Short Eats is an extremely popular, crucial part of the Sri Lankan food scene. Both adults and kids love them for tea time or as snacks on road trips. Since they are incredibly versatile, some busy people use them even for lunch. These savory and spicy baked snacks are the best friend of travelers. When the time doesn’t permit for a lingering meal, grab some short eats and you are ready to travel within minutes. They will take away your hunger pangs at any time of day and help you to save lots of time. Tasting yummy short eats in Sri Lanka will be a lovely experience, you’ll enjoy in the country.
Sri Lankan short eats is an essential item for party time and plays a major role in parties and entertaining functions. As well as it has blended with people’s daily life deeply. The short eat selling small vans call as “Choon Paan” is an important part of Sri Lankan culture. They play nice Beethoven’s music while distributing baked goods. This music is quite familiar to the people and they eagerly wait to buy their preferred snacks.
Sri Lankan short eats are a mix of cuisines of all the different nationalities that live on the island. Also, there are some European-style short eats, including British and Dutch. Many varieties of short eats selling food stalls are available everywhere in Sri Lanka. When you’re hungry, just look out for metal and glass boxes filled with all sorts of short eats and grab a few delicious ones. They are easy fillers and definitely, you’ll love these spicy and flavorful Sri Lankan short eats.
1. Cutlets
Cutlets are one of the major short eats and a top favorite among Sri Lankans. It is a famous snack at parties and family functions. Since it can easily prepare at home, it is widely used to treat visitors in Sri Lankan households. The main ingredient of the filling is mashed potatoes and they come in either round or oval shapes.
Cutlets are traditionally made with fish but can make for vegetarians as well. Fish cutlets mainly use canned mackerel, while freshly boiled tuna fish also use to make them. This filling mix with meat or eggs to make variations of the cutlet. Black pepper powder and a pinch of salt give its spicy flavor. This potato and fish mixture tempers with onions to make a delicious filling.
Little balls of filling made to balls by hand, then breaded and deep-fried. Small enough to eat in one mouthful, it is an appetizing short eat that you want to try more and more. They are very popular in the country and you can find them in any bakery or short eat shop.
2. Pastries
The stuffed puff pastries rich in crispiness are one of the best snacks for on-the-go meals. The Sri Lankan Pastries come in different shapes, while they are usually triangular in shape. Its crust is richly flavored in butter taste and inside contains a delicious filling. This filling is spicy and flavorful with meat or vegetables. The pastry is a puffy and crispy savory bite, ideally suits for the daytime hunger pangs.
There are different kinds of pastries available to buy. Some people like sausage puff, which is a spicy hot dog wrapped in puff pastry and baked. This slightly spicy, savory, scrumptious filling encased in a flaky and buttery crust gives you marvelous satisfaction. Delicious pastries sell in any bakery or the roadside stalls of Srilanka. Definitely, you’ll find pastries as one of the best short eats in Sri Lanka.
3. Patties
Most Sri Lankan short eats are baked, but there are fried variations too. Patties are one of the fried short eats. Usually, they have the same fillings as cutlets or baked pastries. There are two options; vegetable and fish patties. They are perfect as a picnic food while it suits for breakfast or tea-time snacking too.
It is a favorite snack in many households in Sri Lanka. It can prepare according to the preferred choice, using a vegetarian filling or using meat. Patties can prepare using chicken, beef, or fish as you like. Since they are delicious and easy to make, it is one of the widely used snacks in Sri Lankan households to treat visitors.
4. Chinese Rolls
As the name suggested, this short eat originated in China. Chinese Rolls are roti-style flatbreads stuffed with a spicy filling, rolled up, and deep-fried. Similar to cutlets or pastries, the filling can be vegetarian, fish, or meat. Rolls are one of the best short eats for tea time and one of the tastiest short eats in the country.
Since the filling of Rolls is rich in spicy flavor, savory, and scrumptious, it is ideal for hunger pangs. The crunchy paper use to make rolls can buy from supermarkets and rolls can prepare easily at home. There are vegan rolls, egg rolls, and meat rolls, each can select according to the personal choice.
