Samosas to Sigiriya: Urvashi Roe's guide to Gujarati snacks and her four-week Sri Lankan food trip

If you're planning a trip to Sri Lanka, go grab your cuppa, this is the episode for you! I met Urvashi a year ago. We attended the same food writing course, held at the British Library. During the course we got chatting and Urvashi revealed she was about to embark on a four-week journey through Sri Lanka, exploring its food culture.  I knew right away Urvashi would have to be a guest on my show.At the time of recording Urvashi was fresh from a month in Sri Lanka, we talk about the highlights of her trip including Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Sigiriya, Knuckles, Ella, Yala, Galle, Hikkaduwa, Hiriketiya. We talk about the differences between Sri Lankan and Indian food, including coconut use, tempering methods, rice-based accompaniments, condiments, and dried fish culture, plus standout meals like Priyamali Gedara and Ministry of Crab.Urvashi is a former Great British Bake Off contestant. She entered the show as part of a challenge to prove that her middle years would not be boring! And post bake off, ger life has been far from that! She left her career in financial services, is now a successful food writer and cook book author and has also run a community café.Biting, Biting is Urvashi’s debut cookbook which features fast and easy,100% vegetarian and vegan snacks using leftovers and store-cupboard ingredients. Urvashi takes you into the world of Gujarati-style snacking, where nothing is wasted and every recipe can turn into a whole range of snacks. She shows you how to turn a simple potato shaak ( curry) into a samosa, or serve it up on toast with an egg, or stuffed into a parotha or flatbread. Urvashi shares her roots leaving Tanzania to her early childhood in Tooting and Southall. She explains dhokla (a steamed savory cake) and how her book modernised Gujarati recipes, think barfi a fudgelike Indian sweet made from milk powder and ghee reimagined as millionaires shortbread. 00:20 Meet Urvashi Roe01:26 Bake Off origin story06:46 From finance to food writing10:49 Gujarati roots in Britain12:59 Farsan and zero waste15:43 Dhokla explained19:03 Modern Gujarati leftovers20:09 Why Sri Lanka for a month21:30 Road trip and car hire23:43 Cultural Triangle highlights26:32 Sigiriya and mountain retreat29:11 Ella tourism reality check31:29 Tea factory and heading south32:03 Yala Safari Reality Check33:36 Gloriosa Flower Highlight34:12 Kirinda Villa and Wild Beaches35:34 Hiriketiya Foodie Beach Vibes37:14 Galle Fort Food Crawl38:39 Arak Tasting with Sanjay39:34 Hikkaduwa Tsunami and Snorkel Stop41:14 Local Innovation and Sri Lanka Pride43:20 Sri Lanka Not the New Bali44:00 Sri Lankan vs Indian Food51:36 Gujarati Dinner Party Menu54:35 Urvashi’s Standout Restaurants56:13 Next Trip Plans and Tips57:54 Where to Follow Urvashi  Get full access to Tooting Mama at tootingmama.substack.com/subscribe