Title: Sambal Bajak - Fried Chile Sambal
Categories: Sauce Condiment
Yield: 1 Cup

6	lg	Fresh red chiles; rough chop
1	lg	Onion
6		Cloves garlic
8		Kemiri nuts; fine grate *
3	tb	Peanut oil
1/2	ts	Laos powder
1	tb	Dried shrimp paste (trasi)
1	ts	Salt
3	tb	Tamarind liquid
2	tb	Palm sugar **

"Cooled, then stored in an airtight bottle, this sambal will keep for weeks in the refrigerator. When serving, use a teaspoon for portions and warn guests it should be eaten in tiny quantities with rice, not by itself. As a taste for this torrid sambal is acquired, however, it is enjoyed on crisp crackers, in sandwiches, on steaks - in fact there is no limit to the ways a sambal addict will use it."

* Candlenuts. Substitute Brazil nuts (if you must). ** Substitute dark brown sugar.

Put chiles, onion and garlic in container of electric blender and blend to a pulp. If blender is small, blend in small portions. It might be necessary to stop and start the motor several times to draw the onions and chiles down onto the blades. When everything has been blended smoothly, heat the oil in a small frying pan or a saucepan and fry the blended mixture over low heat, stirring, for 5 minutes or until well cooked but not brown. Add kemiri nuts, laos, trasi and salt. Crush the trasi against the side of the pan and fry, stirring, until mixture is well blended. Add tamarind liquid and sugar, stir and simmer until well fried and reddish-brown in colour and the oil separates from the mixture. Cool. This sambal is not served hot from the fire.

From: =The Complete Asian Cookbook= by Charmaine Solomon ISBN 0-07-059636-0

MM & typos by Kurt.

previous

next