Sambal belacan is a must-have Malaysian condiment and the key ingredients for many delicious Malaysian recipes. In this sambal belacan recipe, you will find step-by-step photos and detailed method on how to make sambal belacan.
Sambal is a common condiment in Southeast Asia and India. Sambal is basically a concoction of chilies and spices. Sambal is used in many Southeast Asian and Indian dishes, to add heat and flavors to local dishes. Sambal can also be made into sambal sauce, which is great on protein such as chicken, fish or shrimp.
What is Sambal Belacan?
Sambal belacan is the Malaysian version of sambal. Sambal belacan consists of chilies, belacan (Malaysian shrimp paste), calamansi lime (limau kasturi), salt and sugar. In the United States, calamansi lime is scarce so lime can be used as a substitute. However, calamansi lime is best for sambal as it adds amazing aroma and nuance to sambal belacan.
Belacan is the most important ingredient in sambal belacan. You have to toast the belacan in a skillet or wok like the picture below. The belacan should be toasted until it becomes dry and toasty, into tiny granules.
Sambal belacan as a condiment is something that I can’t do without. I eat my rice and noodles with it, and some Malaysian dishes such as my favorite sweet and sour eggs (masak belanda), Penang char hor fun, grilled fish with banana leaves are amazing with sambal belacan.
To make the best sambal belacan, you need a mortar and pestle like the picture below. You have to pound the ingredients by hand until it forms a nice and watery texture.
Here is how sambal belacan looks like. It’s red with a slightly runny texture, sort of like a sambal sauce. Use the condiment immediately or you may keep it in the fridge for a couple of days. You may freeze it for a longer period and thaw to room temperature before using it.
Recipes that Goes Well with Sambal Belacan:
Recipe Pairing Ideas
Sambal Asparagus
Prawn Sambal
Curry Fish Head
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Cynthia
This looks and sounds deliciously fiery-hot! The way you describe how you eat this is very much the same way we eat hot pepper sauce in the Caribbean.
I noticed that you did not include the seeds, was that deliberate or are the seeds not generally used? Also is there any particular chile that should be used to make this wonderful sambal?
Rasa Malaysia
Cynthia – despite our origins, I guess the food culture and principle stay the same. :)
I discarded the seeds because they are very hard to pound using a mortar and pestle, plus I think there is a belief that they are not great for the digestive system. I don’t mind some of the seeds in my belacan actually because it gives some extra “texture.” I guess it’s personal preference.
KNizam
check this sambal belacan picture featured in the rasa magazine – http://knizam.com/sambal-belacan-kulit-limau-nipis-terliur-la-plaks-ahaks/
so tempting. ehe :)
Rasa Malaysia
Wow, that’s so beautiful. Sambal Belacan is hard to photograph!
David
I am from New Zealand and recently had a chance to try out sambal belacan while traveling in Penang. I have to say that it tasted strong for my palate at the first taste, but then very quickly, it won me over. I agree that sambal belacan is a perfect dipping sauce for ikan bakar. It was probably the best grilled fish that I had ever tasted in my life. The aroma of burnt banana leaves and the sambal are simply perfect. Thanks for this great post!
Rasa Malaysia
David – I am glad that you tried the ikan bakar with sambal belacan. One of the many best dishes you can try in Malaysia! Yes, I love sambal belacan with fish, without it, it’s just not the same!
lisaiscooking
I think I could quickly become addicted to this, and it could be used in so many ways. Can’t wait to try it.
Rasa Malaysia
Oh yes, it’s addictive. I can just eat sambal belacan as is, without rice or noodles sometimes. ;)
Kent
I’ve been reading the blog for a long time – I’m a Chinese-American, and lived in Singapore for a year. Really miss the sambals from Singapore/Malaysia. Glad to finally see a recipe.
Just wondering – in US grocery stores, I can find key lime, which looks like calamansi lime. Are they the same?
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Kent for your comment. :)
Key lime is not the same as kalamansi. There are kalamansi trees for sale, but it’s scarce. You can use regular lime. :)
sydneyfoodie
Hi, I live in Australia and have been reading your blog for awhile now. My mum does her sambal belachan in bulk and it keeps in the freezer for ages. She divides them up in ice cube containers. The only difference in her recipe is after cooking the belachan she adds in the pounded chilli, salt and sugar and cooks it. She does this to kill all the bacteria etc so that it will keep in the freezer. She doesn’t add the lime…..only when she’s brings it out of the freezer to use, will she then add the lime juice.
