Sambal Oelek (Indonesian Red Chili Paste)

Chili pastes are probably my favorite condiment so I knew once I read about Sambal Oelek I had to try it.  I really enjoyed the Thai Red Curry Paste I made a while back as well as my usual go tos, Moroccan Harissa and Korean Gochujang. I was looking forward to trying out a new chili paste and thankfully this new one did not disappoint in the least! Sambal Oelek is a Southeast Asian chili paste that varies from country to country but generally consists of red chilies, shallots, ginger, garlic, lime and lemongrass.  The mixture is then ground up and can be added to soups, noodle dishes, meat marinades, etc. The paste was very spicy but had wonderful flavor.  I loved the combination of the sweet, spicy and citrusy flavors. I have a feeling this will go well with a lot of different dishes!

Sambal Oelek (Indonesian Red Chili Paste)
(makes about 2 cups)
Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried Thai chilies, boiled and chopped (or 1 1/2 cups fresh bird’s eye chilies, chopped)
• 1 Serrano pepper, seeded and diced
• 5 shallots, diced
• 2 inch piece ginger, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp peanut oil
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 lime, zest
• 2 tbsp lemongrass paste
• 2 tsp shrimp paste
• 1 tbsp palm sugar
• 1 tbsp water
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a blender/food processor, combine the chilies, ginger, garlic, serrano, lime juice, lemongrass paste, water and shallots.
   
2. Puree until about smooth.
3. In a saute pan, saute the shrimp paste for 1 minute.
4. In a bowl, combine the blended ingredients with the shrimp paste, palm sugar, lime zest, and peanut oil.