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Sambal oelek
Fresh chilli paste
Fresh red chillies pounded with salt and a little lime into Indonesia's simplest everyday sambal
Every Indonesian kitchen has an ulekan, the flat stone mortar that gives sambal oelek its name, and this is the most basic thing ground in it: fresh red chillies and salt, pounded to a coarse, wet, fiery mash. It's the foundation many cooks start from, stirred into fried rice and soups, spooned beside every meal at warung tables nationwide, and the base for more complex cooked sambals. Making it fresh tastes brighter and fruitier than any jar. Chef's tip: wear gloves and pound rather than blitz if you can — crushing releases the oils and gives a juicier, more fragrant sambal than chopping blades.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 7 oz large red chilliesstems removed
- 5 red bird's eye chillies (optional)for extra heat
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp lime juice or rice vinegarvinegar helps it keep longer
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Roughly chop 7 oz large red chillies and 5 red bird's eye chillies. Keep the seeds for a hotter sambal, or scrape some out for milder.
3 minStep 2: Pound the chillies with 1 ½ tsp salt in a mortar, a handful at a time, for 5–6 minutes until broken down into a coarse, wet, bright red paste with flecks of skin and seed. Or pulse in a small food processor; stop before it's a smooth purée.
6 minStep 3: Stir in 1 tsp sugar and 1 tbsp lime juice or rice vinegar. Taste: it should be hot, salty and fresh, with no raw bitterness. A common mistake is leaving out enough salt — salt draws the juices out and is what keeps the sambal tasting bright.
1 minStep 4: Spoon into a clean jar, press down and smooth the top. Keep in the fridge for up to 1 week (2 weeks with vinegar); it mellows a little after a day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 15 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sambal oelek take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lime juice or rice vinegar?
- Cider vinegar with a pinch of sugar, same amount.
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