Sambal: a Malaysian favourite. For some, it’s all about the taste; for others, it’s about the spiciness. In any case, food always tastes better even with just a little bit of this flavourful chilli paste.
If you’re looking for sambal with a twist, here’s a recipe that incorporates lime and tomatoes, in a surprising departure from the more well-known belacan variety.
It’s spicy, sweet, sour and salty, all at once!
Ingredients
- 3 large tomatoes, sliced into small chunks
- 2 shallots, cut into quarters
- 2 cloves garlic
- 7 red chillies
- 9 cili padi
- 1 lime with skin on, deseeded
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 50g shrimp paste, grilled
- Salt and sugar to taste
Method
- Put the chillies into a blender and pulse twice.
- Make sure the shrimp paste is grilled until piping hot.
- Now add the grilled shrimp paste, shallots, garlic cloves, lime and lime juice into the blender. Blend roughly.
- Add the tomatoes, salt and sugar. Blend to achieve the texture of your liking.
- Pour the sambal into a bowl and keep refrigerated until serving time. Enjoy it with your favourite savoury foods!
This article first appeared in butterkicap.com, a food and culture platform and community that enables anyone to experience Malaysia through stories of people, food and places.