Pol Sambol (Coconut Sambol)

Another iconic Sri Lankan dish is Pol Sambol, a traditional coconut relish that is a staple in Sri Lankan cuisine. It’s often enjoyed with rice, hoppers, roti, or string hoppers. Here's how to make it:

Pol Sambol (Coconut Sambol)

Ingredients:

1 cup freshly grated coconut  (or unsweetened desiccated coconut if fresh is not available)

1 small red onion  (or shallot), finely chopped

2-3 dried red chilies  (adjust to taste)

1-2 fresh green chilies  (optional, for extra heat)

1 tbsp lime juice (or to taste)

1 tsp salt  (adjust to taste)

1 tsp Maldive fish flakes  (optional, for authentic flavor)

1 tsp sugar (optional, to balance flavors)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Ingredients:

• If you are using desiccated coconut, you might have to moisten it by pouring a little warm water over it and leaving it for some time.

• You can chop the red onion or shallot into very fine pieces.

2. Grind the Chilies:

• The dried red chilies were then ground using a mortar and pestle (or spice grinder) to form a course powder. One may also include the fresh green chilies if any and grind along with the above-mentioned ingredients.

• When grinding the chilies, you should put salt into the chilies so that they will easily break down.

3. Mix the Sambol:

• In a large bowl mix the grated coconut, ground chilies, and chopped onion.
• Optional, but to enhance all the umami goodness, add the flakes of Maldive fish.

• Finally, add the lime juice and stir the contents by hand or with a spoon. Experiment for a while to get the flavor correctly: salt, lime, chili.

4. Optional Step - Add Sugar: Optional Step - Add Sugar:

• If more sweetness is desired the sugar is added while stirring the content of the container gently.

5. Serve:

• This Pol Sambol should be served as a side dish with rice, roti, or any Sri Lankan curry. It’s best enjoyed fresh.

Tips:

• Use is very flexible: Sambol Pol balances spice with chili and lime, where you can add as little or as much of the latter two as you prefer.
• For a finer consistency, you might chop the ingredients in a food processor but otherwise, it is done manually to make the fries chunky.

Pol Sambol is quite simply delicious, colorful, and a must-have condiment that enhances the taste of any food, by adding a sharp yet sweet spice to it.