Indonesian & Malaysian · Lunch · Dinner
Sambal Shrimp
Sambal Udang
Juicy shrimp tossed in a glossy, deep-red chili paste that is smoky, tangy from tamarind, and gently sweet. This lighter Malaysian favourite uses far less oil than the usual version but keeps all the bold flavour.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 39% · Fat 28% · Protein 33%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 500 g (about 1 lb)Large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- about 1520 gDried red chilies
- 1 cup250 gHot water (for soaking chilies)
- 2 large30 gFresh red chilies
- 6 small100 gShallots
- 4 cloves12 gGarlic
- 2 tsp10 gShrimp paste (belacan)
- 1 stalk15 gLemongrass, white part sliced
- 1 medium110 gOnion, sliced into rings
- 2 tbsp30 gTamarind paste
- 1 tbsp12 gPalm sugar or brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp20 gVegetable oil
- 1/2 tspSalt
- 1/2 cup120 gWater (for paste and sauce)
- 1 tbsp15 gLime juice
Steps
- 1
Snip the dried chilies into pieces, shake out most of the seeds for less heat, and soak them in the hot water for 15 minutes.
- 2
Drain the chilies and discard the soaking water.
- 3
Toast the shrimp paste in a dry pan over medium heat for about 1 minute until fragrant, then remove.
- 4
Blend the soaked chilies, fresh chilies, shallots, garlic, toasted shrimp paste and lemongrass with 60 ml of the water into a smooth paste.
- 5
Heat the oil in a non-stick wok or pan over medium-low heat.
- 6
Add the chili paste and fry, stirring often, for 10-12 minutes until it darkens and smells sweet rather than raw; add a splash of the remaining water if it sticks.
- 7
Stir in the sliced onion and cook for 3 minutes until slightly softened.
- 8
Add the tamarind paste, sugar, salt and the rest of the water, and simmer for 2-3 minutes until glossy and thick.
- 9
Add the shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes, turning, until pink, opaque and cooked through to 63 °C / 145 °F.
- 10
Stir in the lime juice, taste for salt, and serve hot.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use 1 tablespoon of fish sauce instead of the shrimp paste if you can't find belacan, adding it with the tamarind.
- Swap the shrimp for bite-size pieces of firm tofu or boneless chicken thigh, cooking chicken until it reaches 74 °C / 165 °F.
- For a milder dish, use 8 to 10 dried chilies and replace the fresh chilies with half a red bell pepper.
- Add a handful of green beans or petai (stink beans) with the onion for extra vegetables, as is common in Malaysian versions.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 3 days, reheating gently until steaming hot. Shrimp turns rubbery when reheated or frozen, so this is best eaten fresh, though the sambal sauce on its own freezes well for up to 3 months.
Make ahead
Blend and fry the chili paste through the tamarind step up to 4 days ahead and keep it chilled, or freeze it in portions. When ready to eat, reheat the sauce until bubbling and cook the shrimp in it fresh.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: Crustaceans
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (312 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 225 kcal | 72 kcal |
| Protein | 19.4 g | 6.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 22.4 g | 7.2 g |
| of which sugars | 11.8 g | 3.8 g |
| Fiber | 3.3 g | 1.1 g |
| Fat | 7.2 g | 2.3 g |
| of which saturated | 1.6 g | 0.5 g |
| Sodium | 1,169 mg | 375 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
