CBL

CBL, Ceylon Biscuits Limited, is one of Sri Lanka's largest food companies, best known for Munchee biscuits. Lanka Soy is its soya meat line, made from textured soya protein in small chunks that rehydrate into a firm, chewy bite.

The full CBL range on our shelves sits in flavoured soya meat, part of the soya category in our dals and pulses department. Alongside the regular plain pack, the flavoured versions are inspired by Sri Lankan dishes: curry, devilled chicken, devilled cuttlefish, devilled prawn, roast chicken, chilli chicken, polos curry and kiri malu, the mild coconut milk fish curry, as well as ambul thiyal, the sour fish dish of the south.

Soya meat is cooked in Sri Lankan homes as a red curry with onion, tomato, chilli powder and curry leaves, or devilled with onion, capsicum and tomato sauce, which makes a popular side for fried rice and a filling for short eats. It also goes into kottu, noodles and vegetable rotti. The plain pack lets you season it entirely your own way, while the flavoured packs give a ready made profile for a quick meal. For a mild dish to serve children, kiri malu is the gentle choice; for heat, pick the devilled or chilli flavours.

To prepare soya meat, soak the chunks in hot salted water until soft, then squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands. This step matters, as squeezed soya absorbs the curry instead of tasting watery. Sealed packs keep for months in a dry cupboard. To compare CBL with another Sri Lankan maker, browse the Delmege range or our plain soya chunks.