Serves 3-4  Sambol in Sri Lankan cuisine means a garnish or a condiment to a meal. It is always served with rice and a variety of curries. Fry bitter gourd ahead of time and leave it to cool down. Store in a cool place in an airtight container. Assemble the sambol a few minutes before serving a meal. Coconut oil is strongly recommended for frying. *Maldive fish flakes, available in Asian groceries, are dried bonito or dried tuna; eliminate this if you want to make the dish vegan.

Wash and slice bitter gourd thinly. You can discard the seeds but it is not necessary. Add turmeric and salt, mix well and set aside for 20 minutes to sweat. Add a cup of warm water to bitter gourd, then squeeze the slices and set aside. This will help reduce the bitterness. When you squeeze make sure you still keep the shapes of the slices. Reshape if they are misshapen.

Heat the oil in a deep bottomed pan. Deep frying is recommended for excellent results. Fry until golden brown. Set on a paper towel to get rid of excessive oil. In a bowl, combine chopped green chillies, pearl onions, Maldive fish flakes, tomatoes and lime juice. Mix them all together. Set aside. Add salt to taste.

Just before serving, add the fried bitter gourd.