Rasa Malaysia
Right, that’s the way to freeze sambal but I usually make some to last me for a few days. Adding lime when serving is right, but I don’t always have lime juice in my fridge so I add everything first. ;)
Agnes
My folks are from Penang. I do not add sugar nor salt to sambal belachan. However, there are a few different ways to make this very simple dish and it actually involves the type of belachan and chillies that you use and the ratio that is used. The nyonyas and the Malays and the Thais make them and then again there are 2 different type of nyonyas (one from Penang and one from Malacca) and also the Malays from the different states in Malaysia. True that it is preferable to squeeze limau kasturi (has less tanginess) otherwise known as cumquats(this is the round one) when you ready to eat otherwise limau nipis (normal lime) is alright. Normally, a thinner type of large chilli has a better flavour and for a hotter flavour, you can add bird’s eye chilli (again there are a few varieties of bird’s eye chilli).
Rasa Malaysia
Agnes, my family is Nyonya and they don’t use salt and sugar either. I learned the salt and sugar from Malay as I prefer Malay’s sambal belacan more.
Paul Mason
Thanks Agness for the tips. I have 30 large thin chillies and am about to make a big batch to freeze :)
tigerfish
Those kumquat trees in CNY not kalamansi lime tree hor? …….
hmmm….remember “kalamansi’ drink bring made from those limes from kumquat trees before…..
Rasa Malaysia
Tiga – kumquat is different from kalamansi. Looks quite similar but still different. ;)
nyonyachef
Sambal Belachan…my favorite too. Sad to hear the kalamansi is rare in US. Must find a way to preserve it. By the way,…nice mortar & pestle. Can hardly find a nice one nowadays.
Rasa Malaysia
Nyonyachef – I got the mortar and pestle from IKEA, I think. I still prefer the traditional stone mortar and pestle, it’s bigger and easier to use.
Jean - OurExplorer Tour Guide
The fresh red chilies look really cheerful. Interesting to see it goes into yummy Sambal Belacan.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Jean – yes, they were cheerful, as you can tell from the bright red color of the sambal. LOL. ;)
rachel ong
Great post!!! when u show the pic step by step… very neat. love it!!
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome. I hope to take more step-by-step pictures in the near future. :)
rachel ong
kalamansi leaves it is same as kaffir leaves? how can i find all types of leaves for perut ikan.. i miss that! thank you
Rasa Malaysia
No, they are different. You can get kaffir lime leaves in the US.
A Series of Kitchen Experiments
Oh my, what lovely, lovely colors! You know, I’m planting some chili seeds for the winter so I can make fresh sambal from my loot hehehe *keeps fingers crossed*
Your sambal looks yummeh…I’d like to dip a cucumber into it.
Rasa Malaysia
Good luck! I wish I have a small place where I can plant herbs or anything but I got my patio all sealed up in cement. ;)
david
I’m pretty sure the Kalamansi you are talking about is the same as the ones Filipinos use, spelled Calamansi/calamondin though. It isn’t that hard to find if you know of a Filipino market in your area such as seafood city, or island pacific, you can purchase a whole bundle for a good price.
Rasa Malaysia
David – yes, it’s the same. Not sure about the actual spelling because I have seen it spelled with k and also c. Anyway, where can I find a Filipino market in southern CA? Please let me know.
david c
Yup spell it with a k, or a c all the same haha. You can try Seafood City or Island Pacific Both markets have branches in [Cerritos,Carson, LA, West Co., & Panorama] addresses are on their sites. I’m from LA & calamansi can thrive perfectly in Socal weather. We used to have a tree that bore fruit year round, so if you can try buying one for yourself go for it! The seafood city I work in sells calamansi trees, so im sure you can get one for a good price at the one nearest to you.
Rasa Malaysia
David – thanks for the name of the stores. I am going to hunt them down. I wish I have a tree!!
joey
Hi Bee! Thanks for sharing your recipe – we have tons of kalamansi here and it is also very popular to use as a condiment, or part of condiment sauces. I’d love to send you some but I don’t know if it would survive the trip there — or get caught on the way! What chilis do you use here if not bird’s eye?
Rasa Malaysia
Joey – thanks so much but David above told me I can get them at some Filipino stores. I used regular Mexican chilies. I didn’t add bird’s eyes, only use them if I want them spicy.
Rasa Malaysia
Hah, I need to stock up my belacan the next time I go home. I am running out. I don’t trust the belacan sold in the Asian stores here in the US. ;)
food-4tots
You are making me mouth water looking at the samban belacan. It’s my all-time favourite!!
Nishi
Yum…it’s a good thing I made instant noodles before coming across this page. You’re really making miss home right now. I always bring about three bottles of sambal belacan back to AUstralia when I’ve gone home
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, sambal belacan is so good. No trouble smuggling into Australia?
Nishi
Eh, I think with the amount of Malaysian living and studying in Australia now, the custom officers can’t be bothered fighting anymore. A friend of mine actually managed to bring in home made belacan!
