Nasi Lemak Sambal

1.  Wash all ingredients thoroughly and pat them dry with a kitchen towel.

 

2.  Heat a pan with oil and toast the belacan until it dries out, becoming powdery and

emitting a strong shrimp fragrance. Remove from heat and let it cool. Alternatively, wrap

the belacan in aluminum foil and air fry for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius until

fragrant. Allow it to cool.

 

3.  Remove seeds from the fresh chilies and cut them into smaller pieces.

 

4.  Blend ingredients 1-3 separately, adding 4-5 tablespoons of peanut or olive oil to each.

 

5.  Heat a pan with 2 tablespoons of oil and stir-fry the blended ingredients from step 4 until

fragrant and lightly browned (about 6 minutes).

 

6.  Add the chopped fresh chilies (ingredient 2) and stir-fry until fragrant (8-10 minutes).

 

7.  Incorporate the soaked dried chilies (ingredient 1) and stir-fry together until the oil

separates (10-12 minutes).

 

8.  Add the crumbled belacan, palm sugar, tamarind water, and sliced onions, one at a time.

 

9.  Add the knotted pandan leaves and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with sea salt to taste.

 

10. Remove the pandan leaves and let the sambal cool. Bottle it in a dry, sterilized container

and refrigerate. It will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator and up to 1 month when

frozen.

 

This recipe yields approximately 300 grams of sambal.

 

This Nasi Lemak sambal can be used as a cooking sauce for dishes such as sambal prawns,

sambal petai, sambal potatoes, and Mee Siam. Please refer to the respective recipes for more

details.

 

For the best results, use belacan made from fresh ingredients. Fresh belacan not only

enhances the aromatic taste but also improves the vibrant color of the sauce. Some varieties

of belacan, especially those with a deep, pungent aroma, may darken the sambal and impart a

dull, stale scent, diminishing its fresh umami flavor. Therefore, opting for fresh belacan is

essential to maintain the signature freshness and flavor of the sambal.