- Can you tell us about your background and what inspired you to become a chef?
It has been a long journey. My first inspiration was my parents. Ever since I was a kid, I have watched my parents cook as both can cook well. I have fond memories of helping my mother cook at home. I always had a knack for cooking, and I loved food. My sister – who is five years older than me – entering the industry as a professional chef had an influence on me to choose culinary arts. Seeing the joy in people when they try my dishes and enjoy them is what makes me love cooking. I can fondly recall times from my childhood when our family and friends would try a dish I made and pretend to enjoy it (even if it was bad). You learn from the mistakes and improve. For me, cooking is a stress reliever. The time I spend in the kitchen is my creative space. I gain inspiration from where I am – be it the seaside or the countryside – to what ingredients are available around me.
- What was your first job in the culinary industry, and what did you learn from it?
I grew up in Melbourne, and I would say that my first formal education in culinary was taking up Home Economics in years 9-10 at school. This is a subject that I thoroughly enjoyed learning. That is where I started learning about cooking. I wanted to be a chef like my sister, and this motivated me to enrol in commercial cookery at TAFE (Technical and Further Education), which is a formal vocational qualification system in Australia. I gained my formal qualifications in commercial cookery at TAFE. Upon completion, I worked in cafes and restaurants in Melbourne as well as in Colombo, starting by washing dishes and chopping vegetables to working into different sections. My goal was to receive the best experience possible. This gave me a solid foundation into the basics of commercial cooking. I also learned valuable lessons on how to deal with different people. Kitchens typically are demanding environments where you meet different chefs. That was my first intake into the world of cooking. After gaining formal qualifications in commercial cookery, I obtained a college degree in accounting because I wanted to explore a different path. This led me to start and run my own business.
- How would you describe your cooking style?
What you follow uniquely as a style change over the years, as you evolve as a person. I loved French fine dining when I was a kid. I thought that was the best type of cuisine – so intricate and detailed with excellent plating techniques. In conversation with Dulan Hapuarachchi on his humbling yet inspiring journey of taking Sri Lankan cuisine to the global arena. When FLAVOUR Everything Else TRUMPS Taprobane 31 Now my style gravitates towards rustic cooking because I fell in love with Sri Lankan and Southeast Asian cuisines. I find myself increasingly cooking shareable family dishes with bold flavours because Southeast Asian dishes naturally have a burst of flavour. My style now is more of a mix. It adapts to where I am.
- What influences your menu creation and dish selection?
The dish selection depends on where I am and starts with the occasion – what and why am I doing it. Is it for a function? Or a brand? What is expected of me? Even if it is for an event at my home, I would like to find out what the guests would prefer. Then I check for seasonal availability. If I am in Sri Lanka or anywhere else in the world, I check on what ingredients I can use in that country, which I may not be able to find somewhere else. I look at the costs involved and finally my mood, what am I in the mood to cook?
- What is your favourite out of the dishes you have created?
That is a tough question. I can think of three dishes I made that people loved the most. First is scallops pan-seared with butter and served in a thick turmeric sauce. The second is a masala fried chicken with Indian flavours. It doesn’t matter where or who you are and where you come from, everyone loves fried chicken. The third is my signature dish at MasterChef which was a crab curry kottu. One of the judges said that it was the best kottu he had ever had. These are not too technical dishes, but they bring a burst of flavours and for me, flavour trumps everything else.
- Why do you think preserving Sri Lankan traditional recipes and cooking methods is important?
I can answer this question from my personal experience. My family moved to Australia when I was 11. Growing up in Melbourne, I didn’t love rice and curry; nor was I patriotic towards Sri Lanka, because I didn’t have a heavy influence towards Sri Lankan cuisine, except for the fact that my family was Sri Lankan. Even the Sri Lankan friends I had in Melbourne were kids who grew up in Australia. I wanted to fit into Western society, so I changed my whole life to fit in. I understand that it is not ideal, but I can be honest about it. However, things took a turn when I met my wife – Nadee Perera. She is the one who got me to visit Sri Lanka often and rekindled me with the Sri Lankan culture and cuisine. I started admiring Sri Lankan food and loving everything about the Island. The COVID locked down gave me time to experiment with Sri Lankan cuisine and rediscover the love that I had for Sri Lanka. To answer the question, I wholeheartedly believe that
- What are some traditional cooking techniques that you use regularly?
