Sri Lankan Cooking Class in Sigiriya: Learn 8 Curries

Cook eight Sri Lankan curries the way a village family does, then eat what you made

A three-hour cooking class near Sigiriya where you learn to prepare eight authentic Sri Lankan dishes (rice and curry, kottu roti, hoppers, deviled dishes, and green jackfruit curry among them) inside a village kitchen using traditional methods. A local guide leads the instruction in English. Pickup is included, and you share the meal you cook with a traditional dessert of curd and treacle.

The experience

You work inside an authentic village kitchen with a local family, learning to make eight different Sri Lankan dishes using both primitive and modern tools so you can recreate them at home. The menu spans the island's regions: rice and curry (the national dish), kottu roti (shredded bread fried with spices), hoppers made from fermented batter, deviled chicken or prawns with sweet and spicy sauce, and polos. A green jackfruit curry that gets boiled until soft. Each dish teaches you a distinct flavor profile and technique.

The class runs three hours and includes lunch and dinner. You eat the meal you've cooked together with curd and treacle for dessert. A live English-speaking guide walks you through each step, and pickup is arranged for you. The operator notes this follows the old traditional way of cooking Sri Lankan cuisine, so you're learning methods that have shaped the island's food for generations.

What’s included

• Pickup.
• instruction from a live English-speaking guide.
• use of the village kitchen and all cooking tools.
• eight dishes prepared and cooked.
• lunch and dinner.
• coffee and tea.
• traditional curd and treacle dessert.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:00, 11:00 and 15:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (25 to 39 years) · Senior (40 to 65 years) · Youth (12 to 24 years) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Under 4: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Public transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Akka Nago Cooking Class & Restaurant

Is this one for you?Book this class if you want to learn Sri Lankan cooking hands-on and leave with recipes you can use at home. The three-hour format fits a half-day in Sigiriya without rushing, and eating what you cook together with the family makes the meal part of the learning.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 24 years); Child (4 to 11 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What eight dishes do I actually cook in this class?

You prepare rice and curry, kottu roti, hoppers, deviled dishes (typically chicken or prawns), green jackfruit curry (polos), and three others from the Sri Lankan repertoire. Each one teaches a different cooking technique and flavor profile used across the low country, hill country, and northern regions of the island.

Do I get to eat the food I cook, or is it just a demonstration?

You eat the meal you cook. After the three-hour class, you share lunch and dinner together with the local family, plus a traditional dessert of curd and treacle.

What tools will I be using to cook?

The class uses both primitive traditional tools and some modern equipment, so you learn methods that work in a village kitchen and can adapt them to your own kitchen at home.

Is pickup included, and how does the schedule work?

Pickup is included. The class runs three hours and includes both lunch and dinner, with coffee or tea provided. A live English-speaking guide leads the instruction throughout.