Balinese Sambals

Sambel Matah (Shallot & Lemon Grass Sambal)

- 15 shallots
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced finely
- 10-15 bird's-eye chilies, sliced
- 5 fragrant lime leaves, cut in hair-like shreds
- 1 teaspoon roasted dried shrimp paste
- 4 stalks lemon grass, tender part only, very finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, finely crushed
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/3 cup oil

Peel shallots and slice in half lengthwise, then cut in fine crosswise slices. (Cutting them in this fashion ensures the slices do not separate into fine rings.) Combine with all other ingredients and mix thoroughly for a couple of minutes before serving with fish or chicken.

Sambel Sere Tabia (Fried Bird's-eye Chilies)

- 25 bird's-eye chilies
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1.5 teaspoons dried shrimp paste (trasi)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt

Clean and discard the stems of bird's-eye chilies. Heat oil in a wok or saucepan until smoking hot. Crumble dried shrimp paste (trasi) and combine with salt. Add chilies, shrimp paste and salt to the oil, stir over heat for 1 minute and then remove from heat and allow to cool.


Sambel Tomat (Tomato Sambal)

- 4 tablespoons oil
- 15 shallots, peeled and sliced
- 14 large red chilies, seeds removed, sliced
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes each cut in 6 wedges
- 2 teaspoons roasted dried shrimp paste
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan or wok. Add shallots and garlic and saute 5 minutes over low heat. Add chilies and saute another 5 minutes, then add tomato and shrimp paste and simmer another 10 minutes. Add limejuice. Put all ingredients in a food processor and puree coarsely. Season to taste with salt. Cool before using. This sambal can be deep-frozen. Served together with Sambel Matah, it makes an ideal accompaniment to grilled fish.

Bubuk Sambal Kelapa (Grated Coconut Sambal)

- 1 coconut
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 4 big red chillies
- 100 g dried shrimp
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and sugar to taste

Peel the brown skin of the coconut, then grate. Grind the chillies, garlic, dry shrimp, salt and sugar, until really fine. Mix the grated coconut, spices and bay leaf, then fry gently until the coconut is really dry. When it is dry grind it again.

Sambal Koples

- 10 pieces of small chili
- shrimp paste to taste (grilled)
- 50 g of fried peanut
- salt to taste
- 1 lime
- coconut oil to taste

Blend all the ingredients except the lime until finely grounded. Add coconut oil, limejuice and some water, so that the spice paste is not too thick.