WHEN I am travelling, I hunt down good food. Hell, I’ve cooked up enough meals for a family of six to know that when I am away from my own kitchen, to make the most of it. Two weeks in Sri Lanka and well away from my own kitchen, it’s fair to say I made the absolute most of it - so much so a little effort pre-swimsuit season wouldn’t go astray. Just sayin’.

If you’re not too fussy about how you look in a swimsuit, here’s my tips on what curry delights you should hunt down in Sri Lanka.

CRAB CURRY

This is my standout, must-hunt-it-down dish. The good thing is, Sri Lanka is a small island (in comparison to Australia) and you’re never too far from the coast. Crab curries abound.

VEGETARIAN CURRIES

My personal favourites were the fried eggplant curry and a banana flower curry, but you’ll find plenty of other vegetarian options. Others I can recommend are chickpea, pumpkin and cashew nut curries. Vegetarian accompaniments are also delicious. Try bitter gourd or chilli and coconut sombol or the many varieties of dhal and pickles.

SAMBOLS

One of the hardest things to get my head around in planning to recreate these curries at home is that while each dish has simple steps in preparation and cooking, you don't just eat one curry and rice. There are at least three on the plate along with pickles, flat bread and a tasty sambol, like this chilli one.



Salivating yet? Try these Sydney and Melbourne events on this month and next.

• Sydney Night Noodle Markets until Sunday, October 23.
• Melbourne Night Noodle Markets between November 10 and 27.
• Parramatta Lanes until Friday, October 14.
• Cooking classes and gatherings by Flavours of Auburn.