5. Stuffed Buns
Little buns filled with delicious fillings are one of the major short eats in Sri Lanka. When the filling contains fish, it is a fish bun. Stuffed buns contain a sweet onion relish called as seeni sambal bun. When the filling is a sausage, it is a sausage bun.
They are the mid-morning favorites of most Sri Lankans. Kids prefer fish buns and sausage buns. They go well with milk tea and are highly famous as tea-time snacks.
6. Vegetable Roti
Vegetable roti is one of the most widely spread, favorite short eats in Sri Lanka. Although it calls as vegetable roti, the filling can contain fish or meat. It is stuffed with potato and vegetable mash mixed with fish or meat choice. This vegetable and meat or fish mixture is packed tightly between a triangular-shaped flatbread and then baked until brown. This is a scrumptious short eat, with a layer of crisp roti around the spiced flavorful filling.
They are the best companion for tea time, with Sri Lankan high-grown tea. Enjoying a Tasty spiced vegetable roti while sipping a hot tea will be a marvelous experience. The delicious, spicy vegetable roti will bring your taste buds to a whole new level.
7. Samosa
Flaky and crispy samosa is our favorite one among all short eats. Samosa is a fried snack with a savory filling, such as mashed potatoes, onions, cheese, beef, and other meats. They are triangular in shape and the filling is spicy flavored. It is a very delicious, mouth-watering deep-fried snack.
Samosa filling is mostly vegetarian, but it can contain meat or egg. Egg samosa contains a piece of hardboiled egg, while meat samosa contains chicken or beef. This delicious flaky pastry filled with spicy potato, meat filling is a popular snack in Sri Lanka.
8. Vadai
Vadai is a traditional short eat, originated in the Tamil community of Sri Lanka. Now it is widespread throughout the country, preferred by all Sri Lankans. Vadai are deep-fried snacks made from a variety of legumes. The most famous vadai is a cookie-type flattened ball made of ground dhal. A pinch of black pepper, salt, curry leaves, and pieces of chili adds to give its spicy flavor. This little snack can be found pretty much everywhere in the country, including street carts and food stalls.
9. Shrimp Vadai
Shrimp vadai or Isso Vadai is a hugely popular tasty short eats in Sri Lanka. This fried snack is a huge favorite in all corners of the country. There are a few variations of shrimp vadai, with only one shrimp on top of vadai or several shrimps on the top of the vadai.
You’ll find many stalls in Galle Face Green that sell isso vadai with prawns on the top of vadai. They are hugely popular among the visitors. If you visit there in the afternoon, you can treat your taste buds with this delicious isso vadai, while enjoying lovely sceneries in Galle Face beach.
10. Ulundu Vadai
Ulundu vadai is just one of the many snacks commonly known as vadai. It is made from a kind of lentils, calls Ulundu. Ulundu vadai is usually made in a doughnut shape, with a crispy exterior and soft interior. It gives a better taste with spicy chutney. These vadai are very delicious when served hot. Since it becomes soggy when it cools, Ulundu vadai is tasted as soon as it is deep-fried.
11. Burger
If you are looking for Western-style short eats, there is no shortage of such short eats in Sri Lanka. Although they aren’t authentic to Sri Lanka, they have been modified to fit the local taste and are .hugely popular among young generations in the country. If you don’t like spicy short eats, just buy some delicious Burgers to fill yourself.
12. Sandwiches
Sandwiches filled with different kinds of fillings are one of the favorite short eats among Sri Lankan kids. There are many varieties of sandwiches containing egg, fish, cheese, or chicken. Since they aren’t spicy at all, it is best for anybody who doesn’t like spicy food. It is one of the best options for on-the-go breakfast and also best pick as a picnic food to take with you while traveling.
Sri Lankan short eats are the best and easy fillers, widely available on every corner of the island. These stuffed and fried snacks are wonderfully flavorful and you’ll definitely love them. They come in different shapes and sizes. The fillings may contain vegetables, fish, meat, or eggs. If you are a vegetarian, it is best to ask about containing the fillings, before buying. If you are a spicy food lover, you are going to enjoy them very much. Taste the delicious Sri Lankan short eats and enjoy your tea time!
Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Images by Wikimedia Commons, Pinterest, and Twitter. All copyrights are reserved by the original authors.
