Sambal Bajak - Multi Chili Relish

5.0 from 7 reviews

Author: Anita Jacobson

Categories: Sauce

Cuisines: Indonesian

Ingredients: Vegetables

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Serves: 150 gram

Ingredients

• 100 gram red cayenne pepper (Indonesian: cabe keriting merah)
• 20 red Thai chilies (Indonesian: cabe rawit merah) (Note 1)
• 10 green Thai chilies (Indonesian: cabe rawit hijau) (Note 1)
• 75 gram tomatoes, optional (Note 2)
• 100 gram shallots (Indonesian: bawang merah)
• 50 gram garlic (Indonesian: bawang putih)
• 4 candlenuts (Indonesian: kemiri), or sub with macadamia
• 1/2 tablespoon shrimp paste (Indonesian: terasi), toasted
• 6 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar (Indonesian: gula Jawa), or to taste
• 3 kaffir lime leaves (Indonesian: daun jeruk), thinly sliced

Instructions

1. First, dry frying the chilies, tomatoes (if using), shallots, garlic, candlenuts, and toasted shrimp paste on a frying pan until aromatic. Then grind these ingredients into a smooth but slightly coarse paste in a food processor, or a mortar and pestle.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan, add the chili paste and cook until fragrant, then add salt and coconut palm sugar and continue cooking until the sauce is thick and turns into a darker shade.
3. Add the sliced kaffir lime leaves and stir until you can smell the citrus aroma and the leaves look wilted.
4. Turn off heat, let cool, then store the chili relish in a glass jar. This should keep for up to 1 month in a fridge. Always return to room temperature prior to consumption.

Notes

• (1) I usually remove the seeds from Thai chilies to reduce the spiciness level. You are free to keep the seeds for super spicy sambal.
• (2) If you prefer tamarind instead of tomatoes, prepare 4 tablespoons of tamarind juice from 1 tablespoon of tamarind + 3 tablespoons of water. Add this on step 2 along with salt and coconut palm sugar.