Aappam or Aappam hoppers are a type of food in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Sri Lankan cuisine. It is called Pitha in Oriya, Paddu or Gulle Eriyappa in Kodava. It is known as Appa in Sinhala and Arpone in Burmese. It is eaten most frequently for breakfast or dinner.
The queen of Christmas coconut treats is undoubtedly bibikkan, a rich, dark moist cake made of shredded coconut, jaggery and semolina that drives the sweet tooth wild. Bibikkan takes pride of place alongside other loved seasonal preparations such as Dutch Breudher and Poffertjes.
The name “lunu miris” can be literally translated as “salt chilli”, and as the name indicates, dried red chilli is the main ingredient for this sambol. In addition to that onions, crumbled Maldive fish, salt, and lime juice are grounded together to get the spicy and exotic flavour. This traditional dish is taken with many kinds of food from rice to home-made bread.
Sri Lankan egg hoppers should be cooked so the egg yolk is still runny – you want it to be oozy and delicious.
Gulab jamun is a popular dessert in countries of the Indian Subcontinent such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. In Nepal it is widely known as Rasbari, served with or without curd, which is a popular dessert on all occasions. It is made of a dough consisting mainly of milk solids. Traditionally, khoya, an Indian milk product (buffalo milk) is rolled into a ball together with some flour and then deep fried, but at a low temperature.
This Sri Lankan toffee has a soft bite, screams of caramelised milk to tantalise your taste-buds, and gives you the crunch of cashew nuts in every bite. Simply delicious!
The most popular breakfast dishes in Sri Lanka are the hoppers (appa). These wafer thin, cup-shaped pancakes are made from a fermented batter of rice flour, coconut milk and a dash of palm toddy. A hopper, crisp on the outside, yet soft and spongy in the centre, is best eaten with curries and sambals while still streaming hot.
Sri Lankan cuisine is one of the most complex cuisines of South Asia. Due to its proximity to South India, the cuisine of Sri Lanka shows some influence, yet is in many ways quite distinct. As a major trade hub, it draws influence from colonial powers that were involved in Sri Lanka and by foreign traders.