sri Lankan cuisine. It is one of the most beloved varieties from a wide range of fish curries available. Dried goraka is a small fruit which is responsible for giving the fish a sour flavor. It is a dry curry dish that uses large and firm fish which is cut into cubes. It is best eaten with rice and is easily available across the country.

• Chicken curry: A common household dish in Sri Lanka, it is known as Kukul mas curry and there are a number of variations depending on the region. A number of spices are used to prepare the dish and coconut milk contributes significant to the base of the gravy. It is usually served with roti and hot rice.

• Kottu roti: Known as Kottu in Sri Lanka, the dish is everyones favorite fast food. It is made with a type of roti known as godamba roti and is an ideal mixture of salty spices of fried dough and is served with a spicy curry sauce.

• Dhal curry: Dhal curry or Parippu is the most common curry in Sri Lanka and is made from split red lentils. It uses a number of fresh ingredients that are mixed with tempered spices and is perfect for a fresh roti. The gravy is thickened with coconut milk.

• Appam: Widely consumed in Kerala as well, Appam is their answer to the pancake. It is made from coconut milk, rice flour and coconut water. It is usually garnished with onions, lemon juice and chilies.

• Lamprais: This dish is a combination of rice, meat and sambol chili sauce that is wrapped into a banana leaf packet and steamed. It is a combination of meat stock which is infused with clove, cinnamon and cardamom. The package is folded into a parcel and steamed.

• Green jackfruit curry: Jackfruit is widely consumed across the length and breadth of Sri Lanka. Also known as polos, the fruit is sliced into bite sized chunks and boiled. It is cooked with a number of spices and coconut milk. It is a standard dish available in most restaurants.

• Eggplant pickle: This pickle is known as Wambatu moju which is served with rice and curries. It is a flavorful candies eggplant pickle. It has a soft and juicy texture of the eggplant which will melt into your mouth. The pickle has a salty, sour and sweet taste.

• Pennywort salad: Easily available across Sri Lanka, it is known as gotu kola sambol. It includes raw ingredients that are combined with chili sauce and has a powerful flavor similar to kale. It is usually served with rice and curry.

• Coconut relish: This is one dish that does justice to the importance of coconut in Sri Lanka. Pol Sambol is a dish made from fresh coconut relish and is a blend of finely grated coconut and a number of spices. It is eaten with rice and curry. It is an ideal garnish for all types of Sri Lankan dishes.