Wherever we go, our first love is always a good Pol Sambol. It is the ultimate versatile side dish it goes perfectly with rice, bread, string hoppers, or hoppers. Today, I am sharing the authentic, fresh recipe made from scratch. No cooking required, just pure, fresh ingredients mixed to perfection!
Ingredients
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1.5 cups freshly grated coconut
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6-8 small red onions (shallots)
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1 tbsp dried red chili flakes (or whole dried chilies)
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Juice of half a lime
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Salt to taste
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1 tsp Maldive fish flakes (optional, for extra umami)
Method
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Traditionally, this is done on a grinding stone, but a mortar and pestle works perfectly. Grind the red onions, chili flakes, Maldive fish, and salt into a rough paste.
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Add the freshly grated coconut to the paste and mix everything thoroughly by hand (or lightly pound it) until the coconut turns a vibrant orange-red.
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Squeeze the fresh lime juice over the mixture, give it one final mix, and adjust salt if needed.
I love my sambol bright red and extra flavorful, so I always add a few extra red onions into the mix and use the freshest coconut I can find!
