Rambutan
SynopsisPlot
In more than 80 recipes, Shanmugalingam takes her favorite parts of the island's culinary tradition and adapts them to be accessible and fun for the home cook: with dinners of sticky chicken buriani and crunchy fried potatoes with turmeric, desserts of mango fluff pie and milk toffee, and drinks of lemongrass lime soda and boozy tea cocktails, Rambutan is designed to deliver as much edible Sri Lankan joy as possible. Combining luscious recipe photography and stunning candids from the island, this exuberant guide is perfect for home cooks looking to explore the exciting Sri Lankan tradition in South Asian cuisine.
Story
About this book
Rambutan is a Sri Lankan cookbook by Cynthia Shanmugalingam, collecting over eighty recipes drawn from the island's cooking traditions and adapted for home kitchens. The book covers a wide range of dishes, from mains like sticky chicken buriani and turmeric-fried potatoes to sweets such as mango fluff pie and milk toffee. Drinks appear too, including lemongrass lime soda and tea cocktails. The recipes are designed to be accessible rather than exhaustive, focusing on dishes Shanmugalingam considers central to Sri Lankan food culture.
Sri Lanka sits at the southern tip of India, and its cuisine reflects centuries of trade, migration, and local agriculture. Coconut, rice, spices like turmeric and cinnamon, and tropical fruits such as the rambutan itself are staples. The book pairs its recipes with photography from the island, mixing food shots with images of everyday Sri Lankan life.
The title refers to the spiky, sweet tropical fruit common across South and Southeast Asia. In choosing it as a name, Shanmugalingam signals a focus on ingredients and flavors specific to the region rather than a general South Asian survey. The book is organized around meals and occasions, moving from dinners through desserts and into drinks.
