Lamprais


Lamprais is Sri Lankan dish that was introduced by the country's Dutch Burgher population. Lamprais is derived from the Dutch word lomprijst, which loosely translated means a packet of food.

Composition

It consists of two special curries, seeni sambal, belacan, frikadeller meatballs and rice boiled in stock, all of which is wrapped in banana leaves and baked in an oven. The rice is made by frying raw short grain rice with onions and spices in butter or ghee and then cooking it in a meat stock. A hard boiled egg which has been deep-fried is also a common addition.
The traditional recipe always contains three meat items however modern versions can include just a single meat, such as fish or chicken or as a vegetarian version.

History

From 1658 until 1796, Sri Lanka was under Dutch rule. The Dutch Burghers came up with this delicacy.