Sambal Oelek with Chili and Lemon Juice
Sambal oelek is the simplest chili paste in Indonesian and Malaysian cooking. Fresh red chili blended with salt, sugar, and a little acid — not much more. It is used both as a spice base in cooking and as a table condiment, on a level with salt and pepper.
This recipe uses lemon juice as the acid, but lime juice or ordinary wine vinegar works equally well. The acid keeps the colour fresh and balances the chili heat. Sugar and salt take the edge off the extreme sharpness without removing the heat.
Made in a blender it takes five minutes. Poured into a clean jar and refrigerated, it keeps for several weeks.
Ingredients
Makes approx. 150 ml
- 125 g red chili, freshly chopped
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (or lime juice or wine vinegar)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
Directions
Put the chili, lemon juice, sugar, and salt in a blender or food processor.
Blend to a coarse paste. It should be finely ground but not completely smooth — a little texture is fine.
Taste and adjust. Add more salt or sugar if it bites too hard, or more lemon juice if it needs freshness.
Pour the paste into a clean, airtight jar.
Notes
About 5 minutes prep. Store the sambal in the refrigerator in an airtight jar — it keeps for several weeks.
The heat depends entirely on the chili. Red bell peppers give a mild sambal, while smaller Thai or bird’s eye chilies give a noticeably sharper version. Adjust to taste.
Use sambal oelek as a spice base in stir-fries, noodles, and curries, or as a hot accompaniment to grilled food and rice.
See Also
Sambal Dabu-Dabu
