AsiDeli #2 : Sambal aka Chili Paste

Sambal is one of South East Asian's delicacies.
Also known as chili paste, as the name suggests, the main ingredient is none other than chilies. :)
In my previous post, I did mentioned about sambal to be put on top of the Nasi Lemak.

Today, I would be sharing the recipe for making sambal with fellow Steemians.

---

Ingredients:

• 15 dried chilies soften by soaking under a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes. (Remember to cut them in between and remove the seeds.)
• 3 chilies with seed removed
• 3 gloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon of tamarind paste
• 1 shallot cut in slices
• 20g of dried anchovies
• Salt and sugar
• 125ml of water
• Oil

---

Procedures:

1. Blend dried chilies, chilies, garlic and half of the dried anchovies together. You may add some water to ease the blending process.
2. After finish blending, fry the remaining dry anchovies in hot oil till golden brown. (Crunchy texture would be perfect.)
3. Set the fried anchovies aside to fry the blended paste. A deeper red color would be a good indication that it is ready.
4. Add shallot and water into the paste.
5. Stir for 3-4 minutes to thicken the paste before adding in coconut milk.
6. Add in tamarind paste and the fried anchovies.
7. Stir again for about 3 minutes before ready to be served.

---

EXTRA TIPS

If you can't finish the sambal in one go, you can always fill them in an air tight container and keep in fridge. When you want to eat sambal again, just reheat it for a minute in the oven.

Hope you enjoy this recipe and be brave to try it. Sambal is spicy and has the kick to increase your appetite. If you're a spicy food lover, this would be heaven for you :)