Resep Masakan: Sambal - Chili Sauce Recipes
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Sambal (Chili Sauce)
One of the most popular condiments in Southeast Asian countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines) is sambal. Basically sambal is sauce made from chili as the main ingredients. Additional ingredients for making sambal are onion, tomato, lime/lemon, galanggal, shrimp paste, lemon grass, garlic, etc. Bird's eye chili and chili peppers are the most common peppers used for making sambal. Indonesian serve sambal as dressing of all kind of meats, seafood, salad and as building block to spice up soups, stir fry dishes, stew, etc. Sambal is very versatile dish and a must in almost every family table.
There is wide variance of sambal in Indonesia since every ethnic groups have their own preference of cooking. In this lens, I would like to share some Indonesian style sambal recipes. Its simple and easy to make. Try garlicky, spicy, lemony, full of flavor, fiery kick and mouth tingling Indonesian sambal. Its really appetizing. Share these recipes with family and friends. Take your cooking adventures to the next level with sambal. Enjoy..
Image credti: Avlxyz
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Sambal Poll
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Sambal Terasi/Belacan (Shrimp Paste Chili Sauce)
Ingredients:
3 big red chili, break to 3 pieces
3 jalapeno pepper
10 chili paddy
1 garlic
2 shallots
1 tbsp toasted terasi (shrimp paste)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp lime juice
cooking oil
Method:
Fry or roast jalapeno, chili paddy, garlic and shallots with little cooking oil for about 5 minutes or until its brown. Put all of the roasted ingredients in the mortar or food processor, pound/pulse into paste. Add sugar, salt and lime just to taste.
Selamat makan (Bon appetit).
Note:
Add some more chili paddy for extra kick on your sambal.
If you like fresh sambal, roasting/frying process can be skipped.
image credit
Exotic Ingredients for Making Sambal
You can get terasi/belacan (shrimp paste/sauce) online.
Terasi (Trassi in Duch)/belacan or shrimp paste is sauce made from fermented ground shrimps or mixture of seafoods such as tiny fishes. The most common form is in solid block but you can find it in a jar as a sauce. This paste/sauce has very punget smell. You can find more information about shrimp paste at wikipedia.
Favorite Sambal Poll
Sambal bajak
Sambal bajak is popular sambal from central Java.
Ingredients:
2 tomatoes, diced
6 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 tsp salt
3 salam leaves (Indonesian bay leaves)
1 lemon grass, crushed
1 inch galangal, crusehd
2 tbsp lime juice
Spice paste:
12 big red chilis
1 tsp terasi/belacan (shrimp paste)
2 tbsp gula jawa or substitute with brown sugar
Method:
Hea the oil and stir fry the spice paste until its fragrant. Add tomatoes, salam leaves, lemon grass and galangal. Stir and cook with low heat until it's turning into thick sauce.
Serve with your favorite fish, tempeh, chicken, salad dishes. Selamat makan.
Image credit: Alex Selly
Basic Ingredients for Making Sambal
Have problem to find good chili for making your sambal ? You can have a good substitute for fresh chili here..
Sambal Balado
Sambal for Padang, West Sumatera. Basic ingredients for Padang delicacy.

Ingredients:
15 big red chilis
2 shallots
1 garlic
1 tomato
salt to taste
5 tbsp cooking oil
Method:
Put shallots, chilis, tomato and garlic in food processor and grind it coarsely. Heat the oil, saute and stir the chili paste until its fragrant and cooked through. Ready to serve as condiments or cooking ingredients. Selamat makan.
Image credit: Herty kitchen
Traditional Gear for Making Sambal
If you like to prepare and serve sambal the way Indonesian do, this gear is a must
Stone (Granite) Mortar and Pestle is my favorite gear. It's remind me how to make good sambal. Made from granite, very heavy and good for crushing anything from garlic, shallots, chili, peppercorn even coffee. I also use it to make pesto and herbs paste. The mortar is smooth and clean out easily, do not produce any unwanted smell residues, do not crumbly or porous, chip or crack easily. Perfect for herbs grinding to realease more oil for flavoring than grinding gear such as food processor. Highly recommended. This mortar will take your cooking journey into the next level whilst it's perfect for your rustic and traditional kitchen attire.
Stone (Granite) Mortar and Pestle, 7 in, 2+ cup capacity
Amazon Price: $23.25 (as of 06/04/2012)![]()
Received top endorsement from celebrity chef David Rosengarten.
The best mortar and pestle in America by The Wall Street Journal (Feb 16, 2007)
Sambal Ulek (oelek)
This sambal is very famous among westerners. Great for cooking.

Ingredients:
20 big red chili
2 tsp salt
vinegar as needed
Method:
Grind the red chili in a food processor. Put the chili paste in a pot and add some vinegar to make medium thick paste. Heat up the chili and vinegar paste until boiling. Set aside and put in a jar. Ready to use as condiments or cooking ingredients.
Image credit: Father Jack
Sambal ulek is a basic building block for some Asian cooking. Make a big batch of sambal ulek and freeze it for future consumption and cooking.
Sambal lado mudo (Minang green chili sauce)
Popular sambal from Padang. Green chili of jalapeno is the main ingredient. Add some fried salty anchovy for more flavor.

