Name: Pol Sambol (Coconut Relish)
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 small onion, roughly chopped; 1 garlic clove, halved; 1 medium tomato, cut into quarters; 5 black peppercorns; 1 green chilli, deseeded; ¾ tsp chilli powder; 5 fresh curry leaves; 200g (7oz / 2 ½ cups) freshly grated or desiccated (shredded) coconut; 1 tsp Maldive fish, crushed (optional); juice of ½ lime; salt

Photo of a bowl of Sri Lankan coconut relish from our the Pol Sambol recipe from Sri Lanka the cookbook shown on a placemat.

Photo by Kim Lightbody

Coconut palms grow in abundance on Sri Lanka, and the fruits find their way into just about every meal in some form. Pol Sambol (like all sambols) is a versatile, vivid relish, given an intense hit of flavour from Maldive fish: smoked, sun-dried tuna, flaked and used sparingly.

Recipe notes

Passion Fruit Curd

Tangy and sunny, this curd can be made with either fresh or frozen pulp.

Kimchi Bloody Mary

The kimchi brine is the secret hero here; just a splash of it brightens the cocktail while deepening it with a little funky je ne sais quoi.

Black Sesame Tofu “Basque” Cheesecake

There are many things that appeal about a Basque cheesecake—it's crustless (one less job) and is meant to look “rustic” with its wrinkled and jagged sides.

Moo Ping (Thai Grilled Pork Skewers)

This version of pork skewers is made in the oven, which tastes just as good, but you could always throw these on the grill for a version closer to the original.

Southern Thai Fried Chicken (Gai Tod Hat Yai)

This is one of the best fried chickens ever. From southern Thailand, gai hat yai is known for its crispy skin, great aromatics, and super juicy meat.

XO Sauce

Developed in the 1980s by a chef in Hong Kong, this sauce is all about umami.

Not-So-Secret Burger Sauce

Every sauce needs a few secrets. Ours is smoky, sweet, and savory—use it for burgers, fries, tenders, and more.

Green Curry Mussels

The mussels here add their beautiful, briny juices into the curry, which turn this into a stunning and spectacular dish.