Charred Tomato and Chilli sambal

I love sambal! I always have a few bottles of them in my fridge because they can be used in so many dishes.  So it is good idea to make a big batch. This way, whenever you want to cook a quick meal, just go to the fridge and get your sambal to get your dish going!

In this sambal recipe, I have dry roasted the ingredients first before pounding it as the charring gives its little bit of that BBQ taste. You can make as mild or hot as you want. Mild will mean less chillies and you can remove and discard the seeds. Hot means, using more chillies. If you like it very hot, add chilli padi (birds eye chilli).

Charred Tomato Chilli Sambal

Makes 1/2 cup

Ingredients

4 (50g) shallots, sliced thickly

3 (15g) garlic, sliced thickly

4-6 (50-75g) fresh red chili

1-2 (2-4 g) chilli padi (birds eye chili)

1 (120g) tomato, cut into big chunks

½ + 1 tsp salt

1 tbsp oil

1 -2 tsp palm sugar

2 kaffir lime leaves, crushed with your hands to release the flavour

1 tbsp lemon/lime juice

Method:

1. Heat up the pan on high heat and add the shallot, garlic, chilli and tomato and dry fry them for about 5-8 mins until it is fragrant and charred a little.
2. Turn off heat and remove the ingredients into a mortar and pound for about 1 mins with a pestle to release the flavours. Then put in a blender and process it until you have a fine paste. Set aside.
3. Heat ½ tsp salt in a pan on medium heat for 30 secs and then 1 tbsp oil. Add the chilli paste and kaffir lime leaves and stir fry for 5 mins. Stir in the sugar and 1 tsp salt and stir fry for another 3 mins. Add the lemon/lime juice, mix it in and turn off the heat.
4. Taste and add more salt, sugar and lime/lemon juice to your taste. Let it cool and bottle it up and keep in the fridge. It will last for 1 month.
5. You can also use this sambal for  recipes.