Recipes from Sri Lanka, accompanying the acclaimed new London restaurant
Starred review from September 19, 2022
British Sri Lankan chef Shanmugalingam, proprietor of Rambutan in London’s Borough Market, enchants with a treasure trove of diasporan recipes. Family favorites are front and center, such as her mother’s coconut dal with kale (dal is for Sri Lankans “one of life’s essentials”) and home-cook-friendly adaptations of traditional dishes, like roasted eggplant red curry (roasting is a “much easier” alternative to traditional frying), as well as her own twists on classics like turmeric and coconut fish curry. She also includes a tempting assortment of drinks and desserts, such as mango fluff pie and lemongrass and lime soda. Throughout, Shanmugalingam’s detailed essays offer cultural context (in Sri Lanka, cool drinks are required for courtside viewing “cricket legends... regarded as rock stars.”) as well as personal—and sometimes melancholy—anecdotes (when she lost her beloved uncle, she mourns the sense of transnational connections “gone forever”). Additionally, acknowledging Sri Lanka’s unique mix of cultures, she provides fascinating backstories for several recipes: potato and leek spicy stuffed roti derives from Muslim cuisines, while the cashew nuts in another curry were introduced by Portuguese settlers. Enthusiastic home cooks and armchair travelers alike will delight in exploring the culinary treasures in this heartfelt tribute. Agent: Ben Clark, Soho Agency (U.K.).
October 1, 2022
Separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Palk Strait, Sri Lanka has its own traditions and history, but its cuisine relies on a similar palette of spices as its neighbor, with the addition of fruits that give it special dimension. Raised from an early age in Britain, Shanmugalingam advocates for the unique foods from her family's homeland. Her book's title fruit, rambutan, in particular holds special family memories. She offers recipes from across the island, all illustrated with vivid photographs that capture intense tropical colors of dishes both savory and sweet. She revels in markets with vendors selling snacking items called shorteats, such as hearty Malu buns: yeast dough stuffed with spiced tuna or sardines. Shanmugalingam's recipes reflect the diversity of Sri Lanka, home to Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and Christian religious traditions, each with its own inventories of favorite and forbidden foods. Daughter of a Tamil family, Shanmugalingam has traumatic recollections of oppression and death dealt by Sinhalese partisans during the civil war, which adds notes of tragedy that temper the joy of her cookbook.
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