Sambal sauce

On our visit to Penang, we were fortunate enough to meet up with Reese and Mark of Season with spice. Who generously donated their time to show us around and introduce us to many of their favourite places to eat. We started the day with Asam laksa and topped it off at dinner with Fish head curry and Sambal chilli crab. Both the company and food were amazing. On our 4 day visit, we attempted to eat at as many hawker stores and street vendors as possible. There were just endless things to try and flavours to discover. One flavour for me that stood above all else was sambal, it is unbelievable. Sambal is a fantasic sauce that goes well with everything, fish, vegetable, meat or simply as a condiment. The most basic of sambal is made from a combination of chilli and shrimp paste(belacan). But the varieties of sambal blends are endless, with recipes varying from family to family. This is a recipe we use and adapted to our taste. It's something we always have in the fridge for a quick stir-fry or enjoyed as a condiment with rice.

Recipe

1/2 cup large chilli, chopped
10 bird's eye chilli, chopped
1/2 head of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup dried shrimp
1 tbsp shrimp paste(belacan)
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 cup veg oil

Method

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and pulse into a paste.
2. Add paste to a pan on med heat and cook until most of the moisture has evaporated.
3. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Place in container or jar and into the fridge until needed.