Description
This authentic Indonesian sambal recipe offers two delicious ways to cook this rich traditional Indonesian chili sauce. One uses a blender for a quicker and smoother consistency, while the other relies on the traditional mortar and pestle for a rustic, textured finish. Both options deliver the perfect balance of heat and depth, making this spicy sauce the ideal condiment for any dish.
Ingredients
Blender method
- 5 garlic cloves (peeled)
- 1 cup of shallots (peeled)
- 6 small tomatoes (I used plum tomatoes)
- 3 big chilies (seeds removed)
- 10 small chilies
- 1 tsp of fish or shrimp paste
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- Virgin palm oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp of palm sugar (or subs) - optional
Mortar and pestle method
- 2 garlic cloves (peeled)
- 5 shallots (peeled)
- 4 small chilies
- 3 large chilies (seeds removed)
- 2 small plum tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp of fish or shrimp paste
- 1/4 tsp of salt
- Virgin palm oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp of palm sugar (or subs) - optional
Instructions
BLENDER METHOD
- Prepare the ingredients: Clean all the fresh ingredients with water. Half the tomatoes, chop the shallots and garlic. Remove the seeds from the large chilies.
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Blend: Transfer all the ingredients (except the sugar) to a blender or food processor along with a generous drizzle of palm oil, and blend until smooth.
- Cook: Add a generous drizzle of palm oil to a pan or wok on medium heat. Transfer the sambal mixture to the pan, and stir fry for 5-10 minutes stirring constantly until ready. Taste and add more salt if required. Optional to add a dash of sugar at the end to balance the heat of the chilies.
MORTAR AND PESTLE METHOD
- Prepare the ingredients: Clean all the fresh ingredients with water. Remove the seeds from the large chilies, and chop. Chop the tomatoes into medium chunks. Slice the shallots, garlic, and small chilies. See the photo for reference.
- Crush the ingredients with the mortar and pestle: following this order - Add the small chilies, garlic & salt and crush well. Add shallots, crush and combine. Add large chilies and tomatoes, crush, and combine.
- Cook the sauce: Add a generous drizzle of palm oil to a pan or wok on medium heat. Transfer the crushed sambal mixture and the shrimp paste to the pan, and stir fry for 5-10 minutes stirring constantly until ready. Taste and add more salt if required. Optional to add a dash of sugar at the end to balance the heat of the chilies.
Notes
The mortar and pestle method is great for preparing smaller amounts, so the amount of ingredients is about half the other. Feel free to double the amount if you like.
Be mindful of how many chilies you use! Large red chilies are mild and won't add much heat to the recipe once the seeds are removed. In contrast, small chilies are very spicy and will significantly increase the heat of the sauce. I always believe it’s better to be safe than sorry, so err on the side of caution and avoid adding more small chilies than your taste buds can handle.
The amounts in this recipe are for a medium level of spiciness, by Western standards. I say "Western" because, in Asian cuisines, the concept of "medium" is much spicier than in the West. What they consider mild, we would often classify as medium-hot or even hot.
Store the sambal sauce in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It could easily last more and 2 weeks is on the safe side. Always smell and taste a small amount of the sauce if unsure.
This sauce is also suitable for freezer up to 3 months.