Sambal

Sambal comes from the Javanese word sambel, and is defined as a “chile paste” or “relish.” In fact, any condiment that counts chiles as an ingredient can be deemed a sambal. While ubiquitous all over Southeast Asia, sambal is thought to have originated in Indonesia. In Indonesia, a sambal can be a paste of red or green chiles ground together with any number of other ingredients: garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, tomatoes, and/or shrimp paste. Other sambal varieties include sambal kacang, a chili-flecked peanut sauce served with satay, and sambal kecap, a more liquid version featuring chopped bird’s eye chiles floating in Indonesian sweet soy sauce that’s drizzled over fried or grilled fish. Like American ketchup or Mexican salsa, sambal is served alongside a meal for a punch of flavor and sometimes heat. Over the course of an Indonesian meal, a bowl of sambal is passed around the table for diners to dip fresh vegetables into or to slather over rice or noodles. But certain types can also be combined with aromatics as the starting point of a stir-fry or marinade. According to Kompas.com, the online portal of a leading national newspaper in Indonesia, there are over two hundred different types of sambals, each unique to regions and families. That said, sambals can be broadly divided into two categories, raw and cooked. Here we’re going to focus on the simplest type of the former: sambal ulek. Sambal ulek (spelled the Dutch way, “oelek,” on green-capped Huy Fong jars sol...

Anyone who knows me knows I love chiles. Last March, I snuck back 12 kilos of dried peppers from Mexico (and a few tacos too). So even when I'm trying to develop simple, user-friendly recipes with approachable ingredient lists, going mild is just not an option. (Have you seen my Not too long ago, I rounded up every bottle and jar of hot sauce, paste, powder, and pepper we have in the Test Kitchen, about 25 total. Armed with a cup of black coffee at 9 a.m., I tasted them all. Some were sweet, most were vinegary, all were hot, but not a lot of them actually tasted like chile. For me, that’s the most important factor. I chose sambal oelek, an Indonesian chile paste, because it's so flavorful and so simple—crushed raw red chiles, a little vinegar, and salt. It’s good as a condiment and is also good as an ingredient in cooked foods, and, even better, it will taste like you are cooking with fresh chiles. Sambal oelek is available in most grocery stores in the Asian food section, right next to the sriracha. One tablespoon is roughly the equivalent of a chopped, small jalapeño. Sambal oelek brings these Alex Lau If you can't find it or just want to use what you have in your fridge when it come to hot sauces, I recommend using about half the amount given in the recipe to start, stir that in, and give it a taste. Then add more if you think it needs it. Just go easy on hot sauces with a lot of vinegar like Tabasco and Frank’s. Your food might get sour before it gets spicy.

50 Shares Suitable for sambal, also known as sambal oelek, is a hot sauce or paste made from one or more varieties of chili. It is also very popular in What is sambal? Sambal is a word borrowed from the Indonesian word of Javanese origin, sambel, which means “sauce”. It originates from the cuisines of It has also spread through Indonesian populations overseas, the Sambal is a spicy sauce or paste well known for its very pungent and tangy taste. Sambal is known for the presence of main ingredients such as chili, scallion or ginger; the spiciness of the chili, however, does not cover the other flavors but is part of a tasty blend of secondary ingredients, such as belacan or terasi (shrimp paste), fish sauce, garlic, ginger, onion, scallion, palm sugar, lime, and rice vinegar or other vinegars. The word sambal is also used to refer to a dish in which sambal sauce is a main ingredient. For example, Malaysian dish sambal goreng udang is a dish of fresh shrimp seasoned with sambal sauce. There are hundreds of varieties of sambal that vary depending on the type of pepper used, other ingredients added, texture and region of production. How to make sambal The most traditional way to prepare sambal is to use a cobek (stone mortar) and ulekan, taken from the word oelek (stone pestle), hence the usual name of sambal oelek chili paste. There are two main categories of sambals: • Sambal masak, meaning cooked sambal • Sambal mentah, meaning raw sambal Cooked sambal undergoes a cooking pr...

