Rice cooked in thick coconut milk until it sets, pressed flat and cut into diamonds, eaten with lunu miris.
What makes it kiribath
White rice cooked soft, then finished with thick coconut milk.
Pressed flat while warm and cut into diamonds.
Lunu miris or jaggery alongside.
Where it comes from
Kiribath — 'milk rice' — is the dish for beginnings: the first meal of Aluth Avurudu, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year in April, and made for birthdays, the first of the month and other auspicious days.
It's plain on purpose, just rice, coconut milk and salt; the heat comes from the lunu miris beside it, or the sweetness from jaggery.