About the dish
Pol sambol is the simplest and most common accompaniment in Sri Lankan cooking – pol is Sinhala for ‘coconut’. Freshly grated coconut is pounded in a stone mortar or rubbed by hand with chilli flakes, red onion, salt and lime juice until it turns orange, and a little Maldive fish (umbalakada), cured dried tuna, adds depth. It is hot, sour, salty and gently sweet from the coconut all at once. It is served with rice and curry, hoppers, bread and kiribath, rice cooked in coconut milk.
Main ingredients
- coconut
- chilli flakes
- red onion
- lime
- Maldive fish
- salt
