Menu at The Ceylon Tavern
Shorteats
The term ‘Shorteats’ used for variety of appetisers that are consumed before a meal, or as a main meal in small portions. Shorteats were enjoyed in beach side restaurants and today in taverns all-round Sri Lanka.
Pakoda £1.95 V
Chilli loaded yellow split pea crunch. Crispy savoury snacks eaten as pre-appetiser with drinks
Papadoms £1.50 V
Malu Paan £3.95
Home made bun stuffed with fish
Selected Fish Cutlets (2) £3.25
Bread-crumbed spicy fish and potato cakes served with tartar sauce
Lamb Rolls (2) £3.45
Crisp fried spicy Lamb and potato bread-crumbed crêpe parcel, served with sweet chilli sauce.
Vegetarian Patties (2) £3.25 V
Crisp Fried potato and seasonal vegetable filled pastry served with sweet chilli sauce.
Malu Miris £3.45
Bread-crumbed Sri Lankan Mellow Pepper stuffed with lightly spiced tuna pate tempered in wok, served on a bed of salad
Coriander King Prawns £5.45
King prawns marinated in coriander, garlic & selected spices; Stir fried and served with salad
Nethali Porriyal £4.95
White bait fish stir fried with onion & Sri Lankan spices served with salad
Dello Beduma £4.95
Baby squid marinated in Sri Lankan spices & herbs, pan fried with onion, curry leaves, green chillies & touch of coconut milk served on a bed of salad
Meat Porriyal £4.95
Pork, Chicken, Beef or Lamb; pan fried with onion, curry leaves & Sri Lankan spices
Vade (2) £2.95 V
Spicy white lentil and fennel seed doughnut served with ginger, coconut and chilli sambol
Rasam
Traditional soup from the North Eastern province of Sri Lanka, prepared mainly with tamarind juice, pepper corn, other selected spices and a choice of meat, seafood or vegetable
Sea food Rasam £3.95
A slow simmered broth of seafood, vegetables and spices
Vegetable & Tomato Rasam £2.95 V
An aromatic soup of lentil, exotic vegetables and selected spices
Chicken Mulligatawny Rasam £3.45
Robust pepper corn, garlic and turmeric light soup with chicken morsels
Devilled
Marinated and grilled meat, seafood or vegetable morsels tossed and stir fried with sautéed onions, tomatoes and capsicums in Sri Lankan herbs and fiery spices.
Lamb, Wild boar, Duck or Beef £5.95
Chicken Satai or Pork £4.95
Potato £3.95 V
Seafood Medley – Squid, Tiger prawns & King fish £6.45
The Ceylon Tavern Signature Dishes
Lamprais – £11.95
A Dutch influenced “Festive dish” of flavoured basmati rice, chicken or lamb, Fish Cutlet, Aubergine moju, Seeni sambol and Boiled Egg wrapped in a banana leaf and slowly baked to give this dish a unique flavour.
Kothu Rotti (Lamb or Chicken) £6.95
A Sri Lankan street-Vendor specialty originating from the North Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, prepared with Shredded ‘rotti’ tossed and stirred with sautéed onion, green chilli, garlic, ginger, egg, and meat
Sea food String Hopper Kothu £7.95
Steamed Rice noodles tempered with sautéed onion, green chilli, garlic, ginger and a grilled spiced seafood cocktail
Biriyani (Lamb or Chicken) £7.95
Associated with the Sri Lankan Moorish community, an aromatic combination of saffron, herbs and spices flavoured Basmati rice and succulent pieces of chicken or lamb sprinkled with cashew nuts
Vegetable Briyani £5.95 V
Subtly spiced combination of saffron and herbs flavoured Basmati rice and selected vegetables sprinkled with cashew nuts
King prawn Briyani £8.95
Robust combination of ‘Kum Kum’ tropical herbs and spices flavoured Basmati rice and succulent King prawns sprinkled with cashew nuts
Cockle Pittu £9.95
Roasted rice flour, wheat flour crumbs and grated coconut steamed within a bamboo cylinder, tempered with sautéed onions, garlic, ginger, chilli and cockle served with Ceylon omelette and king fish curry.
Thara Pirattel £10.95
Duck breast pieces marinated in a mixture of dry red chilli, garlic, ginger & coconut cooked in ‘arrack’, ghee & sugar with cinnamon stick, rampe’ leaf & lemon grass served with rice
Traditional Curries
Rice is the main staple of Sri Lankan people, eaten every day of the year. The method of preparation may vary, but plain boiled rice is the most popular, accompanied by curry and salad dishes.
*In Sri Lanka one is not asked ' Have you had a meal?’ instead people will ask ‘Have you eaten rice?’
