Gluttony on the Green

A proper vadé meal will rouse the senses and leave the mouth fuming and fingers stained and smelly.
Bombai muttai is a favourite among children.
Harin Fernando tastes some peculiar treats on Galle Face Green.

Since Galle Face Green opened in 1859 under the patronage of the then Governor, Sir Henry Ward, it has played host to generations of Sri Lankans, whether Colombo residents or out-of-town visitors.

A late afternoon stroll along the Green's esplanade reveals a festival of sights, smells and sounds - children playing on the grass or along the shore, kites flying high in the sky, and couples seeking a chance to be together.

A must-try feature along the seafront is the selection of delicious but curious treats retailed by food pedlars. Items found on their menu include kadala gottu (roasted gram), ice creams and popsicles, gal siyambala (a form of tamarind) and ripe pineapple wedges seasoned with a sprinkling of pepper and chilli.

Asian favourites like the paratha and naan (leavened bread) with appetising chicken curry and a wide array of fresh seafood are offered by a number of vendors.

Vadé, an Indian speciality popular with the island's Tamil population, are small doughnut-shaped savoury parcels of ground oorid (red lentils). The lentil paste is mixed with minced onions, green chillies, curry leaves and red chilli powder, then shaped into flat cakes and deep fried in coconut oil.

An institution at Galle Face is the isso (prawn) vadé displayed in the form of a half cooked vadé with partially fried prawns on top. When an order is placed, the isso vadé is popped for a few minutes in hot oil, after which it is topped with a "top secret" curry sauce and finished with handfuls of chopped onions, carrots and capsicums. A little lemon juice is usually squeezed on it to enhance the flavour.

The taste of a fully laden isso vadé is a mix of crunchy prawns (shell included) and the hard vadé dough itself, combined with the crispiness of the vegetable mishmash and the spicy/sour fusion of the curry sauce and lemon juice.

Isso vadés cannot be enjoyed with cutlery and thus are not for those who don't wish to soil their fingers. A proper vadé meal will rouse the senses and leave the mouth fuming and fingers stained and smelly. Liberal guzzling of ginger beer or cream soda is the best complement to this substantial snack.
As an endorsement of the benefits of recycling, the isso vadé is served on pieces of paper that appear to be important documents from offices around the world. So you might find yourself eating off an invoice from Panama or a ledger sheet from Puerto Rico!
Another Sri Lankan favourite is bombai muttai (which in Tamil means sweets from Bombay), made out of caramelised sugar that is turned out in a candy floss manner. This is sold by vendors who carry it with them in a metal box. Children run when they hear the familiar bell ringing, distinctively letting everyone around know that the "bombai muttai man" has arrived. Intoxicatingly addictive, 'paan' leaves the lips and the pavements red. They line up and watch with amazement as the man dips his hand into the box and swirls the sugary strands before offering it to them.
