Delectable Jaffna treats at EAT, OZO Colombo

OZO Colombo recently launched a mouth-watering selection of Jaffna cuisine with the introduction of the theme night, ‘Yaal Meets West’, at their EAT Restaurant. 

Every Sunday evening from 19:00 hrs onwards, diners will be treated to an explosion of taste infused with traditional Jaffna and western Sri Lankan flavours, creating the perfect balance of taste and textures.

From the fan-shaped leaves to the root, the Palmyra palm forms an essential part of the life and cuisine in the Northern region of Sri Lanka. This is apparent in the buffet selection available at EAT, OZO Colombo.

The distinct spice combinations from Northern Sri Lankan have been infused together to bring specialities, such as the signature soup, known as Odiyal Kool, of the north. Odiyal Kool is a seafood broth that encapsulates the flavours of the Indian Ocean from crabs to fish, cuttlefish, prawns and crayfish with hints of tamarind. 

The dish is thickened using a Palmyra root flour, which is authentic to Jaffna cuisine. Other starters include the Yaal vegetable platter, which bring the western Sri Lankan traditional treats, such as fish and vegetable rotis.Chef Amila Shirantha and his team at OZO Colombo use vegetables and coconuts to create a range of sambols to tickle your taste buds. The team experiments with traditional and new ingredients to create the perfect varai, be it fish chicken, prawn or vegetarian. The traditional northern varaj is a combination of ingredients that are finely chopped or minced, then tossed together with coconut, green chillies, curry leaves, mustard seeds, red onions and turmeric powder. Other chart toppers at the Yaal Meets West buffet at OZO Colombo include the mutton pooriyal, a traditional fiery Jaffna crab curry, and the ginger-flavoured fish curry with turai kholumbu.

Jaffna sweets are rustic and rely on jaggery, sesame seed, coconut and gingelly oil to give them their distinctive regional flavours. Some traditional treats featured on the Yaal Meets West menu include Mundhiri Kothu, which translates as ‘A bunch of cashew nuts’. When deep fried, this delicious sweet comes out like a bunch of cashews when taken out of oil. 

Indulge your taste buds every Sunday from 19:00 to 22:30 hrs. at EAT, OZO Colombo with the Yaal Meets West buffet. For more information please contact OZO Colombo on +94 11 2 555 570 / EAT on  + 94 11 2 030 528 or visit www.ozohotels.com.