By Kamanthi Wickramasinghe 

In view of World Vegan Month, a diverse variety of vegan food options were included in a curated menu at Belle Colombo as part of SLYCAN Trust’s ongoing Meatless Monday initiative. 

SLYCAN Trust is a non-profit think tank working on climate policy processes, entrepreneurship, food systems and research analysis, which launched the Meatless Monday Sri Lanka campaign in 2017. One of the main objectives of this programme was to promote Sri Lanka’s plant-based culinary heritage.

According to Dennis Mombauer, Director, Research and Knowledge at SLYCAN Trust, there’s a huge global movement to make food more sustainable and ethical. 

“Plant-based food or non-animal-based food plays a key part in it. We have been taking the Meatless Monday programme to different parts of the country in collaboration with Ethical X. We conduct research with the agriculture sector, communities and universities to identify plant-based protein sources, how they could be used in recipes and eventually replace some of our usual protein sources,” he said. 

In his remarks, Shifaz Ameer, programme coordinator at SLYCAN Trust, said that two key purposes behind the Meatless Monday initiative are nutrition and promoting Sri Lanka as a culinary destination. “We want to raise awareness about locally available plant-based proteins. When you say proteins, it’s mostly attributed to meat. But there are local crops that could be used as alternative sources of protein. Then there are vegan cheese varieties we want to introduce to the community,” he said.

Ameer further said that another key aspect of this campaign is the plant-based gastronomy tour covering different parts of the country. “Here we focus on what is being offered traditionally and how plant-focused these recipes are. It’s about promoting Sri Lanka as a culinary destination. With more consumers looking into the sustainability element before making their choices and with a growing expat community, we have a good potential to explore these elements,” he added.

Food items from local ingredients and locally grown crops were a highlight on the menu. From kohila kottu to jackfruit pittu, crispy nuggets made with a combination of local yams, rice cakes with beetroot toppings, mini-thosai with baby jackfruit toppings and mushroom-based food items showcased the diverse range of food that has been introduced through this initiative.

Through its collaboration with Ethical X: Climate and Innovation Hub, SLYCAN Trust supports entrepreneurs and innovators working on climate-friendly food solutions and plant-based products. 

Sabira Deen, founder of PowerCrunch Granola and cohort member of Ethical X: Climate and Innovation Hub, is known for her hummus and vegan cheese varieties. “We started off with a granola, but when COVID hit, I started making cheeses and slowly shifted into the vegan market. I then realised that there was a big gap, as there was no cheese or other items for the local vegan community. Customers eventually started sending me recipes for the pink hummus made with beetroot and local peppers, for instance. Now I have over 200 products, and I don’t add any preservatives or artificial colours,” she said, speaking to Daily Mirror Life. 

Guests had a chance to try out a range of hummus, vegan cheese varieties such as chèvre made by Sabira. 

Despite being a steakhouse, following its relaunch in 2026, Belle Colombo has already included vegan and vegetarian options on its menu. According to its co-owner and head chef Wishmalak Perera, local yams such as purple yam (Raja Ala), Kiri Ala, Innala, jackfruit, baby jackfruit, mushrooms, kohila, gotukola and different varieties of pulses and heirloom rice are included in its vegan food dishes. 

When asked about the variety of locally-sourced products on the menu, he told Daily Mirror Life about dips made of jackfruit seed powder and cassava powder. “Then there’s a coconut rotti made of rice flour, jackfruit seed powder and cassava powder. We have organic tomatoes sourced from a grower in Sri Lanka. We use local greens such as Gotukola, Mukunuwenna, Sarana and Thampala instead of the usual frisée or iceberg lettuce varieties. There’s a Kiri Ala gnocchi served with a Gotukola pesto, and if someone wants seafood or chicken, we add these options onto it. So the whole idea of this initiative is to showcase what we can do with local ingredients and local flavours,” he said.