Spicy, tangy and full of flavor- this Malaysian sambal recipe is an absolute must try if you have been looking for a unique accompaniment to whip up and use to add a kick of flavor to your meals.

The best part is, you can actually make this in a batch and store it for weeks, if not months, and use it whenever needed.

Ingredients For the Recipe

You’ll need just a few simple ingredients to put the dried shrimp sambal together.

250 g dried shrimp, soaked and rinsed
150 g shallots, peeled
40 g garlic, peeled
10 -12 dried chilli, remove seed and rinsed
1 ½ tamarind peel
2 tablespoon sugar
Oil (vegetable or palm)
1 inch ginger
1 inch turmeric
4 kaffir lime leaves, chopped

How to Make the Malaysian Sambal

Once you have all the ingredients ready, here’s what you need to do next to put the sambal together.

Clean the dried shrimp. One by one, remove the shell and dirt (if any).
Soak dried shrimp in warm water for 30 minutes
Blend soften dried shrimp in 2 to 3 rounds to a coarse texture
Add all the ingredients till smooth and fine
Add a little water so it can blend well.
Heat wok and add oil

In medium heat, stir-fry paste until fragrant.
Add some oil if it’s too dry. Remember you need to continue working with the ingredients (stir-fry) so that it won’t stick to the wok.
Fry until it is very dry. (For me, it took about 36 minutes from adding blended dried shrimp to completion)
Remove tamarind peel once you’re done.
Transfer dried shrimp sambal to a tray and leave to cool.
Once cool, store in a clean, dry and air-tight jar.
Enjoy the sweat!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Fresh Shrimp For the Recipe?

You can use fresh shrimp, but remember that you won’t be able to store the sambal for as long as you would be able to store the one made with dried shrimp.

You can, however, turn the dish into a nice side dish to serve along with any of your mains.

What Else Can I Add?

While this dried shrimp sambal needs a very simple, classic set of ingredients, you can bring in some adjustments and add in some other ingredients and add-ons to enhance the flavour and texture.

To bring in some bold flavours to the sambal, you can add some mushroom or shrimp stock powder into it towards the end. Bird’s eye chillies also make for an excellent addition to the sambal.

How Long Can I Store the Malaysian Sambal?

Your batch of dried shrimp sambal can be refrigerated for up to 3 weeks when stored correctly in a clean, airtight container or glass jar. If you want it to last longer, consider freezing it in a freezer safe container.

Tips and Tricks to Make the Malaysian Sambal

While making the dried shrimp sambal is actually pretty easy, you might want to have these little tips and tricks handy to make sure you nail the recipe.

Don’t have the tamarind peel that the recipe calls for? You can substitute with store bought tamarind paste instead. The idea is to use tamarind extract to bring in a bit of sourness to the sambal.
To lend the sambal an extra bit of earthiness and umami flavour, you can also add some Belacan- a fermented shrimp paste.
Garlic and shallots form the body of the sambal. If you don’t have shallots, you can use onions instead.
Don’t have the kaffir lime leaves that the recipe calls for? Substitute with some lemongrass instead.
To enhance the flavour of the shrimp sambal, you can also use a combination of fresh and dried chillies into the mix. The dried chillies can be rehydrated by soaking them in some hot water for a few minutes and then using them.

Serving Ideas & Suggestions

This dried shrimp sambal can be used in a lot of different ways to complement and enhance the flavours of different foods- it is pretty versatile that way.

You can throw it into a simple soup to amp up its flavour, or serve it as a side or a topping to any rice or noodle based dish of your choice.

It can also work wonderfully as a rub or marinade for any of your meats, or as a topping for your fried eggs or sandwiches.

You can also mix it up with some mayonnaise and use it as a spread for your sandwiches.