Spicy Balinese Sambal

Recipe Orgin:

I learnt this sambal dish in Bali during a cooking class at Amed Harmony Bungalows & Villas. My bahasa is not great so there were a few things lost in translation and I didn’t get the actual name of this sambal. But it is really yummy and really pedas!

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Ingredients:

• 10 Birds Eye Chilis or Red Thai Chilis

• 3 Cloves Garlic

• 3 Shallots

• 1 Roma Tomato or 5-6 cherry tomatoes

• 1 tsp Gulan Melaka (Palm Sugar)

• 2 Kaffir Lime Leaves

• 1 Calamansi Lime (you can use 1/8 of a regular lime if you do not have Calamansi)

• 1 Candlenut or Macadamia Nut (soak in warm water before beginning to soften the nut)

• Belachan (Shrimp Paste) - opt this ingredient for Vegetarian/Vegan dish

  *I use the brick kind, slice 1/2 cm off and toast in a dry pan till just before it burns to release the flavours

• Coconut Oil (or Peanut Oil)

• Salt

Garnish:

• Basil

Optional: 

• Kecap Manis (Sweet Soy Sauce)

Tools:

• Mortar and Pestle

• Small Frying Pan

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Directions:

Step 1. Mortar and Pestle:

Prep the following and pound/grind together till a chunky paste:

1. Dice the Chilis

2. Peel the Garlic

3. Dice the tomato (or quarter if using cherry tomatoes)

   *TIP: add a pinch of salt to create a rough texture and help everything break apart faster.

Step 2. Frying Pan:

Heat up 1 Tbs of Coconut Oil and fry the paste from the mortar and pestle until the oil starts to seperate (or till fragrant).

Step 2 (and a half). While Chili paste is frying:

1. Pound the toasted Belachan in a clean and dry mortar and pestle and remove the powder.

2. Then combine the following with in the mortar and pestle and pound/grind:

   – Candlenut
   – Palm Sugar
   – Kaffir Lime Leaves – remove stem and slice into very thin strips
   – Juice from 1 Calamansi Lime (remove seeds)
   – 1 tsp of the Belachan powder

Step 3. The Sambal:

Combine the fried chili mix with the rest of the ingredients in the mortar and pestle and grind one last time until everything is mixed and broken down to fine pieces.

Add salt if needed.

Optional:

Can mix a bit of sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) in at the end :)

Garnish with basil if you have any!