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Dry Sprats Tempered Recipe | Sri Lankan Spicy Dish

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CategoryCuisineServingsTotal timeSpice levelKids friendly
Main CourseSri Lankan3 – 4 adult25 minutes🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️❌

The Soul of sprats Dry Fish Fry

A crunchy, pan fried Sprats dry fish fry with bold spices and deep savoury heat.

Tempered Dried Sprats (හාල්මැස්සන් කරවල තෙල් දාලා) is a fiery, deeply satisfying Sri Lankan dish built around small dried Sprats (halmasso). Unlike larger dried fish, Sprats cooks quickly and develops a light crisp texture, making it a favourite in many homes for a fast, flavourful meal.

When fried with onions, curry leaves and chillies, Sprats releases a rich, savoury aroma that fills the kitchen instantly. The flavour is bold and salty, balanced with heat, a hint of sweetness and a touch of acidity capturing the essence of Sri Lankan cooking in its simplest form.

Often enjoyed with rice, pol roti or string hoppers, this dish is a go to comfort side that adds intensity and character to any meal. It is humble, punchy and unmistakably Sri Lankan.

Ingredients

  • 150 g dried sprats (හල්මැස්සෝ කරවල)
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 larg onion
  • 2 green chillies
  • 1 tbsp chopped garlic
  • 8 – 10 curry leaves
  • 1 small piece pandan leaf
  • 1 small pinch sugar
  • ½ of lime

1 tbsp Chilli Flakes Add To Cart

½ tsp Chilli Powder Add To Cart

¼ tsp Turmeric Powder Add To Cart

½ tsp Pepper Crushed Add To Cart

Method

  1. Rinse the sprats and drain well to remove excess salt. Pat dry completely.
  2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
  3. Add the sprats and fry briefly until lightly crisp. Remove and set aside.
  4. In the same pan, add curry leaves and pandan leaf and let them release their aroma.
  5. Add Thin sliced onion, chopped green chillies and Finely chopped garlic, and saute until softened and slightly golden.
  6. Add turmeric, chilli flakes, chilli powder, black pepper and sugar. Mix well.
  7. Return the sprats to the pan and toss to coat evenly with the spices.
  8. Stir fry for 2 – 3 minutes until everything is well combined and slightly crisp.
  9. Remove from heat and sprinkle squeeze the lime.
  10. Garnish with a small handful of finely chopped fresh onions or spring onions for a fresh finish.
  11. Serve immediately.

To Serve

  • With hot steamed rice and dhal
  • With pol roti or string hoppers
  • As a spicy side for rice and curry meals

Making It Kid Friendly

This dish is naturally strong, salty and spicy.

To make a milder version:

  • Reduce chilli flakes and chilli powder
  • Skip green chillies
  • Add extra onion to soften the flavour

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