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Sambal Udang (Prawn Sambal)
April 18th, 2011Recipes, Malaysian Recipes, Recipes, Nyonya Recipes, Recipes33 Comments
If there is one dish that I can eat every day with just plain white rice, it’s probably sambal udang (prawn sambal)—a popular Malay or Nyonya prawn dish that is much-loved by many people. Made with a sambal paste and flavored with belacan (Malaysian shrimp paste), the gravy of sambal udang is best when drizzled on a serving of steaming hot rice…
There are many variations of sambal udang (prawn sambal), but the basic ingredients are more or less the same. This version is our family’s sambal udang recipe, passed down to us from my late mother. She would always add some thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves to perfume the dish with its aroma. Every bite is bursting with the briny flavor of the prawn, follows by the complex flavor of the fiery sambal, and ends with a citrusy note of the kaffir lime leaves.
Here is my sambal udang recipe, which I made when I was in Penang, Malaysia. Try it out and I am sure you will want it every day!
(Click Page 2 for the Sambal Udang (Prawn Sambal) Recipe)
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Brings back such great memories for me, cause this is first dish I cooked for my (future) husband. He brought over fresh caught baby shrimp. Only thing was I had to shell and devein, yuk. One of my all time favs too, my mom made a mean one too. I’ll have to try your recipe.
Interesting to find out your recipe, there are so many versions.
Your shrimps looks so tempting!
Thanks Helen.
Same goes to me. I love gulai assam and I love prawns. Hence I can eat this every day with rice. :)
This sambal udang is best made with local prawn caught from the seas in Penang. It just tastes so much better!!
The spiciness of the chilli, the fragrant kuah (gravy)… the sweetness of the fresh prawn! Ah almost a pleasurable sin!
Yeah, I also love the Malay version of sambal udang. Different recipe but the taste is equally tantalizing.
This sounds absolutely amazing.
Absolutely Heather. This prawn sambal = total deliciousness.
This is my all time favourite! I remember a friend’s mom, who is Nyonya, cooked really yummy sambal udang!
That looks just lovely.
looks delicious…surely goin to give it a try.but i’d like to ask 1 thing,what if one doesn’t have belacan,as u don’t get it easily in India?is there any substitute for it n?pls let me know.thank you
looks delicious,will definately try it.however i’d like to ask 1 thing,what if one doesn’t have belacan as its not easily available in India?is there a substitute for it?pls let me know.thank you.
Unfortunately, belacan is the soul of the dish. Without it, it’s just not to same. :(
Do you have a particular brand/type of dried chili you use in the US? The one i have is super spicy and it’s hard to get my sambal to look red without becoming too spicy for my consumption. In Malaysia we have the red chili which is not hot. Is there a similar variety in the US or a good substitue??
Chili arbol is what I used.
I’ve never had prawn sambal before, but it looks delicious. Def going to have to give it a try this weekend. Try.
Bee, I miss you!!
Your food looks scrumptious as always!
are the prawns weighed b4 shelling, or after?
Mmmm, so long didn’t cook this liao!
Add some petai in it…….mmm, taste heavenly!
Is the belacan shrimp paste the same as the filipino bagoong? We also call it shrimp paste, but it leaves a brown color as opposed to the bright red in your picture.
Not sure about bagoong. The bright red is because of the dried red chilies, the belacan (which is dark brownish) doesn’t add much color.
I absolutely LOVE sambal udang. Especially if it’s paired with coconut rice. :P Am back in Penang now, wish you were here! I think I just missed you by a few weeks…
Have fun in Penang. Yes, I left on March 31. Didn’t want to leave though. ;)
Looks so great!
Just one question: no fish sauce? Not even salt? No lemongrass?
It sounds so easy I just have to try it!
OMG i love sambal prawns….u r my hero for posting this recipe…would u be able to post the Malay version as well?
your sambal udang looks tasty. mmmmmmmmmm.
It’s a mouth watering recipe. I love shrimp. One of my favorite recipe is mustard shrimp, shrimp cooked in mustard powder and whole mustard seeds.
I tried this tonight and it does taste awesome! I had reduced to 1.5 cup of water and yet it was quite watery so I add some wet flour. The prawns looked a little overcooked in spite of cooking for less than 2 minutes, maybe I should reduced the heat?
Not supposed to add wet flour to the sambal udang. If you don’t like too much gravy, reduce the water. How big is your prawn, they shouldn’t be overcooked in less than 2 minutes.
Hi there… Would love to try this recipe! Looks so yummy! May I know if tamarind pulp is also known as Assam?
Yes.