This is from “Srimangalam,” a famous Chettinad curry restaurant in Soshigaya Okura.
For lunch, I chose a combination of mutton and dal. The special chicken curry was generously poured over the rice on the left side. (Wow, the portion of rice is always enormous! It’s so delicious that I often end up ordering more rice, which becomes a regular dilemma…)
By the way, over the past few months, “Sri Lankan curry” has become a big part of my preferences, and “Chettinad” has remained a constant, so both have become my top two, in no particular order.
As for Sri Lankan curry, after multiple tries, I’ve managed to create an image of what I think “Sri Lankan curry” is, at least for my own satisfaction:
- The depth of meat (e.g., chicken) through spice roasting
- The contrasting creaminess of coconut milk (e.g., beans (parippu))
- A beautiful visual that evokes a tropical paradise
- The seafood flavor of Maldivian fish intensifies point 3.
This is what I have in mind.
By the way, below is a new dish from “Kondolanka.” It’s spinach chicken, pumpkin parippu, and carrot achar. I want to make the spinach stand out more next time. The rice is turmeric rice.
Also, the characteristic of Sri Lankan curry, number 5, might be “mixing” (not in any particular order). It’s usually recommended in most restaurants, and I really enjoy the variety of flavors that mixing individual items allows.
However, at Srimangalam, mixing is not encouraged. They want you to “appreciate the taste of each curry individually.” Hmm, I see.
When I think about it again, for example, in Kondolanka’s spinach chicken curry, the achar can be mixed with either curry, but the chicken curry has a valuable depth, and the parippu’s “softness” is truly delightful (I love it). I’m starting to feel unsure whether mixing really creates “even more deliciousness.” I think I need to try it a few more times before I can fully appreciate the joy of mixing.
I definitely want to break the boiled egg during the meal to change up the flavor, and I feel the same way about vegetables and raita in general. Some restaurants serve salads separately on a different plate, but I think it’s a shame to eat everything in a set course order.
When you order multiple curries, do you prefer mixing them or keeping each curry separate?
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