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Sambal Sotong is a Malaysian favorite with tender squid in a rich, fiery sambal sauce. Perfect with steamed rice, this easy-to-make squid sambal recipe is packed with flavor and a fantastic way to enjoy a taste of Malaysia at home.
For those familiar with Malaysian cuisine, Sambal needs no introduction. However, if you’re new to it, sambal is a chili-based sauce made from a blend of chilies, shallots, belacan (Malaysian shrimp paste), and can include other ingredients such as garlic, lemongrass, turmeric, and galangal.
Sotong Sambal is a beloved dish across Malaysia, much like its cousin Sambal Udang, and is enjoyed by people of all races, ethnicities, and religions. In Malay households, sotong masak sambal is commonly served with other traditional dishes like Daging Masak Kicap, Rendang, and Ayam Masak Merah, and is a fantastic complement to nasi lemak.
In Chinese households, it pairs well with classic dishes such as Sesame Oil Chicken, Kam Heong Clams, and leafy green vegetables such as Belacan Sweet Potato Leaves, Chinese Greens, Choy Sum or Bok Choy . While less common in Indian households, where Squid Curry is more typical, sotong masak sambal remains a much-celebrated dish throughout Malaysia.
Sambal Tumis Sotong
While sambal is relatively easy to make, mastering it requires practice. The key is to sauté the chili paste until the oil separates, a process known in Malay as ‘pecah minyak’. Many recipes suggest sautéing (or tumis) until fragrant, but achieving the right texture and flavor is essential.
This sambal sotong recipe (resepi sambal sotong) showcases fresh squid cooked in sambal sauce. Sambal tumis sotong is a delicious and straightforward dish that highlights the rich flavors of sambal. It pairs wonderfully with steamed rice and absolutely ‘sedap‘ (lipsmackingly good).
How To Clean Squid
Cleaning squid might seem intimidating, but it’s actually quite easy with a little time and patience.
First, clean the squid by peeling off the skin, then separating the head from the tube. Remove the ink sac from the innards to avoid any bitter taste or staining. Rinse the body and tentacles under cold water, cut the tube into rings (about 4 rings for medium-sized squid), and pat dry with paper towels.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 157 calories per serving.
What To Serve with Sambal Sotong
For a true Malaysian meal, I recommend pairing the dish with the following recipes:
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Sambal Sotong Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon tamarind pulps
- 1/3 cup warm water
- 225 g (8 oz) squid
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 4-5 tablespoons sambal, click on the link for the sambal recipe
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon sugar, or more to taste
Instructions
- Prepare tamarind juice by soaking the tamarind pulp in warm water for about 15 minutes. Stir well, then use your hands to squeeze the juice from the pulp. Discard the pulp after extraction.
- Meanwhile, clean the squid by peeling off the skin, separating the head from the tube, and removing the ink sac from the innards. Rinse the body and tentacles under cold water, cut the tube into rings (about 4 rings for medium-sized squid), and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
- Heat a skillet on medium heat and add the oil. Sauté (tumis) the sambal until it separates from the oil (a process called 'pecah minyak' in Malay). Add the onion and cook with the sambal until the onion is slightly softened.
- Add the squid, stir to combine well with the sambal.
- Add the tamarind juice, salt and sugar, and bring the sambal sauce to a simmer. Turn off the heat, dish out and serve immediately with steamed rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh wow I saw this recipe and I just had to try it. But I had to make some substitutions because I didn’t have all the ingredients, so I used 2tbs of fish sauce instead of belacan and lime juice and brown sugar because I didn’t have tamarind. Oh wow it was lovely although my fiancée and I are currently fighting the burning sensation hehe
Hi Emily, sounds great! :)
Just cooked this for the family. It was very nice! Thanks for the recipe and all the tips!
woow… look very nice
thank you for the recipe :)
is this an authentic recipe of squid sambal?
Yes, a Malay recipe.
i saw few more recipes of squid sambal and most of its sauces looks thick unlike this one. may i know which one of these really came from Malaysia? i’m doing some paper works for my class’ requirements
Ive tried the recipe!! Simple but very delicious! Add more belacan it will be superb, thank you for the recipe!!