Ingredient guides
Sri Lankan Ingredients and Substitutes
Authentic Sri Lankan flavour starts with a handful of key ingredients. Here's what each one does, where to find it in your country, and the best substitute when it isn't on the shelf.
The foreign-kitchen substitute system
You don't need a trip to Colombo to cook real Sri Lankan food. Every ingredient below comes with a plan for your kitchen.
Where to Buy It
Country-by-country sourcing for the USA, UK, Australia and Canada, from supermarket aisles to your local Tamil grocer.
Honest Substitutes
The closest swap when the real thing isn't on the shelf, plus a note on what changes in the dish.
How It's Used
What each ingredient tastes like and which recipes lean on it, so you can shop with confidence.
Key Sri Lankan Ingredients
Tap any ingredient for its full guide, sourcing tips and substitutes.
Pol Kiri
Coconut Milk
The creamy backbone of almost every Sri Lankan curry, there to enrich, mellow and bind.
View guideKarapincha
Curry Leaves
Glossy curry leaves fried in hot oil to scent nearly every savoury dish.
View guideGoraka
Goraka
Dried Malabar tamarind, the souring fruit that gives southern fish curries their dark, distinctive sourness.
View guideUmbalakada
Maldive Fish
Dried, smoked tuna flakes that add a deep savoury (umami) punch to sambols and curries.
View guideRampe
Pandan
Aromatic 'rampe' leaves added to rice and curries for a grassy, nutty fragrance.
View guideRathu Kekulu
Red Rice
Nutty, chewy Sri Lankan red rice, the wholegrain staple under a plate of rice and curry.
View guideMiris Kudu
Sri Lankan Chilli Powder
Coarse, vivid red chilli powder that brings both colour and the island's signature heat.
View guideFree: 5 Sri Lankan Recipes for Beginners
Dhal curry, pol sambol, yellow rice and the pantry checklist.