Sambal goreng

Anita Jacobson’s sambal goreng is a cooked Indonesian chili paste she uses as a condiment and as the base for other dishes. Dried red chilies, alliums, shrimp paste and tamarind give this selected version its foundation.

In the selected written method, seeds are removed from the dried chilies before they soak in hot water to soften. The softened chilies are blended with garlic, shallots, the selected yellow onion, toasted shrimp paste and water.

The smooth paste cooks first without the added oil, becoming thicker and drier. Canola oil and optional makrut lime leaves then join it as the cooking continues.

Once the oil begins to separate from the paste, sugar, salt and the prepared tamarind juice are stirred in. The paste cooks until those seasonings are incorporated, with salt and sugar adjusted to taste.

Jacobson describes its use beside fried chicken, fritters, fried tofu and potato fritters, as well as in dishes where it coats other ingredients. The same chili-paste approach also underlies her sambal goreng potatoes.