Basic Sambal Belacan

It has been over a month since the last post, and we've just settled (quite comfortably) into our new place. As preempted, we only got to move into it some time in end March, and the mad rush to purchase all the household necessities is not something I would want to relive anytime soon. Thank goodness for Ed's friend, whose assistance helped us tremendously, making the transition a whole lot smoother and faster.

Now that "the dust has settled" (or cleared, rather), it's time to ease the itch to cook/bake. Well, also because eating out is simply too expensive to be a daily affair, and I don't want to have to increase 2 dress sizes in 2 months. Hahaha!

The first thing I need to do is to make a batch of Sambal Belacan (also spelled as Belachan). In my opinion (and many others, I believe), it is one of the quintessential condiment of Southeast Asia cuisine, an absolute must-have in the kitchen. Recipes differ in each household as versions differ across the continents; each is tweaked accordingly to one's preference. I would like to think that mine is a basic recipe with no "secret ingredients" and can be easily modified to suit your family's palate. However, do know that each batch will tastes slightly different from another since the spiciness of chilies varies, so does the saltiness of different brands of belacan, and what have you not. 

 Sambal Belacan (just enough to last 2 weeks)

 300g     Chili, deseeded
   50g     Chili Padi (leave seeds in for spiciness)
   50g     Shallots or Onions, roughly diced
   10g     Garlic
     5g     Ginger
   60g     Belacan, toasted

Optional
   20g    Dried Shrimps, reconstituted

1. If using, soak dried shrimps in water for approximately 30 minutes prior to use.

2. In a dry wok, over medium heat, fry belacan (with no oil) until most of the moisture has evaporated. The remnant is somewhat powdery and sand-like. Leave it to cool to room temperature. Remember to open all doors and windows to air the house adequately, else it's going to smell like rotten fish for days!

3. When the dry toasted belacan has cooled completely, pulverize everything in a food processor. Stop when desired consistency is achieved. I like mine a little chunky, while some prefer a smoother sambal.

4. Add salt and sugar to taste or none at all, mix well and done.

This recipe originally consists of calamansi lime (aka kalamansi) when it was passed down to me, but I prefer having it freshly squeezed and mixed into the sambal before eating, makes it extra shiok and appetizing! But of course, you can choose to blend it directly into the mixture the usual way too.

Knowing that Sambal Belacan makes an awesome universal dip, and makes any stir fry tastes great, be sure to whip up a huge batch every time you decides to stink up the house.

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