Pol Sambol (Sri Lankan Coconut Sambol)
SRI LANKAN · SRI LANKA

Pol Sambol (Sri Lankan Coconut Sambol)

පොල් සම්බෝලSide

Freshly scraped coconut pounded with chilli, lime and Maldive fish: fierce, pink with chilli oil, and impossible to stop eating. This is the sambol that sits on every Sri Lankan table, fired up with raw onion and cured fish funk.

Total
15 min
Heat
4/5
Serves
4

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Flavour profile

Heat
Funk
Acid
Richness
Umami
  • Fresh
  • Funky
  • Sour
  • Spicy

The real deal

Region
Sri Lanka. Pol sambol is the daily coconut relish of the Sinhalese table, eaten with rice and curry, string hoppers, hoppers or bread.
Technique
Pounding, not blending: scraping the coconut fresh and grinding it with chilli, Maldive fish and lime so it stays loose and juicy, never a paste.
We kept
Fresh coconut, Maldive fish, red chilli, red onion and lime; no desiccated coconut, no blender.

Ingredients

4 Serves

sambol

  • 250 g · freshly scraped, from half a mature coconut
  • 2 tsp
  • 2 tsp · crushed
  • 1 · finely chopped
  • 1
  • 2 pinches

Method

  1. Scrape the flesh from half a mature coconut into fine shreds, or use the fine-toothed side of a box grater. You want about 250 g : loose, damp and sweet-smelling. Chop the very fine. Finer than you think you need: it should disappear into the coconut rather than crunch raw and sharp.

    Fresh scraped coconut carries its own milk, which is what makes pol sambol juicy. Desiccated coconut will need a splash of coconut milk and still tastes flatter, drier and slightly gritty.

  2. In a heavy mortar, grind the to a soft, flaky paste together with the and a pinch of . Work it with the pestle until it stops being gritty and starts smelling smoky and strong, about 1 min.

    Maldive fish is hard and salty; crush it first between your fingers or give it a quick crush with the pestle before adding the chilli, or it stays in stubborn chips.

  3. Add the coconut, a handful at a time, and pound and turn it with the pestle rather than smashing it. The coconut should darken to a deep pink, loosen and start glistening with its own milk, about 2 min. Scrape down the sides as you go.

    Pounding, not buzzing in a processor: a blender turns it into a wet paste with no texture. If you must use a machine, pulse in short bursts and stop the moment it comes together.

  4. Fold through the . Squeeze in the juice of the , taste, and add more salt or chilli until it is fiercely sour, hot and salty all at once. Serve straight away, or within the hour while it is still juicy.

    It is meant to be sharp enough to make your eyes water and salty enough to make you reach for rice. Taste with a piece of bread or rice, not a spoon, and adjust.

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