Rice and curry is a popular dish in Sri Lanka, as well as in the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

. Rice and curry dinner comprises the following: * A large bowl of

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

, most often

boiled Boiling is the rapid vaporization of a liquid, which occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, the temperature at which the vapour pressure of the liquid is equal to the pressure exerted on the liquid by the surrounding atmosphere. T ...

, but frequently fried. Sometimes ''

kiribath Kiribath ( si, කිරිබත්) is a traditional Sri Lankan dish made from rice. It is prepared by cooking rice with coconut milk, hence this name, and can be considered a form of rice cake or rice pudding. Kiribath is an essential dish i ...

'', rice cooked in coconut milk, is served. * A vegetable curry, perhaps of green beans,

jackfruit The jackfruit (''Artocarpus heterophyllus''), also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family ( Moraceae). Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Bangladesh, ...

or leeks. * A

curry A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included. There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in trad ...

of meat, most often Chicken (food), chicken or Fish (food), fish but occasionally goat or lamb and mutton, lamb * Dal, Dhal, a dish of spiced lentils. * Papadums, a thin crisp wafer made from legume or rice flour and served as a side dish. * Sambals, which are fresh chutney side dishes; they may include red onion, chili, grated coconut, lime juice, and are often the hottest part of the meal. Each bowl contains small portions, but as is traditional in most tropical Asia, if a bowl is emptied, it is immediately refilled. The curry uses chili peppers, cardamom, cumin, coriander and other spices. It has a distinctive taste. The Southern cuisines use ingredients like dried fish which are local to the area. The spicier preparations are believed to be among the world's hottest in terms of chili content (second only to Sylheti). While natives are born into this cuisine and develop a tolerance to spicy food, many visitors and tourists to the country often find the spiciness excessive. As a result, many local restaurants in developed and tourist areas offer special low-spice versions of local foods to cater to foreign palates or have an alternative "western" menu for visitors and tourists.

References

Seriouseats.com: An Introduction to Sri Lankan Cuisine
{{Rice dishes Pakistani cuisine South Indian cuisine Sri Lankan rice dishes Indian rice dishes South Asian curries Bangladeshi cuisine Curry dishes

See also

References