Rasa Malaysia
Hah, that’s true. Maybe the immigration offer is Malaysian, too. Hehe.
Nishi
haha…you’re probably right
Verdegrrl
Great topic! Thanks! My FIL eats fresh sambal with almost every meal.
My fav is the stuff served up by a small restaurant chain in Singapore called Sanur. It packs a wallop that doesn’t immediately strike – instead building gradually until you’re almost crying. But it’s so good you just need one more bite! And another. And another.
If anyone has an approximation of that recipe, please share!
Mel
Your recipe call for seeded chillies. What type of chili do you use? I have been searching for red chilies (like the one we have back home in Malaysia) for a while now but I just can’t find them!
Your recipe looks simple and can’t wait to try it!
Rasa Malaysia
Hey Mel – if you are in the US, it’s very hard to find the kind of chilies found in Malaysia. You can use any kind of red chilies.
amira
Thank you for posting this lovely recipe…I haven’t had sambal belacan for few years now, thus I decided to make sambal belacan today to accompany it with some vegetables. Although I had to substitue kalamansi lime for normal lime juice it turned out great. Wonderful!
Anna
You can buy frozen kalamansi from any Filipino store.
Jessica Lee Binder
I love Belecan! Do you usually buy it or can you make belecan from scratch?
melit
What brand of belacan do you use?
Thanks.
Jayne
I came across another sambal belacan recipe that required cooking the sambal until the oil separates. Yours doesn’t require cooking. Is it a different kinda sambal belacan?
Rasa Malaysia
Jayne – this is a uncooked sambal for eating with rice and dipping purposes. I have another cooked sambal recipe which is more like a spice paste, for cooking, that’s why you need to cook until the oil separates.
Shu
Hi thank you so much for your awesome recipes!(:
In this recipe, I noted that you wrote 1 tbsp shrimp paste, does that mean you aren’t using the block form type of belachan?
I have a jar of Lee Kum Kee fine shrimp sauce, it’s kind of purplish in colour, and of puree consistency, made of fermented shrimps. Is that alright to use? Do i still need to toast till it’s dry then?
Please help, thank you!!!
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, belacan (Shrimp paste) is in a block, but I used 1 tablespoon of it. I have to measure it somehow so I cut out a small piece and measured it precisely with tablespoons. No, LKK fine shrimp paste is not for this recipe, you have to use Malaysian belacan.
atheniancat
Please cafirm that the smell of toasting dry belachan is not pretty on the nose
We just came back from KL and we used to eat Kangkong Belachan
But we cant replicate it at home in Perth
My husband grows his own Kangkong, but we buy the sambel belachan in a jar. Can you give me a good recipe for Kangkong belachan so I can make it from scratch please.
Rasa Malaysia
I will share the recipe soon, please stay tuned.
chacha
i adore sambal belacan. Your recipe is very good except for the sugar bit. I do have to say something as i feel very strongly about this. I find even a hint of sugar in a sambal belacan is horrifyingly disgusting and wrong.
nazreena
ginger garlic paste three tbalespoons and onion paste the tablespoon pepper powder one tablespoons
Christine Loo
I am a fan of your website. Thank you for sharing. May I ask where did you buy your mortar here on this picture? I plan to get the same one as it looks really nice!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for your note. Are you in the US. Got it at Crate and Brarrel.
Rob
Wow, looks really spice. I’ll try it.
savvymummy
Hi, thanks for your recipes! Just a question, can this sambal belacan preparation be frozen?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes.
Don
Can I use Thai shrimp paste in this? (it is called gkapee) It is a solid block like belacan and will dry out when toasted in a pan. It is the same color and texture too.
Pengusaha Dunia
sambal belacan has a unique flavor and makes people addicted to eat again
Valerie Kuan
Hi Bee, where can I get belacan in the US?
elizascott
Go to Oriental grocery store
samantha cameroon
What type of chili did you use
Easy Diner Meals
Your weblog seems to be having some compatibilty issues in my chrome browser.
The text appears to be running off the page pretty bad.
If you want you can e-mail me at: [email protected] and I’ll shoot you over a screen grab of the problem.
elizascott
Thank you so much Bee for the greats pictures and wonderful recipes. I am Malaysian who moved to SF for 12years now. I am grateful to found your website. Will get your cook book next.
Terima Kasih!
sharon yang
What brand of sambal do you use?
Lynn
Hi, I notice that you don’t cook the sambal belacan. Will it be acceptable to cook or boil it?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes it’s served uncooked. You don’t have to cook or boil it.
Sharon
Can I freeze sambal belacan asparagus?
Rasa Malaysia
You can freeze the belacan but not the asparagus.
Rida Sofa
it looks like a very intriguing sambel appetite and makes us like to add rice ,, good belacan is from shrimp choice and without preservative