Sambal balachan

I'm beginning to realise that there are different versions of this potent mixture. The ones I see online are just toasted balachan, lime juice and chilli, pounded together in pestle and mortar are that's it. Some blogger even had the cheek to call it a relish. I'm starting to think that this version is the Malaysian version, because I see it at my local Malaysian restaurant and my Malaysian neighbour really laps it up.

This version I made is what I learnt from a cooking school, and forms the basis of many recipes: laksa, curry, and of course more obvious ones like sambal kang kong and sambal fish. I decided to make it because I just had too much lemon grass and chilli, homegrown.


Ingredients (makes about 400g)
10 chillis, deseeded (You can add leave the seeds in, but I found that despite removing most of the seeds, the final sambal was still quite spicy!)
3 tbsp crushed ginger
3 tbsp crushed garlic
3 tbsp chopped onion
1 heaped tbsp balachan
7 lemon grass stalks
3 tsp sugar

Method
1) Except for the sugar, pound up everything in a pestle and mortar, or use a food processor. I used abt 2 tbsp of oil to help the food processor along.
2) Heat up a wok and add about 2 tbsp of oil. I know it seems a lot but the sambal will suck it up. Pour the mixture into the wok and keep stir frying. When u start to smell the balachan and when it mixture starts to darken, add the sugar. Continue to stir fry and it gets drier. Be careful to keep stirring as it can burn.
3) Serve up when it has turned a nice caramel brown and is quite dry and glossy. It may exude a bit of oil.

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