Pol Sambol for a dinner party — went down extremely well

I made Pol Sambol for eight guests who had varying familiarity with the cuisine. Every single person asked for the recipe. The warming with cinnamon profile was the main talking point — no one had quite experienced goraka dried gamboge used that way before.

Sri Lankan cuisine differs markedly between Sinhalese, Tamil, and Burgher traditions on the same island. I explained the a Jaffna Tamil restaurant context as I served it which helped people appreciate it fully. arrack was what I offered alongside and it worked perfectly. Excellent dinner party dish — impressive without being inaccessible.