Spicy and Savory: Long-Lasting Sambal Terasi Recipe

Sambal terasi is a flavorful and aromatic Indonesian dish. This recipe shows how to make long-lasting sambal terasi without preservatives, combining traditional methods and special tips.

Essential ingredients include red chilies, bird’s eye chilies, terasi (shrimp paste), palm sugar, salt, and tomatoes, which are ground to achieve a smooth yet slightly coarse texture.

The process starts with sautéing ground terasi, then adding chilies and tomatoes, balanced with a bit of palm sugar. The quality of terasi is key, offering a robust flavor and aroma. Adjust the chili types and amounts for desired spiciness.

Perfect with traditional Indonesian dishes like warm rice, fried foods, or as a complement to Nasi Uduk, this sambal offers a blend of spicy, savory, and slightly sweet flavors.

This recipe creates a delicious, preservative-free sambal terasi, making it a healthier, natural choice.

Sambal Terasi Recipe

Recipe by Devina Hermawan

This Sambal Terasi recipe combines red chilies, bird’s eye chilies, quality shrimp paste, palm sugar, salt, and tomatoes, ground for a smooth yet coarse texture. Additional ingredients like shallots, garlic, candlenuts, lemongrass, and bay leaves are sautéed until brown for an intense aroma. The result is a spicy, savory, and slightly sweet sambal, perfect for various Indonesian dishes.

Course: MainCuisine: IndonesianDifficulty: Easy

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Servings

1

mangkuk

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

30

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 10 clove garlic, sliced

• 15 pc shallots, sliced

• 5 pc candlenut, pounded

• 15 pc bird’s eye chili

• 20 g dried chili, soaked in warm water or 10-15 red chili

• 1 pc tomato

• 6 pc shrimp paste

• 1 stalk lemongrass

• 2 pc bay leaf

• 100 ml oil

• 150 ml water

• 1 tsp salt

• 4 tbsp palm sugar

• ½ tsp flavor enhancers

Directions

• Heat some oi. Add the shallots, garlic, and candlenuts. Sauté until half-cooked.
• Add the shrimp paste in and stir.
• Add the bird’s eye chili and dried chili. Sauté for a bit and blend to the desired smoothness.
• Sauté the Sambal again with bay leaves and lemongrass until fragrant and the oil seeps out from the Sambal. Add some water and season with palm sugar, salt, and flavor enhancer.
• Cook on medium heat until the water evaporates or until the oil seeps out from the Sambal once again.
• The Shrimp Paste Sambal is ready to serve or stored in an airtight jar.

Recipe Video

Notes

• Use just enough oil to sauté the onions and other spices.
• Start by sautéing red and white onions until they turn brown, which is crucial to reduce moisture and enhance aroma.
• Adjust the amount of chili to your desired level of spiciness.
• Quality shrimp paste (terasi) provides a more distinctive aroma and flavor.
• Add the fried shrimp paste to the sautéed onions. Then add chilies, tomatoes, candlenuts, lemongrass, and bay leaves.
• Once all spices are cooked, grind them to a smooth paste, giving Sambal Terasi its characteristic texture.