Sambal Belacan Recipe

If you love to make Malaysian recipes at home, you’ll want to keep a batch of this homemade sambal belacan stored in the fridge! It’s sweet, savory and spicy, and with a few simple ingredients, it’s super easy to make!

Sambal belacan is a Malaysian condiment that’s considered a staple in many Southeast Asian recipes (we love it with Thai recipes). We love it served over noodles or rice, like this coconut jasmine rice, but you can also add it to vegetables, seafood or use it as a dip.

This recipe will show you how to make this condiment with just a few ingredients and a blender! And you can even use it to make this sambal eggplant or sambal tofu which comes out delicious and spicy!

If you’re looking for other Malaysian inspired recipes, you’ll love these Malaysian butter prawns and chicken rendang!

Why this Malaysian sambal belacan recipe works

• It’s quick and easy to make. You just need 5 ingredients and about 20 minutes!
• You can make it sweeter or spicier by your choice in chili peppers.
• It’s super flavorful thanks to the pungent dried shrimp paste (toasted belacan).
• You can make it in advance and store it in a jar in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Ingredients

For a full list of ingredients and quantities, check out the recipe card at the end of this post. 

You’ll need 1 ½ tablespoons belacan, or dried fermented shrimp paste. It’s a paste made from dried and fermented shrimp and it’s available to buy in dried blocks. It has a strong smell and taste, and once toasted, adds a savory umami flavor to dishes and is often used in Malaysia for flavoring.

To add a sour note, you’ll need 4 tablespoons of lime juice. I recommend using freshly squeezed lime juice instead of bottled juice which usually contains additives.

Red chilies are an essential ingredient, and you can go for sweet or spicy, depending on the flavor profile you prefer. You’ll need about 6 for this recipe.

Substitutions and variations

• Substitute palm sugar or brown sugar for the coconut sugar.
• You can use either sweet or spicy red chilies, depending on your spice preference. For extra spice, use bird's eye chile.
• Use calamansi lime juice for real authenticity.
• Add garlic and shallot for more flavor if you like. This makes it more like a Malay curry paste.

Step by step instructions to make sambal belacan

Heat a skillet or frying pan over medium heat and add the shrimp paste. Use a wooden spoon to chop it into pieces while you toast the belacan.

Toast for about 5 minutes, making sure to stir regularly, until it becomes mostly dry and powdery. **note this will make your house smell pretty strongly of shrimp paste.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until a smooth paste is formed. If it's too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it is a paste/sauce consistency.

If you use a mortar and pestle instead, pound the toasted belacan and continue to pound until a powdery paste forms. Add the red chilies and squeeze of lime juice and continue to pound until smooth.

Expert tips

1. Make sure you’re using fresh red chilies and not dried chilies.
2. If it’s too tangy from the lime juice or too salty for your taste, add a little more coconut sugar.
3. While dried shrimp paste is a key ingredient, if you can’t find any, you can use fish sauce to create a similar umami flavor.
4. Don’t skip the step of toasting the dried shrimp paste as this helps bring out the flavors.
5. If you’re having trouble getting it to a dry and powdery consistency, grind it using a mortar and pestle.
6. If you don’t have a blender, you can use a food processor to blend the paste.
7. For a thinner paste, just add more water until it reaches your desired consistency.

Frequently asked questions

Serving options

• It’s so delicious with noodles or rice like this Instant Pot jasmine rice or instant pot basmati rice.
• Serve it with this Instant Pot shrimp or broiled scallops.
• Add a little to this Singapore laksa or prawn laksa.
• Enjoy it as a dip with crackers or veggie sticks.
• Serve it over vegetables like these sous vide green beans.

More condiments

If you love this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below and let us know your favorite thing about it. We'd also love to connect on Instagram! Follow us at @went_here_8_this for awesome recipes and all sorts of fun food stuff 🙂