Sri Lankan Pol Sambol Recipe
Though Pol Sambol is not officially designated as Sri Lanka’s national dish, it is often considered an unofficial one due to its widespread popularity and presence in many Sri Lankan meals. With Sri Lanka’s tropical climate and abundant coastline, coconut is a staple crop, and traditional Pol Sambol recipes make good use of fresh coconut.Recently, Pol Sambol has embraced cultural fusion. A variant known as White Pol Sambol incorporates South American habanero peppers, either replacing or complementing traditional chili peppers. Pol Sambol is a Sri Lankan coconut relish made with fresh coconut, dried chili pepper, Asian shallots, salt, and lime juice. This no-cook, vegetarian dish is enjoyed at any time of day and is a staple in many Sri Lankan households.
Ingredients
- Fresh shredded coconut – 1 cup
- Asian shallots, chopped – 3
- Dried red chili – 8
- Salt – to taste
- Lime juice – 1-2 tsp
Instructions
- Prepare your ingredients. Chop your shallots and grind red chili and salt together into flakes. If not using whole red chilis, you can use 2 tsp of chili flakes.
- Add chili flakes and salt to your mortar and pestle and grind until it becomes a coarse powder.
- Add the chopped shallots and grind more, until a coarse paste. Make sure you do not over-grind the onion, as they will become bitter, and give your Pol Sambol a bitter and slightly astringent taste.
- Add in shredded coconut and pound with the pestle until ingredients are well mixed.
- Keep grinding until there are no white coconut pieces left. Add your lime juice and taste test. Adjust amounts of salt and lime juice according to preference.
Nutrition
Calories: 1671kcalCarbohydrates: 100gProtein: 98gFat: 99gSaturated Fat: 36gCholesterol: 269mgSodium: 5541mgFiber: 11gSugar: 28g
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