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Sambal kecap
Chilli and shallot soy sambal
Sambal kecap: sliced chillies and shallots in sweet soy sauce, the satay-cart relish
Satay sellers in Jakarta and Madura hand out sambal kecap in little saucers, and at home in Java it gets spooned over fried tofu, grilled corn or a bowl of soto when there's no time to pound a proper sambal. It takes five minutes: raw bird's-eye chillies, shallot and tomato are sliced into glossy, treacle-sweet kecap manis with a squeeze of lime. The result is sticky, sweet, sharp and very hot all at once. Chef's tip: don't make it hours ahead; the shallots wilt and the lime turns bitter, so slice everything just before the food comes off the grill.
- Total time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 6 bird's-eye chilliesred and green mixed, thinly sliced
- 3 shallotsthinly sliced into rings
- 1 tomato (optional)small, seeded and diced
- 1 tbsp lime juiceor calamansi
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Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Put 3 shallots and 6 bird's-eye chillies in a small bowl and press them lightly with the back of a spoon to bruise them and release their juices.
Step 2: Pour in 6 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) and 1 tbsp lime juice and stir until the shallot rings are coated. Add 1 tomato if you like a fresher, juicier relish.
Step 3: Leave for 2–3 minutes so the chilli heat seeps into the soy, then serve straight away with satay, fried tofu or grilled fish.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 55 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sambal kecap take?
- About 5 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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