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Sambal Udang Petai - Shrimp and Stink Bean in Chili Sauce

Name: Sambal Udang Petai - Shrimp and Stink Bean in Chili Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 450 gram (1 lb) shrimp; 100 gram stink beans (Indonesian: petai); 4 tablespoon cooking oil; 2 tomatoes, quartered; 2 cup water; 2 tablespoon coconut milk; 2 tablespoon sweet soy sauce (Indonesian: kecap manis); 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste; 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste; 10 bird-eye/Fresno chilies, thinly sliced; 75 gram bird-eye/Fresno chilies; 100 gram shallots; 3 cloves garlic; 2 candlenut (Indonesian: kemiri)

Last updated: Aug 28, 2013 — Published: Aug 28, 2013 — By: Anita — 2 comments

This popular Indonesian shrimp dish is one of the best ways to enjoy fresh shrimp and stink beans. The characteristic fragrance of the bright green beans gives the dish its signature flavor.

Sambal Udang Petai - Shrimp and Stink Bean in Chili Sauce.

Sambal Udang Petai, or shrimp and stink bean in chili sauce, is one of the most popular Indonesian dishes featuring stink beans.

This dish is usually very spicy since most people prepare the spice paste with bird-eye chilies. I prefer using milder chilies like Fresno chilies since my family loves the milder version.

Ingredients for Sambal Udang Petai

We need:

medium to large size shrimps
stink beans (Indonesian: petai)
tomatoes
red chilies
shallots
garlic
candlenuts (Indonesian: kemiri)
coconut milk
sweet soy sauce (Indonesian: kecap manis)
salt
sugar

Stink Beans

Stink beans (Indonesian: petai) are a common cooking ingredient in Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries. They are usually sold in bunches, with the beans still in the pods. But if you buy them in supermarkets, especially in the U.S., the beans are extracted from the pods, vacuumed-packed, and frozen.

These beans have a strong smell, similar to shiitake mushrooms, so it needs some getting used to. If you love shiitake mushrooms, there is a high chance you will love these beans as well.

(1) Add water, coconut milk, kecap manis, salt, and sugar. (2) Return sautéed stink beans. (3) Add shrimps and sliced chilies. (4) Turn off the heat once shrimps are cooked.

How to cook Sambal Udang Petai

1. Prep shrimp, stink beans, and spice paste

Devein shrimps and remove the shells, but leave the tails intact.

Half each stink bean. Discard the ones with worms inside. Wash and drain.

Purée chilies, shallots, garlic, and candlenuts into a smooth paste.

2. Sauté stink beans

Heat oil on high heat in a wok, sauté stink beans for 1 minute or until they turn a brighter shade of green. Remove them from the wok and set them aside.

3. Cook the sauce

Fry spice paste for 3 minutes or until fragrant. Add tomatoes and cook for another minute. Add water, coconut milk, sweet soy sauce, salt, and sugar, and cook until boiling. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for another 15 minutes or until the tomatoes have disintegrated and incorporated into the sauce, and the liquid has reduced and thickened.

4. Add stink beans, chilies, and shrimp

Return the stink beans and chilies to the wok and cook for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and toss for 30 seconds.

5. Serve

Turn off the heat. Transfer the dish to a serving plate/bowl and serve it immediately with steamed white rice.