Thakkali Sambola, Sri Lankan Tomato Sambol
Thakkali sambola is the Sri Lankan tomato relish that lands on the table beside rice and curry, a raw, crushed sambol where lime and chile stand in for the salt and, in this version, for the coconut too. Dressing the paper-thin onion in lime first is what tames its rawness, and massaging the whole bowl by hand, rather than gently stirring, is what makes a sambola: the tomato bruises, gives up its juice, and the flavors bleed together. It comes together in the time it takes to slice an onion, and it is best eaten fresh, before the tomato softens.
Ingredients
- 3 wholes Fresh tomatoes, diced small
- 1/2 whole Red onions, sliced paper-thin
- 1 whole Indian green chile, minced
- 1/2 tsp pure chile powder
- 1/4 tsp Black peppercorns, cracked
- 1 tbsp Lime juice
- 2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
Method
- Slice the red onion as thin as you can and drop it into a bowl with the lime juice while you prepare everything else. A few minutes in the acid takes the raw bite off the onion and turns it soft and pink, which is the point of dressing it first.
- Add the diced tomatoes, minced green chile, chile powder, and cracked pepper. Use ripe, flavorful tomatoes: with no salt and no coconut in the bowl, the tomato is the dish, so it has to taste of something.
- Squeeze and massage the mixture with your fingers for a few seconds, just enough to bruise the tomato and let it weep a little juice. A sambola is meant to be crushed together, not merely stirred, so the flavors run into one another.
- Fold in the cilantro and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving alongside rice and curry or with kiri bath. It is at its best within the hour, while the onion is still crisp and the tomato has not gone slack.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 50 calories, 2 g protein, 2 g fiber, 15 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.
