Sakay
Sakay: fiery Malagasy red chilli paste pounded with ginger and garlic
No table in Madagascar is fully set without a saucer of sakay, from a Fianarantsoa family lunch to a coastal fish shack in Mahajanga. Fresh red chillies are pounded with ginger, garlic and salt, then loosened with hot oil, so the paste is bright, sharp and searingly hot, with a warm ginger finish rather than the sourness of a vinegar sauce. A dab is stirred into broth, smeared over rice or eaten with grilled zebu skewers; a little goes a long way. Wear gloves when you chop the chillies, and wash the board straight away: rubbing your eyes after handling them is the classic beginner's mistake. Chef's tip: pour the oil in while it is hot but not smoking, which cooks the raw edge off the garlic and helps the paste keep for a week in the fridge.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 3 ½ oz fresh red chilliesbird's eye or similar, stalks removed, roughly chopped
- 1 oz fresh gingerpeeled and roughly chopped
- 4 garlic clovespeeled
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ cup sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp lime juice (optional)optional, for a little brightness
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What you'll need
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Pound or blend 3 ½ oz fresh red chillies, 1 oz fresh ginger, 4 garlic cloves and 1 tsp salt to a coarse paste, scraping down the sides a few times. Wear gloves if you are pounding by hand.
Step 2: Spoon the paste into a heatproof jar or bowl.
Step 3: Warm ¼ cup sunflower oil in a small pan over a medium heat until it shimmers and a scrap of ginger sizzles in it, but before it smokes.
3 minStep 4: Pour the hot oil over the paste; it will hiss and bubble. Stir and leave to cool, until the colour has deepened to brick red.
2 minStep 5: Stir in 1 tbsp lime juice if using, then cover and keep in the fridge for up to a week, always topped with a thin layer of oil.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 95 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sakay take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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