Pol sambol

Pol sambola

Traditional pol sambola served on a fresh banana leaf
Alternative names	Pol sambol, thengkai sambol, coconut sambol
Course	Condiments
Place of origin	Sri Lanka
Serving temperature	Room temperature
Main ingredients	coconut, red onion, chillies, salt, lime/lemon

Pol sambola (Template:Lang-si, Template:Lang-ta) is a traditional Sri Lankan dish made from coconut, mostly used as an accompaniment with rice, string hoppers, hoppers, parathas and curries. It is a coconut relish, consisting of freshly grated coconut, red onions, dried whole chilies (or chili powder), lime juice, salt and Maldive fish.

Ingredients

• Coconut
• Red onion
• Ground dry red chillies
• Salt
• Lime or lemon
• Pepper
• Maldive fish (optional)
• Garlic (optional)
• Tomato (optional)

Preparation

The traditional method for preparing pol sambol is to grind the freshly grated coconut, red onion, chillies and maldive fish (umbalakaḍa - a smoked and cured tuna, that is sold in chips or flakes) on a rectangular block of granite with a granite rolling-pin, known as a miris gala. If fresh coconut is unavailable then moistened desiccated coconut can be used as an alternative. Apply the juice of a freshly squeezed lime (or lemon) through the mixture, add salt if needed and serve as a side dish.

A variation can be made by sautéing the pol sambol in mustard seeds, curry leaves and sliced onion, which is called Badapu Pol Sambol (sautéed pol sambol).

See also

• Cuisine of Sri Lanka
• Thenga chammanthi