Sri Lankan Coconut Sambol - Pol Sambol

Sri Lankan Coconut Sambol 

නියම ලන්කාවෙ සම්බෝලය

Pol Sambol, a beloved Sri Lankan condiment, is a vibrant and flavorful accompaniment to many traditional meals. In Sinhalese, "Pol" means coconut, and "Sambol" refers to a zesty relish that adds a burst of flavor to any dish it graces.

Sri Lankan Coconut Sambol 

Once tasted, the unique and unforgettable flavor of this cherished dish lingers in memory, captivating the senses with its unique taste.

What makes Pol Sambol so remarkable is its humble list of ingredients. It's astonishing how just a few basic elements can be transformed into a relish that elevates an entire meal. 

Traditionally, Pol Sambol is made using a mortar and pestle or a grinding stone, tools that help achieve the perfect texture and consistency. While many modern kitchens have replaced these with electric gadgets like food processors or hand blenders, the essence of the dish remains intact. For those who prefer a more tactile experience, it can even be mixed by hand, blending the ingredients into a delightful heap.

Though precise measurements are rarely followed—relying instead on instinct and personal taste—you may adjust the proportions of chili powder, salt, or lemon juice to suit your preferences.

Ingredients needed;

I am not mentioning the exact amounts of ingredients as it always depends on your instincts to achieve the right balance of taste. Feel free to add more chilli powder, salt or lemon juice according to your taste.

Gather the following;

• Freshly scraped coconuts

Frozen scraped coconuts (This is available in Asian supermarkets). If fresh coconuts or frozen scraped coconuts are not available where you live, try out desiccated coconuts. You need to soften the desiccated coconuts by soaking it in a little boiling water

• Red chilli powder
• Shallots or red onions
• One or two green chillies
• Green chilli or two
• Garlic cloves - 4 or 5
• Salt
• Lemon juice
• Pepper powder
• Maldive fish chips (Optional)

Let's make;

• Add chilli powder, chopped onions, green chillies, chopped curry leaves, garlic cloves, salt and Maldive fish chips into the pestle
• Pound vigorously until all ground properly
• Now add scraped coconuts and continue pounding until all comes together without any hard bits left
• Once done, scoop it all up and place it in a dish
• Squeeze a quarter of a lemon juice and pepper powder and mix with your fingers
• Serve with hot steamed white rice, bread or rotis

Recipe in Sinhala

නියම ලන්කාවෙ සම්බෝලය

• රතු මිරිස් කුඩු, අමු මිරිස් 2/3, කරපින්චා කොල පොඩිවට කපා , සුදු ලූනු බික් 4/5, ලූනු සහ ලුනු මේවා ඔක්කොම වන්ගෙඩියට දාන්න
• දැන් හොඳින් කොටා ගන්න
• ගා ගත්ත පොල් දමා හොඳින් කොටන්න
• දැන් වෙනම දීසියකට ඔක්කොම දමා ගම්මිරිස් කුඩු , ලෙමන් ඉස්ම දමා අතින් හොඳින් කවලවම් කරන්න . උම්බලකඩ තියනව නම් දාන්න
• කාශ්මීර් මිරිස් කුඩු තියෙනවා නම් ඒවා පාවිච්චි කරන්න . එතකොට මේ වගේ ලස්සන පාටක් එනවා