As an American Sri Lankan this was one of the coolest things to see. I’ve rarely read Sri Lankan cookbooks other than recipes from my Mom & grandma. I absolutely adored this book and I think this is a must for every Sri Lankan family or anyone who wants to try Sri Lankan cooking. Rambutans are one of my favorite fruits.

This exotic cookbook delves into the cuisine of Sri Lanka. The author, Cynthia Shanmugalingam, is the British-born daughter of Sri Lankan immigrants and has written a truly beautiful cookbook celebrating her family’s Sri Lankan roots.

Most recipes are vegetable-forward or vegan and many utilize curry to bring out the flavours of the ingredients. Although some recipes might involve a trip to a specialty shop, the author suggests many substitutions for harder to locate ingredients.

If you are interested in learning more about Sri Lankan cooking this book is an excellent resource to add to your culinary library.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.

This cookbook is really special. I'm unfamiliar with Sri Lankan cuisine and Shanmugalingam deftly explains the ingredients and how to use them. Her instructions are concise and easy to follow.
Despite receiving a free copy I'd like to buy a hardcopy to add to my cookbook collection. I highly recommend this cookbook for vegans, vegetarians, and meat eaters.

Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC.

I was disappointed the colors in the book were a little muddy. I thought that look was well out but I guess not. Luckily though the recipes look amazing. That pineapple sambal is on my list. I enjoyed the stories each chapter a lot. I think a whole memoir would have been good too! I appreciated the substitution suggestions but I wish I could find more of the ingredients locally. Maybe if I lived in a different area. My in-laws live in Staten Island which has a huge Sri Lankan population and I bet I can find them there!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

These recipes from Sri Lanka all look and sound delicious. The author is able to give you great backstory to these dishes and foods from her culture. I can't wait to try some of them and taste!

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great book!

Mixing history, memoir, and recipes this is a thorough and fascinating read. Shanmugalingam shares her family history as well as the history of Sri Lanka. She breaks down curries and sambols and shares information on how to choose spices and create your own mixes. In addition to the basic information about Sri Lankan food there's so many recipes! I learned so much in this book and enjoyed all of it. The recipes include meals like curries, rice, and other sides. The recipes are written in grams and have a conversion chart for those of us in the US.

Overall a great read!

Half cookbook, half memoir, wholly satisfying. I recommend settling in to read Rambutan as you would read a memoir, while keeping a pad of post-it bookmarks handy to mark recipes you'll want to try. Just relax and enjoy the author's reminiscing about her mother, Sri Lanka, life in England, and a very nice ramble about spice tempering. And then, we're into the curries, and what a vast, diverse collection of recipes it is. I found myself really enjoying learning about curries beyond the simplistic ones I'd tentatively tried making long ago. Cucumber and turmeric curry caught my attention and will be attempted very soon. As will the Sri Lankan turmeric omelet. What can I say? I love turmeric!

I hope you find this cookbook/memoir as warm and satisfying as I did. I give it one star for my beloved turmeric, one star for her mother's stories and strength, one star for helping me really get into the groove of understanding tempering, one star for such a vast collection of curries, and one star for the engaging, bright, beautiful photography. That's five stars!

My thanks to the author, Bloomsbury USA, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

A wonderful collection of stories, photos, and recipes. The recipes sound delicious and generally simple and easy to follow. This book is for anyone looking to explore Sri Lankan cuisine or anyone just looking for new cooking techniques.

What a wonderful cookbook! This has everything going for it - beautiful photos, unique recipes, interesting descriptions. I love the variety of recipes, both vegetarian and with meat. I would buy this for myself or as a gift (in fact, I will likely be purchasing it as a gift this holiday season).

Shanmugalingam grew up in London, the child of two parents who had immigrated from Sri Lanka. She learned about her heritage through the food her parents made and served to her and the many guests they entertained. Through the trips to trips to Sri Lanka and her parent’s love of food, she became, among other things a restaurateur and a champion for ex-offenders. Her cookbook is filled with stories of her parent’s homeland and recipes that are authentic, yet easily created with ingredients available in the UK or US. Both beautiful and informative