The crimson capsicum, though many believe otherwise, is not a native of Sri Lanka. The red-hot chilli that we islanders cannot do without was introduced by the Portuguese somewhere during the 15th Century. Its origins are traced back to the Caribbean or Americans. After gaining much popularity in the west, aboard Portuguese ships, red chilli travelled from Goa to Colombo, and took over the Sri Lankan palate.
Today, chilli is a must-have spice in every Sri Lankan kitchen and an important cash crop for the country. It flourishes from the dry zone of Anuradhapura to Hambantota of which an average Sri Lankan consumes at least 2.84 kilograms a year. Our auspicious events are marked with a plate of Kiri Bath (milk rice) accompanied with lunu miris- a condiment of ground onion and red chilli. Dried red chillies add a bit of oomph to rice and curry, and we have even added it in our desserts and cocktails. The islanders are definitely passionate about the crimson spice. It is no surprise that the coming together of celebrity crustacean and scarlet spice is a famous pairing in Sri Lanka.
The Chilli Crab at Ministry of Crab was inspired by Dharshan’s travel to Singapore. Prepared with local chilli and the world-renowned Sri Lankan mud crab it is the quintessence of all that is wonderful about our island’s cuisine. MOC prides itself in using the chilli available in Sri Lanka, which couples with the other ingredients of the secret recipe results in an almost magical depth of flavour – warm yet sweet. The Garlic Chilli Crab takes this love affair between spice and crab to a different level, one that only your palate can truly describe.
