Rambutan
*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.
Cynthia Shanmugalingam is a British-Sri Lankan cook who grew up in Coventry in the UK, visiting Sri Lanka every childhood holiday and eating dishes adapted by her mother and grandmother at home.
She has run pop-ups and street food stalls since 2014 and is the founder of a social enterprise street food truck, Kitchenette Karts, which helps ex-offenders get a start in the food industry. In 2019 she started doing Sri Lankan Rambutan pop-ups and in 2023 opened her widely critically-acclaimed Rambutan restaurant in the heart of London's Borough Market. She has been featured on BBC news and WePresent alongside a spectrum of print media.