Gova Sambola, Sri Lankan Cabbage and Carrot Sambol
Gova sambola is the raw cabbage salad that rounds out a Sri Lankan rice and curry plate: finely shaved cabbage and carrot brought to life with onion, green chile, and lime. It is worth keeping straight from cabbage mallung, which is cooked and, in the classic version, laced with coconut. This one stays raw and sharp, coconut-free by design, and leans on a minute of hand-scrunching to wilt the cabbage and spread the lime. It is the cheapest thing on this list and among the quickest, a bowl of crunch to cut through a heavier curry.
Ingredients
- 4 cups green cabbage, shredded very thin
- 1 cup Carrots, grated
- 1/2 whole Red onions, sliced thin
- 1 whole Indian green chile, minced
- 2 tbsp Lime juice
- 1/4 tsp Black peppercorns, cracked
Method
- Shred the cabbage as thin as you can manage, almost shaved. Thin shreds take up the lime and turn from raw to tender without any cooking, which is the whole idea of a raw sambol.
- Toss the cabbage with the grated carrot, sliced onion, and minced green chile in a wide bowl.
- Add the lime juice and cracked pepper and scrunch everything together with your hands for a full minute. Working it by hand wilts the cabbage slightly and drives the acid through it, and that acid is what stands in for salt.
- Let the bowl rest 10 minutes so the cabbage softens and the flavors settle, then toss again and serve. It holds its crunch for a few hours, longer than most sambols.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 35 calories, 1 g protein, 3 g fiber, 20 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
