Gotu Kola Sambol – Sri Lankan Pennywort Salad

This was the recipe I put together for  #thecookbookcollective The theme for this virtual cook from the book group was  EDIBLE GREENS and I decided to go with Gotukola/ Indian Pennywort and the dish I have made is Gotukola Sambol from Beeta Rajapaksha’s Tasty and Easy Sri Lankan Recipes. I often talk about our (family’s) love for Srilankan cuisine, vegetarian ofcourse!! The reasons we love going back to Srilanka is it’s food, the lush greenery, the majestic Indian Ocean  and the warmth of it’s people  This book was bought from a book fair during my last visit to Kandy. The humble looking book is a treasure trove of traditional food wisdom and philosophy, nuances to Srilankan cuisine, basic recipes, recipes for elderly and children, recipes with millets and lots. Growing up in dry and sultry Ahmedabad we weren’t exposed to too many greens. Hence, I had a little difficulty deciding what green to choose for the theme. However, I see astounding variety of greens  in markets here in Singapore. I have access to greens used in Chinese, Malay, Indonesian, Thai, Indian, Srilankan and so many other cuisines. Gotukola is a medicinal herb that is grown in the backyards of Srilankan homes. One thing I adore about this cuisine is its simplicity and most produce they cook with grows within their compounds or in vicinity!!

The Gotukola Sambol is pretty easy to prepare. You just need to add a bunch of very finely chopped Gotu Kola to the Coconut Sambol. The recipe to coconut sambol can be found here. You may add a finely chopped tomato if you desire.

You can read more about the Srilankan Cuisine and few other recipes on the links below.

Sri Lankan Pumpkin Curry  

Sri Lankan Coconut Curry