Probably one of the simplest of Sri Lankan dishes, the humble pol (coconut) sambol is a much favoured side dish to most Sri Lankan meals.

Being the world’s fifth largest producer of coconuts, its no wonder Sri Lankan cuisine is based essentially around coconut. Coconut sambol usually accompanies a starch staple such as rice, bread, or stringhoppers along with other curries. It also pairs will with Sri Lankan pancakes (crepes) and with waffles (savory not sweet). Coconut sambol is so well rounded as a dish, it doesn’t need an accompanying curry to make a complete meal alongside the starch of choice. Not only is it delicious all by itself, a meal of rice and coconut sambol can be considered a nutritious and balanced meal, with the coconut providing the protein and fats needed. Thus, the meal, in olden times, has been referred to as the poor man’s meal as both rice and coconut used to be cheaply and widely accessible.

Traditionally the coconut sambol is made on a stone called the “miris gala” or chili stone, which is the traditional implement used to grind spices and pastes used in Sri Lankan cooking. The equipment consists of a flat, rectangular stone and a separate oblong stone which is used to crush and grind as it is moved back and forth over the base stone. It is becoming rare to see these in modern Sri Lankan kitchens. A mortar and pestle works well in the absence of the “miris gala”.

Ingredients

• 1 cup grated coconut
• 4-5 shallots thinly sliced
• 1-2 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tbsp Maldive-fish flakes (omit for vegan version)
• ½ tsp salt or to taste
• 2 tsp Lime or to taste
• Kashmiri chili powder (optional)
• Pinch black pepper (optional)

Method

Pound or grind chili flakes, salt, and Maldive-fish. Add the onions and continue grinding/pounding. Add the coconut and grind or pound well, mixing intermittently well with the hand or a spoon. Transfer to a bowl. (If your mortar is too small, transfer contents to a bowl and add the coconut to the bowl instead.) Add lime juice to taste. Mix well (preferably using your hands; give it a good squeezing!). Add pepper and Kashmiri chili powder if using. Kashmiri chili allows you to get a lovely orange-red colour without increasing the spice level of your sambol too much.

Coconut sambol or pol sambol is an integral part of the PPP (Paan, Parippu, and Polsambol) meal in Sri Lanka.