AI-generated photo.
Sri Lankan · Iconic, Island · Sri Lanka
Pol sambol
Also called පොල් සම්බෝල
Pol sambol (පොල් සම්බෝල), a Island plate from Sri Lanka.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Pol sambol is cooked in Island as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Chop coconut with chili, lime, onion, and a little anchovy. Dried Maldive fish is the usual savor. Anchovy does that job. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
63
Health score
Rich, enjoy occasionally
Indulgent
Richness
Gentle
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 6%
- Carbs 17%
- Fat 77%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Watch · High protein
Protein is about 2.7 g, under the 25 g mark.
Watch · Low sodium
About 463 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
The heat is more than a gentle bowl wants.
Watch · Kid-friendly
The heat is above a mild mark.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Fresh coconut124 kcal
- Olive oil31 kcal
- Anchovy9 kcal
- Red onion8 kcal
- Lime juice2 kcal
- Thai chili1 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 2. Low confidence: some starch has no glycemic index in the table, so that part uses a middle band.
Portion
One serving is about 175 kcal. Two portions would be about 350 kcal if you want a fuller plate.
Allergens. Fish
Make it healthier
Serve three-quarters of the plate
The ingredient mix stays the same. Calories are three-quarters of the counted serving.
About 131 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 175 kcal | 9% |
| Protein | 2.7 g | 5% |
| Carbohydrate | 7.8 g | 3% |
| Fiber | 3.6 g | 13% |
| Total sugars | 3.4 g | 7% |
| Fat | 15.7 g | 20% |
| Saturated fat | 11 g | 55% |
| Cholesterol | 4 mg | 1% |
| Sodium | 463 mg | 20% |
| Potassium | 191 mg | 4% |
| Calcium | 19 mg | 1% |
| Iron | 1.1 mg | 6% |
| Magnesium | 17 mg | 4% |
| Zinc | 0.5 mg | 5% |
| Vitamin A | 1 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 8.8 mg | 10% |
| Vitamin D | 0.1 mcg | 1% |
| Vitamin E · estimate | 0.9 mg | 6% |
| Vitamin K · estimate | 19 mcg | 16% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0 mg | 3% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0 mg | 2% |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.1 mg | 7% |
| Vitamin B6 · estimate | 0.1 mg | 4% |
| Folate · estimate | 20 mcg | 5% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 mcg | 2% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Saturated fat is moderate to high. Worth noticing if cholesterol is on your mind.
- Fish here is a commonly eaten, lower-mercury choice when fully cooked. Follow your own pregnancy fish guidance.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Scale
- Mixing bowl
- Sharp knife
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Fresh coconut1 cup140 g
Thai chili4 chilies12 g
Lime juice1 tbsp25 ml
Red onion0.5 onion70 g
Anchovy4 fillets18 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
Olive oil1 tbsp15.38 ml
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Pol sambol. Heat to the refrigerator at 40°F / 4°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh fresh coconut, thai chili, lime juice, red onion, anchovy, kosher salt, olive oil. Pol sambol is cooked in Island as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Chop coconut with chili, lime, onion, and a little anchovy. Dried Maldive fish is the usual savor. Anchovy does that job. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Pol sambol is cooked in sri lanka. Also called පොල් සම්බෝල. A no-cook plate still needs salt and a rest so the dressing soaks in.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Pol sambol, until the edges take a little color. Cold plates mute salt. Taste again after the food has rested a minute.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Pol sambol at the refrigerator at 40°F / 4°C. Start checking at 24 minutes. Pol sambol is done when it tastes seasoned after the chill, and the dressing or brine coats every piece.
Chill 24 min
- 🇱🇰 Sri LankaSouth Asiaicon-sri-lanka-pol-sambol-step-4
Pol sambol, step 5
Step 5 · Pol sambol
5Check the center of Pol sambol, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇱🇰 Sri LankaSouth Asiaicon-sri-lanka-pol-sambol-step-5
Pol sambol, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Pol sambol for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in sri lanka, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Pol sambol in this shot order and no other: scale and bowls in a flat lay; the slice or ladle hitting a warm plate; a grill grate just before the food lands; fish just turning opaque and flaking. Slate words for the editor: anchor, undercrust, pebble, kettle, honeyed, hearthside, drift, willow, ramekin, shimmer.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Pol sambol is done when it tastes seasoned after the chill, and the dressing or brine coats every piece.
If it goes wrong
- Pol sambol looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Pol sambol turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cover Pol sambol and refrigerate it the same day. Eat it within 2 days. Do not leave a dressed or creamy cold plate at room temperature.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Pol sambol is one of the plates people ask for by name from Island.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Chop coconut with chili, lime, onion, and a little anchovy. Dried Maldive fish is the usual savor. Anchovy does that job.
Allergens in the required list: Fish.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.