I am a first-time cookbook author published globally by HarperCollins. My book, Jayaflava is a labour of love... a story of Sri Lanka told through food. My purpose is to represent Sri Lanka and its food in all it’s glory; its multi-culturalism, its diverse food history and evolution, its tradition, its modernity, its warmth, its authentic and unique approach to cooking.
A born and bred Sri Lankan, I have spent most of my life between Sri Lanka and the UK. My family background is varied. I am often referred to as a real ‘achcharu’; this means, like the dish, I am a delicious mix of everything. My father is a Colombo Moor, my mother is both Colombo Chetty and Sinhalese, which makes me a good representative of the island.
A Bsc Hons graduate from London School of Economics my working career cuts across the creative industries of advertising, festivals and events both in London and in Colombo. But it is cooking and eating that is my life-long and biggest passion. The food of my country, Sri Lanka, is my obsession.
I have been cooking since I was six and have spent the last four years in the joyous labour of discovering, re-discovering, researching and writing Sri Lankan recipes. This journey has made me fall in love, again and again, with the intoxicating flavours of our food, the vast variety of diet-friendly dishes, the fragrant and aromatic spices of Sri Lanka cuisine and I want to share this appreciation with the world.
It is my mission to teach people about Sri Lanka, how to cook Sri Lankan food and to love it as much as I do.
