Sambal Manis

17-sambal-manis

I make my own sambal (Indonesian chili salsa) more and more nowadays. I make on this blog all the recipes out of Beb Vuyk’s book and she inspires to make bright, fresh, spicy sambals in a few minutes.

I love chili, even though I do not eat crazy spicy; a true Indo ;-). I learned to appreciate it during our travels through Thailand, Burma, and Indonesia. We’ve eaten so many different hot foods. From spicy cocktails to super hot tea salads (famous spicy Burmese tea leaf salads with peanuts).

Most chili sauces in Beb’s book are simple. You make them easily next to the dish you’re already preparing. It’s très chic and guests will be impressed.

17-sambal-manis-mes

I chop up the peppers. This way it’s easier to work with in the mortar. You can also use a machine instead or a cobèk (mortar).


Sambal sauce #17 translated from Beb Vuyk’s Groot Indonesisch Kookboek, page 57.

Ingredients

5 lomboks (chili peppers)
1 piece of asem (tamarind) the size of a walnut
2 teaspoons Javanese sugar (gula Jawa)
pinch of salt

Rub lombok, sugar, salt and asem in a tjobèk (mortal) fine. Remove during the rubbing the skins and seeds of the asem.


 

17-sambal-manis-tjobek

I buy asem (tamarind) paste in a jar. I think the taste is not much different from the ‘fresh’ tamarind Beb uses. I buy Javanese sugar at an Asian store. It’s called gula Jawa in Indonesian.

You can keep this sambal in the fridge for a day or two. If you want to make chili salsa and keep it for a longer time use stir fried sambal recipes. Pour it in to a super clean jar while boiling hot. Place the lit on and let it cool. You can keep sambal like this for months.

This sambal manis is fresh and fast. I usually make a just little bit with three chilies for example. Our household consists of 3 people ;-).

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