Quick and easy

“Sambal belacan is made by mixing toasted shrimp paste with chilli peppers. A traditional manner of making sambal is using a stone mortar. Sambal is an Indonesian loan-word of Javanese origin. Region’s that serve sambal are Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Netherlands.”

When i was a toddler living in Singapore, both mom and my grandmother introduced me to chili. Back then i was known as a real “kepoh” which directly translates from Malay as, nosey/busy body. Apparently, according to my grandmother, she and mom were eating in front of me and I kept watching, encouraging them to let me taste. Since then, I’m known among the family to be able to handle incredibly lethal spice.

You will need:

1 whole packet of fresh red chilli (10-15 birds eye chilli)
2-3 lemon juice
1 packet of belacan powder, or teaspoon if it’s the fried paste

Blend the birds eye chilies, mixed with the belacan and lemon juice. Thoroughly mix till it becomes a paste. Taste the paste and add extra lemon or belacan if needed, it must have a distinct taste of the shrimp paste with a hint of citrus.