Technical cooking in Sri Lankan cuisine is such that the recipe of one dish would be different from village to village. If we take a fish curry, it will be the same fish curry made in several different ways from North to South. If one dish requires a certain technique, I always go back to the basics or the foundation of what I have learned so far – be it knife skills or mother sources. I will never stop learning. I love watching people cook. Be it new techniques or unique ingredients, I am always trying to keep up with the evolving culinary world. Ultimately, it comes down to what you know vs what needs to be used depending on the setting you are in.
- How do you balance maintaining authenticity while innovating or adapting traditional recipes?
I get this question a lot. Whether it is a social media post I put up about a Lankan cashew dish, people would point out that it is not the way to do it. I would then think or ask then what is the correct way to do it. The Sri Lankan fish curry for example is a dish that has Sri Lankan flavours, is made with a type of fish used in the Island such as tuna or mackerel and made using Sri Lankan spices. It is broad. Whereas if you take a Jaffna fish curry, then it needs to be authentic to the Northern region and use authentic Jaffna flavours and curry ingredients. In terms of the authenticity of dishes, we don’t have specific information about the origin of these dishes. So, when people say that is not the way you do it, it probably means that it is not the way your family used to make that dish. Rather than following a recipe and redoing something that has already been done for years, I want to draw inspiration from traditional flavours and create a dish that is unique to my personality. As a chef you get inspiration from other people. You get inspiration from the weather, the colours you see, the aromas. For me, the most joy comes from the creation. If I need to create something with Ceylon cinnamon, then it has to be a dish where cinnamon would be highlighted. I consider what are the ingredients I could use and what are my limitations before coming up with the dish. Back in the day people led a slowpaced lifestyle and had a lot of time, but now we are caught in a rat race and this race is only getting tougher for each generation. We need to teach the history of these dishes to future generations and at the same time make them accessible and easy for everyday home cooks.
- What has been the most rewarding experience in your journey of internationalising Sri Lankan cuisine?
Being recognised as a voice for Sri Lankan cuisine on certain platforms has been the most rewarding experience. I have also had the privilege of meeting amazing people in the industry and working with brands that are revolutionising and helping uplift Sri Lanka. The feedback I receive from people who try my food or recipes and fall in love with Sri Lankan food is another fulfilling experience. When I started, I didn’t give much importance to that influence but when I have fellow Sri Lankans coming to me and saying that they have started to cook and love Sri Lankan food after watching my videos and following my journey, has been truly humbling for me. I have had people in far corners of the world reach out to me and say that they learned about Sri Lanka from what I talked about. That has been truly amazing.
- Can you share a memorable story or experience about MasterChef Australia Season 14?
Getting into MasterChef was a life-changing experience. Before me, there were only three other contestants of Sri Lankan origin. So, getting into MasterChef was a big deal for me. I have always loved the show because it is a massive production, and they truly go to great lengths to provide an entertaining experience to the audience. It was a great experience.
- Final thoughts on your journey and Sri Lankan cuisine?
I reckon people in the culinary industry should really encourage one another. I have seen many people enter the field but get discouraged due to the lack of support. I remember when I was starting off, I had to work hard to build a name for myself and get my voice out there. There are instances where many people – including myself – have been discouraged because they are criticised without being given an opportunity. All I want to say is that if anyone would like my support, they can contact me via Instagram on @thisisdulan and I will be happy to help them in any way I can. You need to give back and inspire people because only then can you create a louder voice to promote our cuisine to the rest of the world. Sri Lankans need to uplift each other no matter where we are. Finally, I also want to take this moment to thank everyone who supported me throughout this journey. I am just getting started and the best is yet to come.
