| Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 40 mins – 50 mins | Difficulty: Medium | Serves: 6 |
| kcal | fat | saturates | carbs |
| 350 | 22g | 13g | 20g |
| sugars | fibre | protein | salt |
| 6g | 2g | 25g | 0.75g |
Why I Love Malaysian Sambal Goreng
There’s something about Sambal Goreng that makes my culinary heart skip a beat. It’s a simple yet sophisticated Malaysian delicacy that seems to perfectly blend an exotic array of flavors. As someone brought up in a household where Southern and Tex-Mex cuisine remained a signature trademark of the kitchen, getting a chance to experiment with Eastern flavors is always an exciting endeavor.
Discovering New Flavors
Teaching in a grade school in Texas, I made sure to share my passion for cooking with my students, hoping to ignite their curiosity, not just about traditional southern dishes, but diverse international cuisines as well. Delving into Sambal Goreng marked the beginning of my love affair with Malaysian food, a relationship that turned out to be a delectable journey of exploring new flavors.
What Makes It Special
The fantastic thing about Sambal Goreng is how it harmoniously merges the rich taste of prawns and tempeh with the refreshing tang of lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves – an intricate balance which paints a scrumptious picture of Southeast Asian cooking style. The paste, though, is the soul of the dish. A tasteful amalgamation of flavors – juicy chilies, aromatic garlic, sharp shallots, spicy belacan, and earthy candlenut – all roasted and blended perfectly to render a paste that carries within it the essence of Malaysian gastronomy.
Inspired by notable Asian cuisine expert Anthony Bourdain, I’ve tried to perfect my recipe over the years, each time discovering something new about this magnificent Malaysian staple. It’s this constant learning and exploration that keeps my passion for cooking burning bright.
Dishes to Pair with Sambal Goreng
In my experience, Sambal Goreng can hold its own as a main dish. However, when served alongside a comforting bowl of Roti Canai, it becomes a match made in foodie heaven. For those who wish to venture further into Asian cuisine, serving it with a side of Nasi Lemak or even a contemporary Tex-Mex salad puts forth a delightful fusion of East-meets-West.
In a world where people are increasingly embracing international cuisines and cooking up a storm in their home kitchens, no matter where they are, Sambal Goreng remains an all-time favorite. It’s the anticipation of that first mouthful, the burst of flavors that ensues, and the lingering aftertaste that keeps me coming back to this wonderful dish, time and again.
What You’ll Need
- 1 lb of fresh prawns
- 2 cups of tempeh
- 4 cups of coconut milk
- 3 lemongrass stalks, crushed
- 6 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 turmeric leaf
- 1 tablespoon of palm sugar
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
- 10 dried red chilies, soaked in warm water
- 6 shallots
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 4 candlenuts
- 1 inch piece of ginger
- 1 inch piece of galangal
- 1 teaspoon of belacan (shrimp paste)
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric Powder
For the paste:
Method
Step One
To prepare the prawns, clean and devein each one. You can choose to leave the shells on or remove them based on your personal preference.
Step Two
Cut tempeh into cubes and then fry it in cooking oil until it turns golden brown. Once done, set it aside.
Step Three
For the paste, start by soaking the dried red chilies in warm water until they are softened. Once done, drain the chilies.
Step Four
In a food processor, add the soaked chilies, shallots, garlic, candlenuts, ginger, galangal, belacan, and turmeric powder. Blend them together until you get a smooth paste.
Step Five
Next, heat up some cooking oil in a pan and sauté the paste until fragrant. Ensure that you keep stirring so as to prevent the paste from getting burnt.
Step Six
Add in the prawns, and fry for a few minutes until they turn pink.
Step Seven
Then, add the coconut milk, lemongrass, lime leaves, turmeric leaf, palm sugar, and salt. Mix well and let it simmer over low heat for about 15-20 minutes until the prawns are cooked and the sauce has thickened.
Step Eight
Finally, include the fried tempeh into the pan and mix well. Let it simmer for another couple of minutes so that the tempeh absorbs the flavors. Adjust the seasoning if needed before serving.
Step Nine
Delicious Sambal Goreng is now ready to be served. Enjoy this hearty Indonesian dish with some steamy jasmine rice for a complete meal!
