Homemake Fried Sambal Belacan Step by Step

Last month when I was in Queens.NYC Chinatown food shopping with Gertruda and Zuriada ,we saw a vendor stall at the road side selling fresh red pepper a.k.a red long chili for bargain!.A plate only for $1.00!! it's about 15 pieces of red pepper per plate.Good deal ,right?.I quickly ask for 2 plates with out bargain and the seller in return throw extra few red peppers in my plastic bag.She asked me,what am I going to do with all the red pepper?.Well I told her we are going to make chili paste or use it to cook with our exotic food...Actually I bought this huge bag of red long pepper and plan to make sambal belacan paste to store for this winter.Let me show you step by step how I make sambal belacan..

I washed all the red long pepper ,let it dry before cut for blending or pounding

This is how the final product look like Bought a large piece of belacan(shrimp paste) at Asian store in NYC..I make sure it's Made in Penang ,Malaysia.First of all, I cut and mashed the belacan before fry on a wok over an open fire ,BBQ pit to be precise.I guess all my neighbours is pinching their nose when this pungent smell belacan flying and landed at their yard! To many Westerners unfamiliar with this condiment, the smell can be extremely repulsive.
This is how I fried fresh belacan over BBQ pit.I fried the belacan until it's dried and fine.The truth to the matter belacan have distinguish pungent or unique smell.It's really powerful and intolerant to others who are not used to it.The aroma from the frying mixture can be unpalatable to Westerners who have not become accustomed to it, but is an absolute delight to the Asian connoisseur.Learn more about this pungent but taste extremely good here

This is the final look of fried belacan.After cool down I store the fried belacan in a Ziploc bag and then close in a air tight container.
Then prepared ingredients for spices. Sliced galangal,ginger and fresh turmeric for blending or pounding
Soaked garlic and shallot overnight before peel off the skin.The reason for soaking overnight is for easy peeling.I used to cry and rubbing my eyes with tears when peeling shallot or onion but not after soaking those in cold water overnight!
Soaked and wash candle nuts before blending .Candle nuts give your paste some nutty flavor especially when you cook curry .
Wash and sliced lemongrass before blending
I blended half of garlic,shallot,ginger,turmeric,lemongrass,candle nut and oil for the 1st batch.I freeze this lemongrass spices for marination later ..You can use this spices to make satay or non spicy lemonade flavor food.
Then add in this clean red long pepper,stump cut off to blend with the 2nd batch of spices..
This is the second batches of spices mix with red long pepper.I also add sugar,salt and fried belacan into this blended spices.
Again,I slowly sauteed the blended spices with fried belacan on this charcoal BBQ pit at my patio,outdoor.The reason I cook this spicy shrimp paste with chili outdoor is to prevent all closets and rooms in the house from getting this contagious strong pungent smell .Believe me this special flavor paste will confine in the house for days if you cook it in door!!

This sambal belacan paste is ready to use.I use it to make curry or any sambal dished in minutes.It's really handy for me to cook any meal,any time without pounding and peeling .If I need to make rendang(dry curry) I just add curry powder ,kerisik(grilled coconut flake)and daun limau purut ( kaffir lime leaves) to infuse into any dishes. If I need to cook spicy fish or seafood sambal ,I just scoop the amount needed and add in some tamarind juice and other vegetables.Although I still have plenty of prepack paste but I still prefer my own homemade sambal belacan paste.I think the key and secret ingredients that make our spicy food taste sooooo good is that evil belacan(shrimp paste)! It's taste Heavenly awesome! You can see my other sambal recipe HERE .Although,the process to make this sambal belacan take few hours to make,in my honest opinion it's worth it!! No preservative or any artificial flavour added!