Mukunuwenna Sambol is a Sri Lankan raw green salad — mukunuwenna (a tender, slightly nutty leafy green unique to Sri Lanka) mixed with freshly grated coconut, onion, lime, and chili. Unlike the cooked mallum (already in the database), this sambol is raw, the freshest, brightest version of Sri Lanka's beloved greens.
Mukunuwenna Sambol is a raw green salad from Sri Lanka, using mukunuwenna (Alternanthera sessilis, a tender leafy green that grows wild across the island). Unlike Mallum (already in the database, where the greens are lightly cooked), this sambol is completely raw — the greens are finely chopped and mixed with grated coconut, finely diced onion, lime juice, green chili, and salt. The raw preparation preserves the fresh, slightly nutty flavor of the greens. Mukunuwenna is uniquely Sri Lankan in its culinary use — while the plant grows elsewhere, only in Sri Lanka is it a daily salad green.
A small bowl of bright green, finely chopped greens mixed with white coconut, flecked with red onion and green chili. The taste is fresh, slightly nutty, with the sharpness of lime and the gentle heat of chili. It is the rawest, brightest, most alive dish on the Sri Lankan table.
The greens must be very fresh (wilted greens don't work raw). They are finely chopped (not shredded — the smaller the better). The coconut must be freshly grated (desiccated coconut lacks the moisture and flavor). The lime juice and salt are added just before serving (they wilt the greens if added too early). The sambol should be eaten immediately.
Variations
Some add dried fish; some use different greens; some add tomato; the chili amount varies.
On the Palate
Where Mukunuwenna Sambol sits in the Sri Lankan flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
6 steps · 15 min
- 15 min
Wash 200 g fresh mukunuwenna (or substitute water spinach); drain very well.
- 23 min
Finely chop the greens.
Watch outChop the greens as fine as you can — the finer the better here; the sambol lives on tiny, evenly-cut pieces.
- 33 min
In a bowl, combine the greens with 100 g freshly grated coconut, 1 finely diced onion, 1 chopped green chili, and 1 tbsp chopped curry leaves.
- 42 min
Add juice of 1 lime and 1/2 tsp salt.
Watch outAdd the lime and salt only right before serving — put them in early and they wilt the raw greens into a soggy heap.
- 51 min
Mix well; taste; adjust lime and salt.
- 61 min
Serve immediately with rice.
