Coconut Sambol Pol Sambol

I recall my father being in the kitchen and preparing a large bowl of his freshly scraped coconut sambol—his sleeves rolled up, and his hands working away at making sure that all the ingredients and the coconut were well combined, sprinkling in the chili and the Maldives fi sh. A fi nal squeeze of lime would fi nish the dish. Coconut sambol is one of my favourite Sri Lankan treats, although it is really a side dish for main grains such as string hoppers, hoppers, coconut roti (page 59), and milk rice (page 51). Coconut sambol is a striking dish because of its orange hue—a result of the addition of cayenne and/or paprika. T h e sambol preparation is a perfect way to take advantage of the island’s resplendent variety of fruits and vegetables. Sambol is a mixed preparation of fi nely cut raw fruit or vegetables combined with chili, lime, sometimes dried Maldives fi sh or dried prawn, and usually a generous seasoning of salt. Some sambols may be tempered with additional condiments and/or spices. Common preparations are coconut sambol and onion chili sambol. However, other fruits or vegetables may be used (and when fruits or vegetables are used, Sri Lankans sometimes interchangeably use the words sambol and sambola). It is common for coconut sambol to be toasted so that it may be kept for longer or even frozen, which works very well for its inclusion in rice bundles. To do this, quickly temper (see page 42) 2 Tbsp chopped red onion, 5 ripped curry leaves, and 1 tsp black mustard seeds together. Add the coconut sambol to the tempered mixture, quickly mixing and folding it with a spoon until all the moisture is removed and the coconut mixture is dry and nicely toasted.

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Step 1

• Place the coconut, onion, cayenne, paprika, Maldives fi sh (if using), and salt in a large bowl. Using your hands, mix all the ingredients together to ensure all of the coconut is coated. Taste and adjust the salt. Add the lime juice over everything, mix again to combine, and taste, adding more lime juice if preferred. Serve fresh.