Weligama

This is an absolutely gorgeous cook book with recipes and photographs from Sri Lanka (Ceylon). I have long thought that Sri Lanka must be one of the most beautiful and romantic places in the world, despite its political turmoil. Here, I had a chance to experience the country through its cuisine, which looks as delicious and evocative as I would have expected. Dobbs has made me want to pack my bags and take the next flight out, but, I’ll settle for trying some of her scrumptious recipes.

I’m always on the lookout for new and exciting cookery books and it’s not often you come across one for Sri Lankan food, so I was really enthusiastic about reviewing Weligama. I lived in India between 1995 and 1998 and toured Sri Lanka extensively and remember being surprised at how different it was to India both geographically and from the cuisine perspective. The island has an abundance of fresh fish, fruit, vegetables, coconuts and healing spices so the food is never dull. I remember thinking that it would be difficult to go hungry there, unlike India.

Referred to by some as Little India, Sri Lanka captures a wonderfully diverse physical and cultural landscape in a relatively small island from the palm-fringed, sandy beaches, ascending to the rolling tea plantations in the Central Highlands, the wildlife-rich rainforests, rice paddy fields and not least the sites of ancient cities and religio-cultural centres. I still recall the lovely dishes we enjoyed when we toured this fascinating country, historically and aptly named ‘Serendip’ meaning happy coincidence.

Emily Dobbs has had longstanding ties with the country whose food she knows and loves, but she has researched further into the dishes which inspired her to develop and adapt her style of cooking. In her quest she has experimented and added her own creative flair to champion Sri Lankan cuisine. Her recipes demonstrate that Lankan meals consist of every taste, colour and texture sensation.

So many mouthwatering dishes beckon, but I am tempted to start with ‘Brown Shrimp Vadai with Cashew Nut Dipping Sauce’, (a healthy baked version rather than deep-fried); the Curry Buns (a type of cult breakfast bun filled with any type of curry, but juicy black pork curry is a real winner, says Emily); her light and fresh curries; Acharu salad (a spicy, sweet fruit salad with mango, papaya, pineapple, cucumber and pomegranate seeds; Crab salad curry and her wonderful selection of sambals, pickles, chutneys, dressings and sauces, which can often form the favourite part of a meal, adding variety and a taste explosion. Cinnamon meringue, roast bananas and saffron cream is one of the mouthwatering sweet dishes which appeals and I am inspired to try her delicious homemade juices.

I look forward to trying out many of these ‘serendipitous’ dishes from Weligama and would recommend this cookbook to discerning cooks and adventurous food lovers, who like to experiment with new recipes and source authentic ingredients.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Orion Publishing Group and Emily Dobbs for the opportunity to read the advance copy in return for an honest review.