Negombo food: crab, cuttlefish and black pork curry

About Negombo food: crab, cuttlefish and black pork curry

By the ULTIMATE Sri Lanka Editorial Team

Site Editor: Tara de la Motte

Negombo’s cooking comes from the sea and the lagoon, and from a long Catholic tradition that gives the town some dishes you will rarely see elsewhere on the island.

Issa wade

Lentil fritters topped with whole prawns, fried until crisp and sold from carts and stalls: the classic snack of the coast.

Hot butter cuttlefish

Battered cuttlefish fried and tossed with butter, garlic, chilli and spring onion: a favourite with a cold beer.

In Negombo the crab comes from the lagoon you can see from your table.

Lagoon crab

Crab from the Negombo lagoon, cooked in a rich, spicy curry or with black pepper, is the dish to try here. Expect to use your hands, and to be given a bowl of water to wash them.

Black pork curry

Many Negombo families are Catholic, and black pork curry, slow-cooked with dark-roasted spices and goraka, is a dish of their tables, especially at Christmas and on feast days. You will find it on some local menus.

Kottu

Chopped roti stir-fried on the griddle with vegetables, egg and meat or seafood: every evening, you will hear the clang of the blades.

What to drink with it

A cold lager with the cuttlefish, a fresh lime juice with the crab, and a king coconut (thambili) on a hot afternoon.

Our advice: eat seafood where it is cooked to order and the place is busy, ask the price of crab before you order (it is often sold by weight), and try black pork curry if you see it on the menu.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Negombo food: crab, cuttlefish and black pork curry before you go.