Toasted-Chilli Pol Sambol with Curry Leaf Tempering

Method

1. Prepare the coconut. Pierce one of the eyes with a skewer and pour out the water, then hold the coconut in a towel and tap firmly around its middle with the back of a heavy knife, turning it, until it cracks in half. Grate only the white flesh with a coconut scraper or fine grater, leaving the brown inner skin behind. Frozen fresh coconut also works.

2. Toast the dried chillies and Maldive fish in a dry pan on medium-low heat for 2 min, stirring, until the chillies turn deep red and smell nutty, then tip them onto a plate to cool. Burnt chilli turns bitter, so take them off before they darken too much. The smoke is pungent; open a window.

   Add in this stepWhole dried red chillies 3Maldive fish flakes (or bonito flakes) 2 tsp

   medium-low heat

3. Pound the cooled chillies, Maldive fish, peppercorns and coarse salt in a mortar into coarse flakes. Add the sliced shallots and green chilli and pound for 3 min more into a rough, juicy paste. The coarse salt acts as an abrasive and helps everything break down.

   Add in this stepBlack peppercorns 6Coarse sea salt ½ tspShallots (or red onion) 35 gGreen chilli 1

4. Add the grated coconut and rub it with gloved fingertips for 2 min, until the chilli paste coats every strand and the coconut is evenly orange. Sri Lankan homes do this on a miris gala (grinding stone) for an even moister result.

   Add in this stepFreshly grated coconut (from about 1/4 to 1 whole coconut) 120 g

5. Warm the coconut oil in a small pan on medium heat, add the curry leaves and fry for 1 min, until they turn translucent and crisp, then pour the leaves and oil over the sambol. Dry the leaves well first, as wet leaves spit; keep your face back.

   Add in this stepVirgin coconut oil 1 tspFresh curry leaves 8

   medium heat

6. Squeeze in the lime juice, toss lightly, taste and finish with salt and lime. Serve at once with hoppers, kiribath (coconut milk rice), roti, or rice and curry.

   Add in this stepLime ½