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Pol sambol

Local name : පොල් සම්බෝල

A bright relish of freshly grated coconut worked with chilli, red onion and lime, ready in ten minutes flat.

VeganGluten-free#condiment#coconut#chilli#raw#quick
Pol sambol

Photo : Dan arndt · CC BY-SA 4.0

Prep
10 min
Cook
0 min
Total
10 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Easy

Method

  1. If using desiccated coconut, cover it with 80 ml warm water and leave to swell for 10 minutes, then squeeze lightly.
  2. In a mortar or a wide bowl, crush the red onion, chilli flakes, paprika and salt together into a coarse red paste.
  3. Add the coconut and rub the mixture through your fingers for a good two minutes, so every shred takes on colour.
  4. Add the lime juice and pepper, then mix again.
  5. Taste and adjust: the sambol should be assertively salty, hot and sour, since it seasons the rice it sits beside.
  6. Rest for 10 minutes, then serve in small mounds next to rice, dhal or roti.

Pol sambol is traditionally worked on a grinding stone, which coaxes the oil out of the coconut. It keeps for two days in the fridge but is far better on the day it is made.

Nutrition · per serving

Calories
107 kcal
Protein
1.4 g
Fat
8.8 g
Carbohydrate
7.8 g
Fibre
3.3 g

An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make pol sambol with desiccated coconut?

Yes, as long as you rehydrate it: covered with 80 ml of warm water for ten minutes, it softens again. Used dry it stays rasping and soaks up the lime juice without ever loosening. Freshly grated coconut is still better, as it brings its own oil.

Why pound the onion and chilli before adding the coconut?

Pounding draws out the onion juice and the colour from the chilli, which then stain every shred of coconut. Simply stirring everything together leaves pieces of onion sitting in white coconut, and the sambol tastes and looks flat.

How long does it keep, and how boldly should I season it?

Two days in the fridge, though the coconut loses its perfume after the first day. Season assertively, salty, hot and sour, because the sambol is there to lift plain rice or dhal: tasted on its own it should seem deliberately over the top.

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