
White pol sambol
- Published: 28 Jan 25
- Updated: 28 Jan 25
Fresh, fiery, sweet and sour all at once, pol sambol is a traditional Sri Lankan relish made of finely ground or grated coconut spiked with chilli and lime. This white sambol recipe from Eroshan Meewella is one of those incredible little things you can put on the table and it’ll instantly bring every other dish to life.

Serve alongside Eroshan’s roasted beef curry.
Along with his wife Aushi, Eroshan opened Sri Lankan restaurant Kolamba in London’s Soho in 2019. Serving a menu of dishes inspired by the food they ate growing up on the island, its success led to a second restaurant, Kolamba East, which opened near Liverpool Street in 2024. Follow them on Instagram at @kolamba.ldn
Before you start
Pol sambol loses its potency after a few hours so it’s worth making a fresh batch for each meal.
Ingredients
- 140g fresh coconut, finely grated
- 2 small shallots, finely chopped
- 1 green bird’s eye chilli, very finely sliced
- 2 cherry tomatoes, seeds removed and finely chopped
- Squeeze lime juice, plus wedges to serve
- 2 coriander sprigs, finely chopped
Method
- Mix all the ingredients, season with a pinch of salt, then serve with lime wedges to squeeze over.
- Recipe from February 2025 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 90kcals
- Fat
- 8.4g (7.3g saturated)
- Protein
- 0.8g
- Carbohydrates
- 1.4g (1.2g sugars)
- Fibre
- 2.4g
- Salt
- 0.5g
Buy ingredients online
Rate & review
Rate
Reviews
Subscribe to our magazine
Food stories, skills and tested recipes, straight to your door... Enjoy 5 issues for just £5 with our special introductory offer.
Subscribe
Unleash your inner chef
Looking for inspiration? Receive the latest recipes with our newsletter