Pol sambol (coconut sambol) is the little dish that makes a Sri Lankan meal feel complete. It takes five minutes, needs no cooking, and turns plain rice and bread into something you'll happily eat on its own. Traditionally it's ground on a miris gala (grinding stone), but a bowl and a little elbow grease — or a quick pulse in a food processor — work perfectly at home.
The magic is in scrunching everything together so the coconut soaks up the chilli, lime and onion. Use freshly grated coconut if you can; desiccated coconut works if you rehydrate it first.
Ingredients
- 1 cup freshly grated coconut (or 3/4 cup desiccated coconut, see note)
- 1–2 tbsp red chilli powder, or 2 tbsp fresh pounded red chilli, to taste
- 1 small red onion (or 1/2 regular red onion), very finely chopped
- 1 tsp Maldive fish flakes (umbalakada), optional
- 1 tbsp lime juice, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp salt, to taste
- 1 small clove garlic, optional
Method
- If using desiccated coconut, sprinkle it with 2–3 tablespoons of warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes to soften and plump up.
- In a mortar or a wide bowl, combine the chilli powder, chopped onion, Maldive fish, garlic (if using) and salt. Pound or scrunch together with your fingers for a minute until the onion breaks down and everything turns a deep red.
- Add the coconut and work it all together with your hands, squeezing and rubbing, so the coconut takes on the colour and the flavours combine.
- Add the lime juice and mix again. Taste, then adjust salt, chilli and lime until it's bright, salty and hot in balance.
- Serve at room temperature. It's best fresh, but keeps in the fridge for up to two days.
Cook's notes
- Work it with your hands — pressing the coconut against the chilli and onion is what develops the flavour.
- No Maldive fish? Leave it out for a vegan sambol, or add a pinch extra salt.
- Balance is everything: it should taste hot, sour and salty all at once. Keep tasting.
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