Gotu kola sambol

Name: Gotu kola sambol
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 100 g gotu kola, washed, very finely shredded; 60 g coconut, freshly grated; 2 shallots, finely chopped; 1 green chilli, finely chopped; 1 tbsp lime juice; ½ tsp salt; ¼ tsp black pepper (optional)

Vegetarian

ගොටුකොළ සම්බෝල · Gotu kola sambola

A bright, crunchy salad of finely shredded gotu kola leaves tossed with fresh coconut, shallot, green chilli and lime. A healthy fixture of Sri Lankan rice and curry.

Gotu kola sambol is a Sri Lankan salad, ready in about 15 minutes and made with gotu kola and coconut. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep: 15 min
Cook: 0 min
Total: 15 min
Serves: 4
Level: Beginner
Calories: 68

Ingredients

4 servings

100 g Gotu kola (opens in a new tab), washed, very finely shreddedSwap: Watercress (Closest easy-to-find substitute.); Parsley (Flat-leaf parsley works too.)
60 g Coconut (opens in a new tab), freshly gratedSwap: Desiccated coconut
2 (60 g) Shallots (opens in a new tab), finely chopped
1 (6 g) Green chilli (opens in a new tab), finely chopped
1 tbsp (15 g) Lime juice (opens in a new tab)
½ tsp (3 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
¼ tsp (0.5 g) Black pepper (opens in a new tab) (optional)

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Wash the gotu kola (opens in a new tab) well in several changes of water and spin or pat completely dry.
- 4 min
- Salad spinner (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Bunch the leaves tightly and slice them as finely as possible with a sharp knife; put them in a bowl with the coconut (opens in a new tab), shallot (opens in a new tab) and green chilli (opens in a new tab).
How it looks · Photo: Christina & Peter on Pexels
3
Step 3
Just before serving, toss with the lime juice (opens in a new tab), salt and pepper (opens in a new tab).
- 1 min
Dress at the last minute so the leaves stay crisp.

About this dish

Origin: Sri Lanka · Well documentedMore food from Sri Lanka
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Salads · Side dishes
Cooking method: Raw, No-cook
Taste: fresh, herby, citrusy
Diet: Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Everyday · Budget-friendly
Cook more with: Coconut · Shallot · Green chilli · Lime juice

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

68 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 61 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

Protein 8%
Carbohydrate 30%
Fat 62%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	68 kcal	112 kcal
Protein	1.5 g	2.4 g
Carbohydrate	5.6 g	9.2 g
Net carbohydrate	3.6 g	5.9 g
Sugars	2.3 g	3.8 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	2 g	3.3 g
Fat	5.1 g	8.3 g
Saturated fat	4.5 g	7.3 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	307 mg	502 mg
Salt equivalent	0.8 g	1.3 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 196 mg
Calcium: 39 mg
Iron: 0.6 mg
Magnesium: 14 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 41 µg
Vitamin C: 17 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 12 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: black pepper.
Gotu kola: Raw watercress used as a stand-in; gotu kola (Centella asiatica) is a similar tender leafy green with no SR Legacy entry.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

A very sharp knife keeps the shreds fine and bright green; a blunt one bruises them.

Common mistakes

Adding lime and salt too early makes the greens wilt and watery.

Serve with

Part of a rice-and-curry meal with dal, chicken curry and papadums.

Storage

Best eaten immediately.

Variations

Gotu kola mallung: The greens are briefly stir-cooked with coconut and turmeric instead of served raw.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 26 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Gotu kola, washed, very finely shredded100 g
Coconut, freshly grated60 g

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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