Sri Lankan Cooking by Douglas Bullis

My rating: 4 of 5 spoons
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"Sri Lanka, the fabled land of sapphires, rubies and other precious stones, is home to one of the least known Asian cuisines" begins this lovely book. Some fascinating history follows this expressive opening from the fact that Sri Lanka used to be called "Ceylon" (see page 16,'Banking on Tea' to learn more about Ceylon tea), to the various influences on its culture and cuisine and so much more. From there it moves into a fascinating array of striking dishes. From Butter Rice to Tamarind Claypot Fish, Coconut and Cashew Nut Chicken, Dhal Stew and Coconut Spice Cake, exotic flavors about. A good Asian grocery nearby would definitely be a plus to this book. While there are substitutions given for some of the more exotic ingredients such as banana blossoms, jaggery, pandanus leaves and more, some of the substitutions aren't necessarily something you'll find at your regular grocery store.

One small issue I had with the book is that only English translations of the recipe name is given. Generic terms like "Curried Meatballs", "Spicy Eggplant" and "Coconut Cinnamon Cashew Slices" are given. It would have been nice to have the Sri Lankan name as well.

This is a beautiful book with a mouth-watering array of dishes to try. I would certainly recommend you give it a try.

I received a copy of this book from Tuttle Publishing for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.