Coconut Sambal Chicken With Rice

By Kay Chun

Coconut Sambal Chicken With Rice
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(154)
Notes
Read community notes

Sri Lankan coconut sambal is a savory and spicy condiment made mainly from freshly grated coconut, shallots or red onion and fresh or dried chiles. For convenience, this version uses unsweetened shredded coconut instead of fresh, since it’s more accessible and easier to work with. The sambal can be customized to suit varying heat levels; use three chiles for a spicy sambal, or five for even more heat. It’s typically served on the side as an accompaniment to meals, and commonly sprinkled over rice and curries. In this recipe, bright sambal complements lean chicken breast, which benefits from rich, nutty coconut milk. The sambal keeps for about a week in the fridge and is terrific on roasted fish and pork chops, as well as on sautéed spinach or broccoli.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 3 to 5dried chiles de árbol, stemmed and seeded
  • 3ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (about ½ cup)
  • 1cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1⅓cups finely chopped shallots
  • ½cup unsweetened coconut milk, stirred
  • 2tablespoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
  • 1teaspoon granulated sugar
  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
  • ¼cup neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
  • 1½pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3garlic cloves, minced
  • 1tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • ¼cup chopped cilantro
  • Cooked short-grain rice, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

531 calories; 30 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 45 grams protein; 758 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a food processor, combine chiles and tomatoes, and pulse, scraping down the side and bottom of the bowl, until coarsely chopped. Add shredded coconut, ⅓ cup of the shallots, ¼ cup of the coconut milk, the lime juice, sugar and ½ teaspoon salt. Pulse, scraping down the bowl as needed, until well blended and a coarse paste forms, adding a tablespoon of water if the mixture is dry. Transfer mixture to a bowl and season to taste with salt. Let stand to allow flavors to meld while the chicken cooks.

  2. Step 2

    In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high. Add half of the chicken, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Cook the remaining chicken.

  3. Step 3

    Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1 cup shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, and stir until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the remaining ¼ cup coconut milk, the chicken and any accumulated juices, and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is just cooked through and sauce is reduced and thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in half of the cilantro; season with salt and pepper to taste.

  4. Step 4

    Divide chicken among bowls and top with some of the coconut sambal. Garnish with the remaining cilantro and serve with rice and lime wedges for squeezing over the chicken.

Ratings

4 out of 5
154 user ratings
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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Rav

Nope, Sri Lankan here; this sambol requires very few ingredients (at least how I grew up making it). As for the chicken, yeah it seems a little under-seasoned but I think the chef wants the sambol to be the star of the dish :)

DB

Just make it as is, people. It's great.

S_Abey

There are many ways to make Pol Sambal and some people do use tomatoes. I do not. As for the coconut, the next best thing to fresh grated coconut is frozen grated coconut which is readily available in NYC (Asian grocery stores carry Indian and Thai brands but many supermarkets stock the Goya product which is fine). I grind shallots, rock salt, peppercorns and dried chilies into a paste and mix in the grated coconut. Add lime juice and more salt to taste and mix well (with hand).

KS

I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but am surprised that, if it’s a Sri Lankan recipe, it has literally no spices in it. No turmeric, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, nothing?

Taylor

This is also killer with shrimp as the protein - delicious

JP

We substituted 3 large dried poblano peppers for the chiles de arbol, and used coconut cream instead of coconut milk - delicious!

Gwen

The taste of the sambal is excellent, however, I don't think the coconut milk is necessary. It made the sambal watery. One of the suggestions below about using frozen fresh coconut is a good one. I think if I had done that, I would have gotten a better consistency on the Sambal. Otherwise, very tasty!

S

Think this should be touted as "Sri Lankan Coconut Sambal Chicken with Rice" in the header and in newsletters!

CharTruce

This recipe is incredible, so aromatic! One thing I did wrong was use about double the cilantro and I blended it with some of that sambol paste and put that in with the chicken after turning off the heat. The orange of the sambol with the green of the cilantro was a little brown in color, but still so delicious and easier than plucking off all the little cilantro leaves. Thank you for the delicious recipe!

Joao Pereira

Can someone clarify at which point we add the sauce we make in the processor? Not easy to follow

CinSim

Looks like it's a garnish at the end. Read the first sentence of Step 4.

Anne L

For the unsweetened coconut milk- am I to use coconut milk from a can, or coconut milk from a box?

TY

The chicken instructions were kind of confusing. Not sure why they had to be cooked in two batches because the whole amount of chicken could fit into the pan. Also, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to take the second half of the chicken out of the pan after it cooked or if I was supposed to season it when it went in. There could definitely be more cilantro than 1/4 cup. Took us about an hour and a half to make because of the prep work. But overall, we enjoyed it!

DB

Just make it as is, people. It's great.

S_Abey

There are many ways to make Pol Sambal and some people do use tomatoes. I do not. As for the coconut, the next best thing to fresh grated coconut is frozen grated coconut which is readily available in NYC (Asian grocery stores carry Indian and Thai brands but many supermarkets stock the Goya product which is fine). I grind shallots, rock salt, peppercorns and dried chilies into a paste and mix in the grated coconut. Add lime juice and more salt to taste and mix well (with hand).

KS

I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but am surprised that, if it’s a Sri Lankan recipe, it has literally no spices in it. No turmeric, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, nothing?

Rav

Nope, Sri Lankan here; this sambol requires very few ingredients (at least how I grew up making it). As for the chicken, yeah it seems a little under-seasoned but I think the chef wants the sambol to be the star of the dish :)

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