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.
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
Storing Sambal
Sambal will stay fresh in the fridge for 2-3 weeks. Be sure to seal it in an airtight container.
Freeze sambal in small portions for up to 6 months.
Other usesSambal makes for the perfect chilli paste for stir fries and stir-throughs. Add 1 tbsp and a little water and simmer with some peeled boiled eggs for Sambal eggs. Stir some sambal through freshly cooked egg or rice noodles. Use 1 tbsp with some oil and day old rice for a simple fried rice. There are so many dishes that use sambal as an ingredient.