A few days ago, I talked about "chimicurri," an Argentinian green sauce that is used to marinade meats and also as a delicious condiment to accompany many dishes. Well,
sambal belacan is the Malaysian equivalent. It is ubiquitous throughout South-East Asia and is used mainly as a condiment to add an extra spicy kick to most dishes. For my version of
sambal, I like to use cayenne pepper (serrano or fresno are also acceptable), garlic,
belacan (fermented shrimp cake. Here's a good description on
Wikipedia), lime juice and sugar. The
belacan imparts a smoky and salty flavor that's typical of Malaysian
sambal. Toasting the
belacan before use raises the level of smokiness even further.
To make about 2 cups of
sambal belacan, you'll need:
1/2 lb. fresh cayenne/serrano peppers (seeds and stems remove)
8-10 cloves fresh garlic
4 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon of
belacan (toasted)
Start by simply putting everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. The addition of salt is not needed because the
belacan already contains salt. Here is what you'll end up with:
When serving with any dishes, chop up some cilantro and add to the
sambal belacan for extra flavor and visual presentation.
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