• Sat. Oct 11th, 2025

Muslim Foods

The origins of some Sri Lankan Muslim Foods and Beverages

Sri Lanka’s Muslims are heirs to a rich culinary tradition which has its ultimate origins in Arabia, India and the Malay world. Their cuisine is in a sense ‘international’. Here’s a brief survey of some of their more prominent foods and drinks and their origins.

Samosa

Samosa is a triangular pastry filled with minced beef. It is also known among the Muslims of North India by the same name. This item may however have an Arab…

Kunafa

Kunafa is a savoury cake comprising of several layers of shredded pancakes interspersed with minced beef filling. The dish is of Arab origin, though surprisingly it seems to have originally…

Buriyani

A favourite rice dish which figures prominently in local Muslim feasts is the Buriyani, a rich and delectable dish made with fragrant basmati rice cooked in ghee with meat (usually…