Ingredients:
30 jalapenos
8 shallots of 1/2 onion
5 green tomatoes (substitute with tomatillo)
5oz ikan asin teri (dried salty tiny anchovies)
7 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp lime juice
salt and sugar to taste
Method:
Blanch jalapenos and tomatillos. Put jalapneos and tomatillos in a food processor and grind it into coarse paste.
In a wok, put oil and heat it over medium high. Fry the anchovies until its golden brown. Use the remain oil to cook the sambal paste. Stir and cook throughly. Add fried anchovy, lime juice, salt and sugar and stir evenly. Remove from the heat and ready to serve. Bon appetit.
Image credit: Inaikurung
Sambal ikan teri asin (salty anchovy chili sauce)
Sambal from East Nusa Tenggara. Salty anchoy make it very tasty.

Ingredients:
8 big red chili, sliced
4 shallots, sliced
3 limes, diced
a bunch of basil leaves, chopped
2 green tomatoes (tomatillos), diced
1 tsp salt
2 tsp salty anchovy, soak in warm water and drain
Method:
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Prepare in advance at least 2 hours before serving to get flavorful sambal. Bon appetit.
Image credit: paularps
Additional Cooking Gears
You may need these gears..
If you prefer to use food processor for grinding, this Hamilton Beach 70670 Chef Prep 525-Watt Food Processor, Black is a right gear. It has big capacity (10 cups), easy to clean up and good price. Perfect for grinding big batch of chili in just minutes.
Sambal Colo-Colo
Sambal colo-colo is sambal from Ambon, Eastern Indonesia region. Great for fish and seafood dishes.

Ingredients:
12 big red chilies, sliced
6 shallots, slices
1 tbsp margarine or cooking oil
3 tbsp kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
2 tbsp lime juice
Method:
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Ready to serve and selamat makan.
Credit image: Ambonbox
Glove to Protect Your Hands
Chili heat can give uncomfortable state on your hands.
Kitchen glove is a must gear to protect your hands and eyes from chili heat whilst protect your finger during cutting process. These gloves are extreme light weight along with high cut resistance. High recommended .
Sambal Dabu-Dabu
Fresh sambal from Manado (North Celebes).
Ingredients:
15 chili paddy, sliced
6 shallots, sliced
2 green tomatoes or tomatillos, diced
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp cooking oil
salt to taste
Method:
Combine all of the ingredients in abowl, mix and stir well. Serve with fish dishes. Bon appetit.
image source by theoelin
More Sambal Recipes From Indonesia
If you like to learn more about sambal you can it here..
Sambal is also popular in Netherland. There are a lot of varieties sambal recipes. However, the key for making good sambal is the balance of salty, sour, and hint of sweetness of spices. Here are some good collection of sambal recipes.
- Sambal matah recipes
- Popular sambal from Bali. Easy to make and tasty.
- Sambal udang (shrimp sambal)
- Spicy shrimp sambal recipe.
- Sambal goreng kentang
- Fried potatoes sambal recipes. Great vegetarians sambal.
- Sambal recipes
- A good collection of sambal recipes at food.com
- Sambal eggplant recipe
- Easy to make and delicious sambal eggplant recipe
- Mussels sambal recipe from Martha Stewart
- Simple mussels sambal from Martha Stewart.
- Sambal tumpang recipe
- Javanese style sambal tumpang recipe
Sambal Recipes from Other Regions
Neighboring countries sambal recipes
- Sambal long beans recipe
- Combination of long beans and sambal stir fry recipe.
- Sambal sotong recipe (cuttlefish sambal)
- Use cuttle fish as ingredient.
- Sambal belacan Malaka style recipe
- Sambal belacan from Malaka
- Sambal ikan bilis from Malaysia
- Famous dried anchovy sambal from Malaysia
- Vegetarian coconut sambal from Srilanka
- Coconut sambal or pol sambal from Srilanka
- Sambal ladies fingers/Okra from Malaysia
- Use okra as ingredient
- Sambal petai and prawn
- Stinky beans/sator and prawn recipe.
More Favorite Recipes
Some recipes from Indonesia to collect and try...
How hot are your sambals ?
Share your sambal recipes here. Have you ever tried sambal ?
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cffutah
Jan 16, 2012 @ 9:48 pm | delete
- I think I'm tough when it comes to semi hot food so bring it on!
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Elizabeth Randall
Oct 18, 2011 @ 10:09 pm | delete
- i enjoyed reading through your lens...it's very interesting and learned so much from it. thanks.
buy the freshest fish and seafood from your trusted fish wholesalers
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blanckj Aug 31, 2011 @ 6:22 am | delete
- These all look very good. Thanks for sharing.
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jojokaya
Aug 31, 2011 @ 7:09 am | delete
- You are welcome. They are healthy too
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deyani May 29, 2011 @ 11:27 pm | delete
- An angel on a memorial day trip journey stopped by to sprinkle an angel blessing on this recipe lens =)
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by jojokaya
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