Sambal Shrimp
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This recipe is based on two different Sambal Shrimp recipes I found in two of my cookbooks. One is an Indonesian Tangy Sambal Shrimp from the book Fabulous Asian Homestyle Recipes, and the other one is the Malaysian version Sambal Udang from Savoring Southeast Asia. There were some differences between the two, but I didn’t have all the ingredients for either. So I combined both the recipes, and made some substitutions and additions, and ended up with my own version of the Sambal Shrimp.
Sambal is a term used in Indonesian and Malaysian cuisines to describe a variety of spicy condiments and side dishes used to add flavor to other dishes . It is made out of peppers and is often used to substitute for chilies in recipes. There are different types of sambals available in stores, and one common variety is an Indonesian product called Sambal Oelek (Ulek) that combines chili, vinegar and salt.
Both the original recipes called for making a spice paste with red chilies. But I used Sambal Oelek instead. Since that is an Indonesian condiment, guess my version is an Indonesian Sambal Shrimp.
Other substitutions I made were ginger paste for galangal, and lemon juice for lemon grass (yeah, what a shame, but I didn’t have lemongrass on hand!). I also used a generous amount of curry leaves, not as a substitute for anything, but just because I wanted to. Nevertheless my version turned out quite tasty. Here is my version.
Ingredients
- 1 lb medium sized shrimp shelled and deveined (traditional Indonesian method calls for shrimp with the shells intact)
- 1 lemongrass stalk chopped (optional, I didn’t use this)
- 1/4 inch piece fresh galangal peeled and minced (optional, I didn’t use this)
- a few curry leaves (my addition, optional)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- salt to taste
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 3 tbsp oil.
- For Spice Paste
- 2 tbsp sambal oelek (5-6 red chilies seeded)
- 1/4 cup shallots quartered
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp ginger paste (omit if using galangal)
- 2 tbsp blanched almonds (substitute candlenuts or macadamia nuts)
- 1 tsp shrimp paste ( I guess you can omit this, but this gives a lot of flavor)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Method
To make the spice paste, put all the ingredients in a blender or a food processor along with a few spoons of water and blend to make a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a wok or a frying pan, and add the spice paste and fry stirring often till the oil separates.
Add the shrimp and curry leaves and fry for about 2 minutes.
Add the lemongrass and galangal (if using), coconut milk, ground black pepper, lime juice and salt to taste.
Stir-fry over medium heat for about 10 minutes till the shrimp is cooked through, and the sauce is thickened.
Serve hot with rice.
Technorati tags: Sambal Shrimp, Indonesian Cuisine
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Category: Mains, Seafood, Shrimp or Prawn, South East Asia
Wow the shrimp looks delicious. I can almost smell it. Good job.
the pic looks nice….makes me drool
Drool!
Oh my sig, I LOVE shrimps.. and ur pic is killing me
Not fair!!!
hi Sig, the shrimp looks great..they are my all time fav’s..hey, did u notice onething..look closely at the shrimp in front..doesnt it resemble a baby in a womb?..it seems to have a black spec, as for eyes, a pushed out feature to resemble nose and mouth…do u see anything like that, Sig?..or am i just imagining things??
The aroma has wafted all the way to Dubai….now please send me some shrimps, please
Oh dear Sig, I still haven’t found thew time to make your prawn and green mango! Now I have another fabulous recipe to try!
wow! thats one close up shot of the shrimps.. lovely sig
sig how do you take such beautiful pics… awsome photography….
HOT! by all measures!
he he, i love sambal too, its yummy!
and this is one more creation of yours that i have to try with a veggie substitute!
i agree with musical… i got to try veg version of ur recipe… gorgeous pic girl
The sauce catches my attention. Gotta work with this recipe. I would be happy if you could take away my work and give us a veg version
I bought Sambal Olek too recently,love it. I love Sriracha hot sauce better though since it has less Vinegar and more chilli taste.
Shrimp looks yum!:)
You are a tease Sig! This sounds spicy and hot and perfect!
…………………………………………….can’t stop drooling here
looks good sig….i could make this with a soy substitute….
that looks so succulent
just perfect!!
replacing lemon grass with lemon juice… sweetie that’s not expected from you…..LOL
I think the sambal adds a lot of flavor to the asian dishes.
I really wanted to participate in the lychee event….but couldn’t get my act together in time. I don’t know if its cause i’m genuinely busy, or lazy as hell. next time…
Nice one!
Kanchana
Sambal I guess is also a tamil term for spicy preservative mixtures, I never heard this term in India but here since this place is full with Srilankan Tamils, every Tamil store has them in so many variations.
I can smell the oroma of your shrimp here……….Sure this weekend I’m cooking it.
Shrimp looks so delicious..what an aray of ingredients it has…I am sad that I consumed whole lot of shrimp this weekend, should have waited 4 ur post !
I love any version of sambal and the hotter the better
I can just imagine how good these shrimp taste.
thank you sig
err.. bindaas means carefree, independent, freak-out.. its a slang in hindi and to be honest, my hindi is not very good
where did you get the word from?
hehe ok
That looks absolutely scrumptious
MMM yummy i love anything with shrimps.
You dish really looks super delicious
i know, wasnt that idea even close to evil? hehehe.. i HAD to send in something to the event and I had almost given up when I thought of this idea. I make this at home all the time, but yea, its a fave for kids!
Hey,
I saw you had mentioned Microsoft prime card, do you work for MS? I am gonna move to Seattle to join MS soon, was just curious to know if you work there too. I have been following your blog past few days, I have to admit you keep it pretty interesting.
Great Blogging,
Kiruthika
the shrimps look fabulous sig, delicious. And that egg roast… I need to make it soon!!!
Anonymous,
Love you too…
Bhags, Sra, Cinnamon, thanks
Kitchen Scientist, eewww… ok, I see it, but eewww….
jyo, Anh, Nags, Rachna thanks
Musie, Sup, Suganya,
I saw a dish called Sambal Bhindi Udang in my book , stir fried okra and shrimp with sambal, you could try omiting the shrimp there. Also, a sambal brinjal, grilled eggplant with sambal… 
or there is always tofu…
Asha, i will try Sriracha hot sauce next, though my sabal ooelek didn’t have much vinegar in it.
Meeta, Sandeepa thanks
Rajitha, yep soy will be good with it…or okra or eggplant as I said before…
Richa, errr…
i know, i’m sure the culinary police is after me…
kanch,
don’t worry about it… I know the effect of laziness…:)
Rina, you are right, I’ve had sambal from srilankan restaurants too… let me know if you end up trying this dish.
Padma,
haven’t you heard the saying, there is nothing called too much shrimp 
Cyn, Sunita, Happy Cook, Mandira thanks
Kiruthika, welcome to my blog and to Microsoft and Seattle. Send me an email, if you have any questions related to MS or Seattle
As usual Sig … I could not stop myself from trying one more dish of yours
……. although mine is again a variation ….. but could not stop myself after seeing sambal oelek with shrimps …… delicious recipe