Sambal Belacan/Shrimp Paste Chilli Sauce

This is the stuff that heaven is made of ..... or not. I don't suppose everyone will agree with me on that one.

Every nyonya home must have a ready supply of sambal belacan, anytime, anyday. This is one condiment that will knock your socks off. And if it doesn't, it's not good enough.

I've added some bird's eye chillies in the blend as I find today's red chillies lacking oomph. Does anyone else notice that or is it just me? Maybe my tastebuds have gone numb from all the years of being chillified.

You really need good quality belacan / shrimp paste. The below par ones are not worth getting ... just a bunch of salt and what else, I dare not mention.

Unfortunately, there are no exact measurements for the ingredients of this recipe. As I have mentioned earlier, it all depends on the heat of the chillies and your tastebuds. The end result should be a good balance of heat, saltiness and tartness. Some people prefer a bit more of the shrimp paste taste (the result will turn out darker) and some may just want a hint of it. So adjust as you go along... buzz, taste, add, buzz, taste ....

Even the texture varies. My mum prefers it to be coarser and complains mine is a little too refined. It's all up to you.

Easy peasy....

INGREDIENTS

Red chillies (10 - 15 large chillies should yield about 200g of sauce)

Bird's eye chillies, optional

Shrimp paste, toasted / shrimp paste granules

Calamansi lime juice, to taste / tamarind paste diluted with some water

METHOD

Just plonk everything into a blender or food processor and buzz into the texture of your choice. Have a taste every now and then to decide if you need to add more ingredients.

* Goes great with Tau Yew Bak (Soy sauce pork), fried noodles, fried rice, whatever suits your fancy.