Sambal

Name: Sambal
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 50
Cuisine: Southeast Asian
Ingredients: 40 dried chillies; 4 fresh chillies, sliced; 1 stick of lemongrass, diced small; 2 tbsp brown sugar; 3 tbsp tamarind purée; 3 large shallots, sliced; 8 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed; 50g shrimp paste (Belacan); 8 kaffir lime leaves, centre stems removed; 3 tbsp peanut oil

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Sambal

Ingredients

40 dried chillies
4 fresh chillies, sliced
1 stick of lemongrass, diced small
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp tamarind purée
3 large shallots, sliced
8 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
50g shrimp paste (Belacan)
8 kaffir lime leaves, centre stems removed
3 tbsp peanut oil

Directions

Begin by cutting your dried chillies and letting any seeds fall out, then soak them in enough warm water just to cover for 20 minutes.
To toast the shrimp paste, cut it into small cubes, then place it in a dry, medium-sized frying pan. Cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it dries into a powder.
Place everything, apart from the tamarind purée, into a blender and blend until smooth, but not completely.
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the peanut oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chilli paste you just blended and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring continuously.
Once it's cooked, check for seasoning and add some salt if needed. Then add the tamarind purée, stir well, and check the seasoning again before letting it cool. Store it in the fridge to enjoy whenever you please.
This will last safely in your fridge for at least 1 week. You can also break it down into smaller batches and keep it frozen for up to one year. (As a personal note, I've had some in my fridge for a month and still enjoy it, but consume older batches at your own risk!)