Pol Sambol
Sri Lanka's fiery coconut relish: freshly grated coconut rubbed with pounded red onion, chilli and Maldive fish, sharpened with lime. No cooking, ready in 10 minutes.
Method
Get the coconut ready. Thaw frozen coconut at room temperature; if you only have desiccated coconut, sprinkle it with just enough warm water to dampen it, leave for 10 minutes, then squeeze. It should feel moist but not wet.
Finely chop the red onion and pound it in a mortar with the chilli flakes, chilli powder, Maldive fish, salt and pepper for , into a coarse red paste. It's ready when the onion releases its juice and the chilli looks moist. No mortar? Chop the onion as finely as you can and crush everything in a bowl with the back of a spoon.
Add in this stepRed onion (or shallots) 30 gChilli flakes 1 tspFine chilli powder (or cayenne) ½ tspMaldive fish flakes (or bonito flakes) 2 tspSalt ½ tspGround black pepper 1 pinch
Add the coconut and rub it between your fingertips for , until it is evenly orange-red and slightly moist all over. This rubbing is what binds the flavours together. The chilli is hot, so wear food-safe gloves, or wash your hands with soap straight afterwards and don't touch your eyes.
Add in this stepGrated coconut (fresh or frozen) 100 g
Squeeze in the lime juice, mix well and taste. Adjust with a little more salt or lime until salty, sour, hot and nutty are in balance. Serve right away with hoppers, string hoppers, bread, or rice and curry.
Add in this stepLime ½
Cook's tip
Freshly grated coconut gives the best flavour. No Maldive fish? Crush bonito flakes between your fingers or pound a few dried shrimp. Fresh coconut spoils quickly, so eat it the same day, or refrigerate and finish it the next.
Cooking it at camp
No heat needed, so it's perfect for camping. Thaw frozen coconut in the cooler, and pre-mix the dry seasoning (chilli, Maldive fish, salt) at home in a small tub. Instead of a mortar, put the onion and seasoning in a zip bag and bash it with a bottle.