Rambutan

The New York Times Best Cookbooks of 2022LA Times Best Cookbooks of 2022Bon Appetit Best Cookbooks of 2022Delicious Magazine Best cook books of 2022'"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'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 SodhaRambutan 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, kothu roti, cashew nut curry and her mum’s slow-cooked Jaffna lamb 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.

With her vivacious writing style, enhanced by images of her ancestral homeland and its people, Shanmugalingam's energetic narrative and tasty recipes offer readers a veritable feast for the senses…Rambutan is a cookbook to be savored for its abundance of accessible recipes and celebration of Sri Lanka's joyful food culture. It invites readers to experience the fascinating trajectory of one family's culinary history., '"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.', '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', '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', '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'

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, which she plans to develop into a restaurant. She has been featured on BBC news and WePresent alongside a spectrum of print media.