Lamb curry £4.95
Diced mutton marinated in roasted Sri Lankan curry powder and slowly cooked in coconut milk with cinnamon sticks, rampe and curry leaves
Beef pepper curry £4.95
Diced beef marinated in salt & pepper slowly cooked in coconut milk with coriander, cumin & fennel
Fried Pork curry £3.95
Stir fried pork cooked with vinegar, tamarind, ginger & roasted curry powder
Traditional Sri Lankan Chicken curry £3.95
Pieces of Chicken on bone marinated in roasted Sri Lankan roasted curry powder and slow cooked with coconut milk, mixed herbs, Rampe & curry leaves
King fish Kulzhambu £4.45
King fish steak marinated in Sri Lankan spices & fish curry powder, cooked in gorakka, turmeric and coconut cream.
Baby Squid Pirattel £4.95
Baby squid marinated in a mixture of dark chilli powder, gorakka, garlic, ginger, & spices cooked with rampe’ leaf & coconut cream
Tiger prawn curry £4.95
Marinated tiger prawns cooked with Sri Lankan curry powder, finely grated ginger, garlic, gorakka and coconut milk with a hint of lemon
Ambul Tiyal £4.95
Fresh Tuna steak marinated in various herbs with touch of garlic & ginger, slow cooked in a pot
New Potato Deldara £ 3.45 V
Boiled baby potatoes tempered with crushed chilli, turmeric, sautéed shallots and mustard
Mysoor Paruppu £3.45 V
Lentils cooked in coconut milk, garlic, onion, green chilli and garnished with sautéed onion & mustard
Cashew Nut curry £4.45 V
Sinhalese speciality, cashew nuts cooked in coconut, turmeric, ginger, garlic paste with fragrant spices, onion and rambe’ leaf
Pineapple curry £3.45
Pieces of pineapple cooked with Maldives fish, mix herbs, vinegar, sugar & coconut milk
Beetroot curry £3.45 V
Beetroot with a subtle blend of fragrant spices & coconut milk
Aubergine Pirattel £3.95 V
Deep fried aubergine smothered in tamarind and chilli curry sauce
Cabbage Varai £3.45 V
Shredded cabbage stir fried with black pepper, turmeric, black mustard and grated coconut.
Okra curry £3.45 V
Fried Okra cooked with coconut milk, onion, Sri Lankan curry powder finished with herbs & curry leaves
Spinach Curry £3.45 V
Spinach cooked with onion, green chilli, herbs & coconut milk
Potato and Kiri Hodi £2.95 V
Coconut milk, garlic, onion, cinnamon, mustard, cream, curry leaves with Potato
Curries are served in small dishes, three to four curries recommended per person, with the traditional bread or rice accompaniments. All dishes are available either mild or hot.
Rice
Special fried Ghee rice £3.45
Rice cooked with selected spices, mixed-vegetables, egg & ghee
Basmati Rice £2.95
Fragrant and delicately flavoured rice from northern India
Samba Ponni Rice £2.45
Traditional Sri Lankan rice with a distinctive flavour
Rotti & Tiffin
Plain Dosa (3) £2.95 V
Pancake made with Dhal and rice batter, topped with Ghee and served with coconut chutney
Pittu £3.95 V
Pittu is a combination of rice and wheat flour scrambled and steamed with grated coconut in a bamboo cylinder.
String Hoppers (set of 5) £2.95 V
Hand made steamed rice noodles prepared with rice and wheat flour
Veechu Rotti (1) £1.45 V
Traditional layered flat bread prepared with wheat flour
Egg Rotti (1) £1.95
Egg onion and green chilli filled traditional layered flat bread
Hoppers
Bowl shaped thin pancakes are made from fermented rice flour and coconut milk. There are many variations of hoppers which can be eaten with spicy condiments or curries.
Plain Hopper (2) £2.45 V
Egg Hopper (1) £1.95
Plain Hopper topped with a poached egg & pepper
Fish Hopper (1) £1.95
Plain Hopper topped with tuna, onion, curry leaves & pepper
Milk Hopper (1) £1.45 V
Plain Hopper topped with Coconut cream and sugar
Sambol-Achar-Salad-Chutney
Seeni Sambol £1.95
Caramelised red onions prepared with red chilli, cardamom, Maldives fish, cinnamon and brown sugar
Pol sambol £1.95 V
Crushed, grated coconut red chilli and onion, sprinkled with lemon juice
Katta sambol £1.95
Ground coconut, red chilli, onion and Maldives fish with dash of lemon juice.
Onion Marsi salad £2.95
Tomato and red onion slices sprinkled with lemon juice, black pepper and dry-roasted Maldives fish
Tomato & Cucumber salad £2.95 V
Grated carrot, tomato and cucumber curd salad
Beetroot sambol £2.95 V
Grated beetroot with finely chopped shallots, green chilli with a hint of lime
Achcharu £2.45 V
Row papaya, carrot, small red onion & green chilli marinated with ginger, garlic, black pepper, mustard & vinegar
Aubergine Moju £3.95
Sweet and sour fried aubergine pickle cooked with vinegar, Shallot, Maldives fish & assorted spices
Graphic Descriptions
- Medium Dish
- Hot Dish
- Extra Hot Dish
V - Vegetarian Dish