Description

*WINNER* – FORTNUM AND MASON AWARDS DEBUT COOKERY BOOK 2023

‘One of the Best Cookbooks of 2022’ – Delicious Magazine, Bon Appetit, New York Times, LA Times

Accompanying book of the much-loved Sri Lankan restaurant in the heart of London’s Borough Market

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‘Cynthia takes us on a journey through the stories and memories of her family to decipher the rich oral tradition of Sri Lankan cooking. This book makes me hungry to travel, explore and eat new things, especially curries’ – Yotam Ottolenghi

‘A thing of great beauty and heart. The food jumps out at you with a promise of deliciousness. I want to cook every single recipe’ – Anna Jones

‘A joyous book, stuffed with tantalising food and beautiful writing. Cynthia’s recipes and reminiscences speak with warmth and heart and soul to the experience of those of us with roots elsewhere’ – Shamil Thakrar, Dishoom

‘This book is a diamond in the rough: a proper (and honest) insider’s guide to Sri Lankan home cooking via Cynthia’s kitchen. I picked up this book for the food, but I’ll treasure it forever for the stories’ – Meera Sodha

Rambutan tells the story of Sri Lanka’s unique, spicy, fresh, vegan-friendly cuisine that deliciously combines Javanese, Malay, Indian, Arab, Portuguese, Dutch and British influences. Cynthia serves up a feast of over 80 simple recipes, including coconut dal, hoppers, cashew nut curry and her mum’s slow-cooked Jaffna lamb curry. You’ll also find recipes from the bustling Borough Market restaurant of the same name, including crunchy fried potatoes with turmeric, pineapple curry, sticky chicken rice and black pork curry.

Stories of family and travel combine with beautiful landscapes and candid photography to show both ancient and modern Sri Lanka. From crispy hopper pancakes to spicy drinking snacks, this exuberant guide is for beginners and experienced cooks alike.

Publisher Review

'"Curry Everything" says the title of the curry section in this delicious book. To which I reply: "Bring it on!" But that's not all. Cynthia also takes us on a journey through the stories and memories of her family to decipher the rich oral tradition of Sri Lankan cooking. This book makes me hungry to travel, explore and eat new things, especially curries.' * Yotam Ottolenghi * 'Cynthia's gorgeous book is full of the sorts of recipes, stories and images that burst with soul and personality, it's impossible not to fall in love with her and her food. The honesty, humor and generosity of spirit that flows from each page is a true gift to anyone who reads it' * Alison Roman * 'This book is a thing of great beauty and heart. The food jumps out at you with a promise of deliciousness. I want to cook every single recipe' * Anna Jones * 'Rambutan is a joyous book, stuffed with tantalising food and beautiful writing. Cynthia's recipes and reminiscences speak with warmth and heart and soul to the experience of those of us with roots elsewhere, of growing up feeling slightly displaced, of having to come to terms with different cultures' * Shamil Thakrar, Dishoom * 'This book is a diamond in the rough: a proper (and honest) insider's guide to Sri Lankan home cooking via Cynthia's kitchen. I picked up this book for the food, but I'll treasure it forever for the stories' * Meera Sodha * 'Passionate, beautiful, eye-opening & totally engaging. This is a book I struggled to put down, not just for the incredible photography or delicious sounding recipes but the storytelling around family and history which cements this as one of those books you need on your shelf' * Ravneet Gill * 'The vivacity of storytelling, of spices and the freshest produce grown in the sunniest of climes is poured into recipes that beguile and transport the cook if not to Sri Lanka then at least to the kitchen' * Jeremy Lee, Quo Vadis * 'Rambutan takes us by the hand to Sri Lanka, a tantalisingly delicious cookbook filled with spirited tales, cooking knowhow and tender family stories' * Lara Lee * 'Full to the brim with bright, vibrant, colourful recipes. I love this book and want to cook and eat my way through every page!' * Skye Gyngell * 'For those of us in the Sri Lankan diaspora food remains one of the principal ways in which we remember the country of our birth. Cynthia evokes memories of grandmothers grating coconuts, kitchen fires that seemed to burn all day and, most of all, the sharing and the talking around a table laden with food' * George Alagiah *