Taste Sri Lanken Food and Fusion at The Curry Pot
By Stacey Gregory
Discover international flavors from The Curry Pot, a family-owned and -operated food truck serving dishes inspired by Sri Lanka, an Indian Ocean island influenced by the Portuguese, Dutch, British, Indian, Arab, Malay, and Moor cultures. The closest Sri Lankan food Amjaad (AJ) and Shuhana (Shu) Jhan could find was in Texas or California, so they started The Curry Pot food truck in 2016.
“One amazing thing about Tucson is there’s a lot of variety, and there’s a lot of people who like to try different dishes and new things,” said AJ. “One of our regular customers said if Indian and Thai food had a baby, that’s what we serve. We also have a fusion menu with curry quesadillas and curry fries.”
AJ makes all the chicken and meat curries and other sides, while Shu creates all the vegetarian curries, samosas, and other menu items. Their vegetarian dishes are vegan because they use coconut milk instead of yogurt or dairy products. The most popular dishes on the menu are the chicken curry bowl and the beef or vegan samosas, and vegan side dishes. Plus, all of their rice and curries are gluten-free. Kids can order cheese quesadillas or cheesy fries, and everyone will want dessert.
“There’s a misconception that all of our food is spicy. Our curries are actually about a four out of 10 on the spiciness meter,” said AJ. “Some brave souls want to go up to 10, and we can make that, too. Our mildest dish is the curry quesadilla, the cheese tones down the spice. We also offer free samples.”
You can find The Curry Pot every Thursday night at Casa Video and Film Bar and various locations on Saturday and Sunday; the schedule is posted on social media and their website.
Looking for more unique dining experiences, check out the Dining Guide