Pol Sambol Recipe That Celebrates Sri Lanka's Fresh Coconut Produce
Pol Sambol
20 mins
Cooking Time
Easy
Difficulty
9
Ingredients
Non Veg
Diet
Pol sambol is a spicy, coconut-based condiment in Sri Lankan cuisine. This spicy and tangy relish is a combination of creamy coconut, red onions, red chilli powder, lime juice, and salt. Lime juice adds a touch of zest to the recipe, and Maldive fish flakes are added for a mild umami flavour. There is a similar version of this recipe known as thengai thogayal, and the best part is that they are both made using a stone grinder, but with different ingredients.
Other variations differ from this condiment in their profiles, such as lunu miris, which omits coconut for a sharper spice that complements kiribath and boiled eggs. On the other hand, there is katta sambol, similar to lunu miris, but it is made from dried tuna, giving it a punchy flavour. Pol sambol recipe is quick and easy to make, and it adds the perfect kick to rice, curry, string hoppers, and coconut roti.
Ingredients
UNITSIngredients
1 cupFresh coconut, grated
1 smallRed onion, finely chopped
1/2 cupCoconut water
1Green chillies, finely chopped
1 tspRed chilli powder
1 mediumLime, juiced
1 tspSalt
2 tspMaldive fish flakes, optional
1 sprigCurry leaves
Plate it up!
Plate it up!
Plating Instructions
Plating Instructions

Plate directly on top of and alongside the string hoppers, forming a golden-brown, crumbly layer over the noodle nest.
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Pairing Instructions
Pairing Instructions

Pair it with hot rice, string hoppers, and coconut roti for a double-coconut hit.
Garnishing Instructions
Garnishing Instructions

Garnish it with finely chopped red or green chilli for extra spiciness.
Katta sambol is an oily, spicy cousin of pol sambol, with the main difference being the use of coconut. Unlike pol sambol, which is made with fresh coconut, katta sambol omits coconut and relies on red chilli, lime, and oil, giving it a more pungent, darker texture.
