Sambal Belacan (Malaysian Chile Paste)

Servings 4

Difficulty Medium

Ingredients

1 thumb-size chunk belacan or terasi , plus more as needed
2 ounces large, mild red chiles , such as Fresnos, stemmed
1/2 ounce small, hot red chiles , such as bird’s eye chiles, stemmed
1 tablespoon calamansi or Persian lime juice , plus more as desired

Instructions

1

Line an 8-inch stainless-steel skillet with aluminum foil, then place the belacan on the foil. Set the skillet over medium heat and toast, flipping the belacan every 30 seconds until darkened slightly, 2 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
2

Meanwhile, if a less spicy final sambal is preferred, split chiles lengthways and discard the seeds and ribs. Cut the chiles into roughly 1-inch pieces, taking care to keep the two types of chile separate.
3

Place a few pieces of the larger mild red chiles and half the toasted belacan in the mortar (for a food processor or blender, see notes). While shielding the mortar with your non-dominant hand to contain mess and splatter, pound chiles and belacan into a paste. Once paste is formed, add the remaining larger mild red chiles, a few pieces at a time, until pounded into a smooth paste. The sambal at this point should be mildly spicy.
4

Taste the sambal and increase the spice level to your preference by adding the small hot red chiles, a few at a time and tasting as you go, and pound into a smooth paste. Pound in more of the remaining toasted belacan, a pinch at a time, until desired flavor is achieved.
5

Stir in calamansi or lime juice, then taste and add more juice and season with salt to taste. Serve as part of a family-style meal with other dishes and rice.
6

We recommend opening your windows and turning on your exhaust while toasting the belacan, otherwise your kitchen will smell like belacan for several days. Alternatively, you could also use a toaster oven and toast the belacan on high heat for the same amount of time.
7

Avoid adding all the chiles at once when pounding the sambal; it will be much messier and more difficult to pound them into a cohesive paste.
8

To prepare this in a food processor or blender, add the preferred amount of chiles and the toasted belacan to the bowl, blitz into a paste, adding small amounts of water if needed to get things moving, and stir in the lime juice after.