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Pol Sambol (Sri Lankan Coconut “Relish”)

Yield:

6 × ¼ cup (30g) servings

Nutrition Preview

65 calories |
0.5g protein |
5.5g fat |
2g net carbs
Pol Sambol
A spicy Sri Lankan coconut relish with fresh lime, chili, and red onion

Pol sambol is a spicy Sri Lankan coconut relish made with fresh grated coconut, chili, onion or shallots, lime juice, and salt. It’s fresh, fiery, tangy, and wonderfully coconutty, with a texture that makes it work as either a condiment or something closer to a dip. I’ve been meaning to make pol sambol for a while now. Fresh grated coconut is readily available in supermarkets here in Abu Dhabi, and this is one of my favorite Sri Lankan dishes.

Pol sambol is typically eaten as an accompaniment to other foods, but when I was in Sri Lanka, I often ordered it with papadams and ate it more like a dip. That’s still one of my favorite ways to enjoy it. For the bowl pictured here, I paired it with my Lupin Flour Protein Chips, which provide plenty of crunch for scooping it up. This version can also be served alongside a meal or anywhere you want a fresh, spicy coconut condiment.

Traditional pol sambol can be very hot and is often considerably redder than mine. I’ve given ranges for the fresh chili, chili powder, and dried chili so you can adjust the heat, but even the lower amounts can produce a fairly spicy result depending on your chilies. Pol sambol also often contains cured dried fish. Since that isn’t included here, I’ve added optional smoked paprika and kelp granules for a little extra smoky, savory flavor. Those additions are not traditional, so feel free to leave them out. A little nori and a few drops of liquid smoke are other options if you happen to have them around.

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Servings: 6

Pol Sambol (Sri Lankan Coconut “Relish”)

Description

A fresh, spicy coconut relish made with grated coconut, red onion, chilies, and lime juice. Adjust the chili to taste and add optional smoked paprika and kelp for extra smoky, savory flavor.

 

Yield: 6 servings of about ¼ cup (30g) each, totaling roughly 1½ cups (175g)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Storage: refrigerated for 3-4 days, or the remaining life of the coconut used.

Ingredients

Cooking Mode Disabled

Instructions

  1. Put the onion, green chili, chili powder, red pepper flakes, paprika, and kelp granules in the bowl of a mortar and pestle or in a mini food processor. Crush or process to a rough paste. Don't overdo it - you don't want a liquid.
  2. Add the coconut and crush/process to fully incorporate. ✎
  3. Add the lime juice and salt (to taste) and mix/process to combine.
  4. Enjoy chilled or at room temperature as a topping, filling, or "dip".

Notes

  • Shallots are more traditional for this recipe, but contain more carbs than onions. If you're being particularly careful about your carb intake, using shallots will add about 0.5g per serving.
  • The spice sold as "chili powder" in the Middle East is simply ground chilis and is quite spicy, maybe a bit milder than cayenne pepper. It's not the chili powder blend we have in North America. You can use cayenne pepper (very spicy) or ancho chili powder (not so spicy) if those are what are available to you. If you want something really not spicy, you could just use some paprika and black pepper to taste.
  • The coconut should probably be a bit more ground up than in my picture. My mortar and pestle was too small to crush the coconut properly, and I didn't want to dirty the food processor halfway through the recipe already.
  • Macros for this recipe are calculated with American national nutritional data (i.e. NCCDB & USDA entries in Cronometer) for all ingredients apart from the kelp granules (Sea Seasonings, Maine Coast Sea Vegetables).
  • Macro numbers are rounded. Numbers equal to or greater than 10g are rounded to the nearest whole number (e.g. 10g, 11g, 12g, etc.) and numbers below 10g are rounded to the nearest 0.5g (0.5g, 1g, 1.5g ... 9g, 9.5g). Any numbers below 0.5g are given as is (e.g. 0.1g, 0.2g, etc.). Calories are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5.
Keywords: pol sambol, Sri Lankan pol sambol, coconut sambol, Sri Lankan coconut sambol, coconut relish, spicy coconut relish, fresh coconut sambol, Sri Lankan coconut relish, vegan pol sambol, keto pol sambol
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Nutrition

Servings: 6
Serving Size: about ¼ cup (30g)
Calories 65
Protein 0.5g
Fat 5.5g
Total Carbs 4g
Fiber 2g
Net Carbs 2g

Total Carbs – (Fiber + Allulose + Sugar Alcohols) = Net Carbs

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