75. Sambal Belachan - My Peranakan Heritage

16 June 2021

My Recipe for Sambal Belachan

Homemade Chilli Sauce

Jamie wanted to make some Sambal Belachan in Myanmar so he calls me to wake me up so that i can walk through with him on making it - over facetime.

i should have done this blog post years ago but haven't really thought about it until now. that's because i get calls from Jamie, waking me up from my sleep in, because he wants me to teach him step by step how to make sambal belachan from scratch

Sambal Belachan (/Sambal Blachan/Belacan or Shrimp Paste Chilli Sauce) is enjoyed in households of many different cultures all over singapore, malaysia, thailand and indonesia. Sambal is a chilli mix and belachan/blachan/belacan is a type of fermented shrimp/grago paste.

(see how shrimp paste or belachan is made: https://youtu.be/0E9YZSqrlDM - language spoken is Malay, filmed in Malaysia, Besut, Terengganu)

these days, if you aren't bothered to make it yourself, just get it at the nasi padang malay rice stalls, chinese rice stalls at the market, coffeeshop or from a bottle at supermarkets. the ingredients for Sambal Belachan are basically shrimp paste and fresh chillis. but some households have their own preferred rendition of the basic sauce mix. the chinese seem to like it sweet and the malays like it spicy and sometimes with some citrus flavour and aroma. i particularly like the ones with citrus flavours - limau purut leaves and fresh lime juice and lime rinds. my own version would be spicy, salty, rich in shrimp paste flavours and citrusy-tangy. also, when anyone in south east asia makes these sauces, we all use the "agar agar" method - it means - by estimation or improvising the proportions according to one's preferred taste.


Making Sambal Belachan in 2017 

(4 Jan 2017)

penang belachan 

(packed in a block, like a brick)

pounded by hand

(think it was Mahani who helped me)

limau purut tree at cactus backyard

VIDEOS

link: https://youtu.be/eDjOVOTdTns

Link: https://youtu.be/tEkv2h_CQx4

see how shrimp paste or belachan is made:

https://youtu.be/0E9YZSqrlDM

docu below

language spoken is Malay, filmed in Malaysia, Besut, Terengganu

MY RECIPE

SAMBAL BELACHAN

Ingredients:

- belachan / belacan / blachan - roasted

- red chilli / chillipadi

- green chilli / chillipadi (optional)

- kaffir lime leaves - stems removed

- lime juice (used for cooking and when served)

- lime rind (do not use the white part of the rind)

- sugar (optional)

Cut into even sized pieces and blend or grind or pound.

if using a blender, use lime juice or water.

lately, i cook my sambal because my stomach is a bit weak. also, cooking it doesn't change its taste or flavour and i hope it helps to keep it for longer. if i make a lot, i either give some away or i freeze them in small tubs.

add freshly squeezed lime juice before serving.

SAMBAL BELACHAN

malacca belachan $1.50 (no brand)

from tekka market - smells amazing!!!

below: belachan bought at tekka market $1.50/piece 

as the above belachan (no brand) is out of stock during covid19

this one tastes really good!!

i bought a smiliar belachan at telok blangah crescent market -

costs 70 cents each and smells similar. not tried this one yet. 

belachan bought at tekka market $1.50/piece

3 Feb 2021

Making Sambal Belachan

- belachan - roasted

- chillis and chillipadi

- limau purut

- lime juice

managed to pack into 8-10 small plastic tubs

gave away a tub each to ben, may, parvin, vern and gerald.

Making Sambal Belachan in 2013

23 Feb 2013

-----------------------------------------------------------

15 June 2021

What Jamie did 

Jamie called me from the supermarket when trying to pick out the belachan.

he could only find a myanmar version, 200g, in a bottle.

it was soft but pasty, like plastercine. and smelly too haha!!

he had 7 packets of red chillis,

200g belachan (made in myanmar)

kaffir lime leaves or daun limau purut

large limes (this is the best limes! very fragrant!)

erm, all along i thought it was squid paste...

i think squid is the brand name!! haha!! we were fooled!

he dry roasted the belachan in the pan, low heat. 

looks good after a while!

lime rind - try to avoid the white parts!!

the white part is bitter.

first attempt - blended it too fine.

he also said it tastes bitter LOL

yup, that's for using too much lime rind/white part and limau purut leaves!

2nd attempt - the chilli bits were blended to be flaky.

then he added sweet and sour mangoes 

and some sugar and salt...

2nd attempt - jamie says it tastes way better 

and close to the type we make at home LOL

below:

jamie's sambal belachan 2nd lot 25jun2021.JPG