Malaysian Sambal Sauce

A small bowl of Malaysian chilli Sambal Sauce

5 from 9 votes

If there is any one ingredients that brings life to any Malaysian dish it is the sublime chilli sambal. A heady combination of colour, spice and flavour. It’s the essence of Malaysia and Singapore and the great news is that it’s easy to make at home.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Condiment, Spice Paste

Cuisine: Indonesian, Malaysian, Singaporean

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings:

Calories: 73kcal

Author: Lee

Equipment

1 Food processor or hand blender

Ingredients

30 dried red chillies (deseeded, optional)
20 fresh Thai chillies (deseeded, optional)
5 garlic cloves (peeled)
2 inch galangal
2 inch turmeric
1 stalk lemongrass (white part only, sliced)
1 cup shallots (peeled and sliced)
1 tbsp shrimp paste (belacan)
1 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
2 tbsp tamarind paste/pulp
⅓ cup vegetable oil

Instructions

Soak dried chillies for 30 minutes in hot water and then drain and add to blender or jug
Add the fresh chillies, garlic, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass and shallots. Blend until smooth. Add the shrimp paste, fish sauce, tamarind and sugar and stir well.
Heat a wok or deep pan with the oil until hot over a medium/hot heat. Tip in the sambal and let it sizzle in the oil. Stir in 1 cup water and let it come to a simmer. Reduce the heat a little and gently simmer for 25-30 minutes to reduce the sauce until thick and jam-like, stirring regularly to avoid sticking.
Let the sambal cool completely and decant to an airtight container or jar. Serve cold.

Notes

Pro Tips

Use a stick blender for an easy, smooth paste. If using a pestle and mortar, start with the toughest ingredients (chillies, lemongrass, galangal) and work towards the softer ones. Adjust heat by seeding chillies: all seeds in for hot, seeds removed for milder.

Serving & Storage

Serve sambal as a condiment or use it as a cooking paste in stir-fries and sauces. Mix with water and reduce for a quick sauce, or stir through noodles or eggs. Store in the fridge for 2–3 weeks, or freeze for up to 6 months.

Nutrition