All Easy Recipes. Cook all that you can cook. Chili - And - Coconut - Milk Sauce
(Sambelan)
 
What You Need:            (To Make: about 1½ cups)
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  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • ½ cup finely chopped onions
  • ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic
  • 2 salam leaves (see Glossary)
  • 1 teaspoon trassi (shrimp paste, see Glossary)
  • 1 fresh hot chili about 3 inches long, stemmed, seeded and cut lengthwise into strips about ¼ inch wide and 1 inch long
  • ½ teaspoon finely grated fresh lime peel
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1½ cups fresh coconut milk made from 1½ cups coarsely chopped coconut and 1½ cups hot water
  • 2 tablespoons tamarind water
  • 2 teaspoons light brown sugar

  • How To Cook:
    1. In a heavy 8- to 10-inch skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Drop in the onions, garlic and salam leaves and, stirring frequently, cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and transparent but not brown.

    2. Watch carefully for any sign of burning and regulate the heat accordingly. Add the trassi and mash it thoroughly with the back of a spoon. Stir in the chili, lime peel, ginger and salt, and when they are well mixed add the coconut milk and tamarind water.

    3. Stirring occasionally, bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes until the chili strips are tender but still in-tact. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves completely.

    4. Sambelan sauce is the base for a variety of Indonesian side dishes, many of which are made with foods already cooked, such as sambelan telor or sambelan hati ajam.


     
     
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