If Sri Lanka has a national condiment, this is it. Pol sambol appears at breakfast with hoppers, at lunch with rice and curry, and at dinner smeared inside a slice of bread. Every household makes it slightly differently — this is the baseline to adjust to your taste.
Method
- If you have a grinding stone or mortar, pound the onion, chilli, Maldive fish and salt into a rough paste. Otherwise pulse briefly in a food processor.
- Add the coconut and grind or pulse just until everything is evenly blush-pink. Do not over-process — it should stay fluffy, not turn into a paste.
- Add lime juice, mix with your fingers, and taste. It should hit sour, salty and hot in that order.
- Serve within a few hours — fresh coconut doesn’t keep. It goes with everything: rice, bread, hoppers, string hoppers, or straight off the spoon.