A celebration of Upali’s signature dishes

One of Colombo’s top choices for authentic Sri Lankan cuisine, Upali’s by Nawaloka is celebrating two of their signature dishes, a black pepper crab dish and a fish head curry.

The Gammiris Kakuluwa, which is a Sri Lankan-style black pepper crab, is marinated in garlic and authentic spices. 

Although it lacked the punch of spiciness that seafood dishes in Sri Lanka are known for, the crab meat was soft and the garlic made its presence known but did not overpower the dish.

While the Gammiris Kakuluwa was a dry dish as any black pepper crab should be, Maalu Oluwa, the fish head, was served in a pool of creamy coconut curry. A snapper head cooked with drumstick leaves and okra, and topped with sliced pineapple and aubergine, the fish head curry had subtle hints of local spices.

Both dishes are ideally paired with Roast Paan, which could easily soak up the coconut curry of the Maalu Oluwa dish. While the promotion is ongoing, these two dishes are not the restaurant’s only signature dishes. On the menu, one can also find Mutton Varuwal, Jaffna-style sautéed mutton cubes, Kankung Saha Elu Mas Baduma, which is water spinach and boneless mutton with garlic, red chili, and curry leaves, and Hathmaluwa, which is a seven-in-one vegetable curry.

Besides the Gammiris Kakuluwa, Upali’s by Nawaloka has three other crab dishes, including Kakuluwo Parata – crab parata stuffed with onions, green chili, crab meat, and mozzarella cheese – listed under the signature dishes on their menu.

Pix by Sameera Wijesinghe