• Recipe Index • RECIPES BY TYPE • BBQ/Grilled • Burgers • Chicken Wings • Chili • Curry • Dehydrator • Game Day • Hot Sauces • Jalapeno Poppers • Marinades • Pickling • Preserving • Quick and Easy • Salsas • Sauces • Seasonings • Stuffed Peppers • Tacos • COOKING TIPS • Pepper Info • Chili Pepper Types • The Scoville Scale • Hottest Peppers in the World • Growing Chili Peppers • Preserving • Health Benefits • Frequently Asked Questions • Buy Plants & Seeds A recipe for homemade Sambal Oelek, the classic chili paste used for cooking, made with a variety of ground chili peppers, vinegar and salt. It is ideal for seasoning noodle dishes and enhancing the flavors of sauces. We know you all love sriracha - Fresh is always best, and you can't get much fresher than this. What is Sambal Oelek? While Sriracha is distinctly Thai, Sambal Oelek is Indonesian, and it is essentially a raw chili paste that is ground. It uses very few ingredients, traditionally red chili peppers, vinegar and salt. It can be used as a base to make sambals and other sauces, and works best when used more as a condiment or flavoring ingredient than as a direct sauce or hot sauce. A "sambal" actually refers to any chili sauce or paste that is made from a variety of chili peppers, with any number of other ingredients added in for flavor. Any chili sauce or paste would be called sambal. There are variations, of course. A tour of the web will find other ingredients added to Sambal Oelek, such as garlic, lime jui...

Nutrition Facts Servings: 16 Amount per serving Calories 82 % Daily Value* Total Fat 4g 6% Saturated Fat 0g 2% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 94mg 4% Total Carbohydrate 11g 4% Dietary Fiber 1g 5% Total Sugars 6g Protein 1g Vitamin C 3mg 17% Calcium 19mg 1% Iron 1mg 6% Potassium 176mg 4% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Most of the ingredients can be found at Asian markets or high-quality grocery stores with a robust international foods aisle. This recipe will definitely yield more than you will use in one recipe. After the sambal is cooked, ladle as much of the hot sauce as you want onto your main dish or rice. Cool the rest, and refrigerate the remainder. For longer-term storage, freeze the sambal by dividing it into smaller portions. It will defrost quickly and be ready to use in no time. "Malaysian Sambal Sauce is great to have available for adding a spicy kick to any meal. Now, you can make this easily at home. It requires a bit of patience to process the starter paste, but don't let that prevent you from trying this recipe because your food processor or blender does all the work!" — • 5 cloves garlic, crushed • 1 (2-inch) piece fresh turmeric, peeled and coarsely chopped • 1 (2-inch) piece galangal, peeled and coarsely chopped • 1 stalk lemongrass, soft inner part only, thinly sliced • 1/2 ounce (about 25) small dried red chiles (such as chi...

If spicy is your thing and a jar of sambal hasn’t yet made an appearance in your kitchen, get ready: This condiment is hot stuff! But what exactly is sambal sauce, and why should you be putting it on (almost) everything? Here's what you need to know. Sambal is a spicy Indonesian chile paste with an extensive history in southeast Asia and a serious fan club in the U.S. There are hundreds of variations of sambal—the Indonesian archipelago is vast and 300-plus ethnic groups prepare sambals with their own cultural stamp. In American supermarkets, the chile paste is typically sold in jars labeled "sambal oelek." One of the major distributors is refers to the stone mortar and pestle traditionally used in preparing the fiery household staple, which is made by grinding chile peppers. What ingredients are in sambal? Basic sambal is made up of red chile peppers, vinegar, and salt. It’s chunkier than Sriracha and made with less vinegar and without sugar, giving it a bright, spicy flavor that'll appeal to chile pepper purists. Homemade sambal is sometimes described as having a natural sweetness from the chiles. Texture-wise, sambal is closer to a crushed paste or relish than a smooth sauce. Some versions on the market are made with the addition of ingredients like shrimp paste, anchovies, and garlic. The variations on sambal are plenty, and the more ingredients found in the paste, the more complex the flavor. How do you use sambal? Sambal is bold, so a little bit goes a long way. It c...

Flavor: Popular chilies used to make sambal include: lombok. The heat level of the sambal is directly related to the type of chili used. Depending on whether or not sugar or fruit is added to the sambal, there may be a hint of sweetness to compliment the heat. Varieties that include shallots, salt, and other spices almost resemble a relish or chili-based salsa. Texture: The texture of sambal ranges from a coarse relish to a smooth puree. Traditionally, sambal is made using a stone mortar and pestle to grind the chilies and other ingredients into a paste. Sambal oelek, which can be found in many western grocery stores, derives its name from the pestle with which it is made. Where to Buy Sambal Due to the increasing popularity of Asian food within the United States, sambal can be found in many larger grocery stores in the international food aisle. Sambal oelek is most widely available in the United States although specialty stores, import stores, and gourmet shops may carry other varieties.