Lamprais — Sri Lankan Dutch Parcel
Fragrant rice cooked in stock, baked with four curries, blachan and seeni sambol in a sealed banana leaf parcel — Sri Lanka's most unique colonial heritage dish.
About This Recipe
Lamprais (lomprijst in Dutch — 'food packet') is one of Sri Lanka's most distinctive dishes, a living artefact of the island's Dutch colonial period (1640–1796). A portion of fragrant seeraga samba rice cooked in rich meat stock and spiced with whole spices is packed into a banana leaf with three or four curries (typically beef, pork or chicken, a frikkadel meatball, ash plantain curry and blachan), along with seeni sambol. The parcel is sealed and baked in a hot oven until everything inside steams together, the banana leaf imparting a green, herbal fragrance. Unwrapping a lamprais parcel at the table is a theatrical experience — the combined aromas released at once are extraordinary. Lamprais is time-consuming to make and represents festive, celebratory cooking.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 400 gseeraga samba rice or basmati
- 700 mlrich meat stock
- 1 stickcinnamon
- 4cardamom pods
- 4cloves
- 400 gbeef or chicken(for curry, diced)
- 2 tablespoonscurry powder
- 200 mlcoconut milk
- 3 mediumonions(2 for curry, 1 for seeni sambol)
- 200 gshrimp paste (blachan)(or desiccated coconut sambol)
- 1 tablespoonvinegar
- 4 largebanana leaves(softened over a flame)
Instructions
- 1
Cook the rice
Fry whole spices in butter. Add washed rice and toast 2 minutes. Add hot stock, salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook until stock is absorbed. Fluff and cool.
- 2
Make the curry
Fry onion, add curry powder and coconut milk. Add meat and braise until tender, about 40 minutes. The curry should be dry, not soupy.
- 3
Assemble parcels
Wipe and lightly oil banana leaf squares (35x35cm). Place a generous portion of rice in the centre. Add spoonfuls of curry, a tablespoon each of blachan and seeni sambol. Fold the leaf over to create a tight parcel. Secure with a toothpick or tie with string.
- 4
Bake and serve
Place parcels seam-side down in a baking tray. Bake at 190°C for 20–25 minutes. Serve sealed at the table, opened just before eating.
Pro Tips
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Banana leaves must be soft enough to fold without cracking — pass over a gas flame or dip in boiling water.
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All components can be made a day ahead — assemble and bake when needed.
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Traditional lamprais includes a frikkadel (Dutch-Burgher meatball) — a small patty of spiced ground beef.
Variations
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Vegetarian lamprais: use vegetable stock and replace meat curry with jackfruit or ash plantain.
Storage
Assembled uncooked parcels refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake from chilled, adding 5 minutes to cooking time.
History & Origin
Lamprais was created by the Dutch Burgher community of Sri Lanka — descendants of Dutch colonists who remained after the Dutch East India Company period ended. They adapted the Dutch lomprijst (rice parcel) with local Sri Lankan curries and spices, creating something entirely unique. The dish is central to Dutch Burgher cultural identity and is one of the few direct culinary inheritances from the colonial period that has been celebrated and preserved by the Sri Lankan community.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use aluminium foil instead of banana leaves?
Foil will work functionally — the food will cook — but you'll miss the banana leaf's herbal fragrance, which is a defining part of lamprais. Seek out banana leaves from Asian or African grocery stores if at all possible.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (500g / 17.6 oz) · 4 servings total
Time Summary
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