Sambal Oelek is a spicy dish or condiment that is popular across many countries in the Southeast Asia,mostly in Singapore ,Malaysia , Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
It is a sauce consisting of pureed chillies. Making of sauce paste is a method of preserving the chillies,mostly in absence of fresh chillis.
Sambal Oelek Varieties
The various varieties of sambal Oelek result from the type of chillis used,added ingradients,texture and the region it is made.
The type of chillis populary used include :
Habanero also known as adyuma a very spicy yellow pepper.
cayanne a red shiny block shaped pepper.
and bird’s eye, a very spicy green-red elonged pepper and lomok. The chillies used bring ou the different heat levels. The differnt fruits added complement the sweetness
to the sambal.
The Malaysian sambal(sambal belacan) is prepare using fresh chillies,grounded and tosted with shrimp paste in a mortar and pestle and adding of sugar and lime juice. The other varieties of the Malaysian sambals are:
Sambal jeruk,made using green or red pepper
Sambal tempoyak ,prepared from fresh chillies ground with dried achovies and served with fermented durian.
Sambal oelek is a Sri Lankan sambal prepared using bright red chillies with a sharp taste.
Texture Sambal Oelek
Sambal’s texture is dependent on whether it is a coarse relish or a smooth puree. Grinding of chillis was traditionally done using a mortar and pestle into a paste, For instance Sambal Oelek is made using mortar and pestle.
For storage purposes the mixture is removed from heat , cooled and bottled in sterilised jars. These prepared,prepacked and ready to use sambal oelek are available in supermarkets,convinient store and in traditional markets. The bottled sambals however haver a finer texture compared to traditional ones.This is because of
the use of machines to ground the ingradients.
Sambal can be serveed fresh and raw or cooked and fried depinding on the recipe.
Use of Sambal Oelek
Sambal Oelek has many uses ,for example: it can be added to noddle dishes, soups, meat, eggs and rice. It is also used to add flavor to dips,marinades,spreads and sauces.
Sambal oelek is mostly used as a sauce rather than as a condiment.
Sambal can used as an ingredient to various dishes and the we have dishes bearing the word sambal:
- Samal sotong(with cuttlefish)
- sambal udang kering(with dried prawnd)
- sambal lengkong
- sambal goreng teri kacang
- sambal goreng kering tempe
- samba goreng ati(with cow liver,potato)
- sambal goreng udang(withfresh shrimp)
Prepararion Time of Sambal Oelek:
Prepararion:25 minute
Cooking:20 minutes
Ready in :45 minute
Ingredients Sambal Oelek:
1 cup of chopped serrano chillis,with seeds
2 teaspoons of fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons of white sugar
2 teaspons of vegatable oil
2 fresh curry leaves
2 teaspoons of salt
1 chopped tomato
1/2 onion,chopped
1 peeled and crushed bulb garlic
2 bruised lemongrass
1 thinly slice galangal
2 teaspoon of tarmarind juice
1 teaspoon of belacan shrimp paste
6 ounce fluid Vinegar
Preparation of Sambal Oelek:
- Blend the chillis,garlic,sugar,salt,shrimp paste,tomato,onion,lemon juice and lemongrass in a blender or mortar and pestle andd plend to a smooth paste.
- Gradually add vinegar
- Heat the vegitable oil in a saucepan over a medium heat
- Add the pureed together with the lemongrass,curry leaves and gangal and cook while strirng for about 15 minutes until the mixture changes the color and becomes fragrant.
- Add the tamarind juice and cooks for about 1 minute.
- Serve or cool then store in jars.
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 1848
Total fat: 9.3g
Saturated fat:4.3g
Chorestrol:0mg
Sodium: 115.5 mg
Total carbohydrates: 430.4g
Dietary fiber: 32.1g
Protein: 32.4g
Sugars: 257.3g