Sambal ikan billis - By Fiona Lau
Ingredients; Into the blender;
150g dried chilies
300g shallots
20g ginger
15g galangal (blue ginger),
50g garlic
50g toasted belacan (shrimp paste)
1/2 cup water
During cooking process;
1 cup cooking oil
80g tamarind pulp soaked in 1/2 cup
water, break it up with your hands,
strain the pulp and seeds
100g sugar or palm sugar (gula Melaka)
1 teaspoon salt
80g ikan billis (dried Anchovies) fried and slightly pound coarsely
150g big onion, chopped roughly
Steps;
1. Use a scissor to discard the dried chilli’s stems and cut into 2-3 pieces and boil in hot water for 3 mins until they’re soft. Drain and discard the chilli seeds. if you want less spicy
2. Toast belacan in a dry frying pan, chopping and break it up till powdery and aromatic.
3. Blend dried chillies, fresh chillies, bird’s eye chillies, peeled shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal and toasted belacan with 1/2 cup of water to a smooth paste. Because it is packed full in the blender, you might have to press with it down with a chopstick and stir it around to get everything to blend together. Be careful you don’t blend the chopsticks in!
4. Pour chili paste into a big wok, stir fry for 30 mins over medium low heat until you achieve a slightly dried paste and can see oil appear out from the paste then add in the ikan billis and onion , and cook for another 15 min
this is my yummy sambal chillies always the best ever...lol xoxo
