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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 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 sambal belacan 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!
Check out the sambal belacan story!
Why this 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.
- You can make it in advance and store it in the fridge 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 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.
For a sweet contrast, the recipe calls for 1 ½ tablespoons of coconut sugar. You can substitute palm sugar or brown sugar if you prefer.
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.
Step by step instructions
Heat a skillet over medium and add the shrimp paste.
Use a wooden spoon to break it into pieces while it toasts.
Toast for about 5-10 minutes, until it becomes mostly dry and powdery. **note this will make your house smell pretty strongly of shrimp paste.
Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until a paste is formed. If it's too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it is a paste/sauce consistency.
Expert tips
- For a spicier sambal belacan, use spicy chili peppers. For a sweeter condiment, use milder chili peppers.
- Make sure you’re using fresh red chilies and not dried chilies.
- If it’s too tangy from the lime juice, add a little more coconut sugar.
- 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.
- Don’t skip the step of toasting the dried shrimp paste as this helps bring out the flavors.
- If you’re having trouble getting it to a dry and powdery consistency, grind it using a mortar and pestle.
- If you don’t have a blender, you can use a food processor to blend the paste.
- For a thinner paste, just add more water until it reaches your desired consistency.
Common questions
It can be as spicy as you want it to be. If you use spicy red chilies, it will be a spicy paste. Just use sweeter red chilies for a milder paste.
If stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it should last for up to a week.
Absolutely! It will last in the freezer for up to 6 months. I like to freeze it in cubes so it’s easy to pull one or two out of the freezer to thaw and add to recipes.
Serving options for sambal belacan
- It’s so delicious with noodles or rice like this Instant Pot jasmine rice or 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.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!
How to Make Sambal Belacan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons shrimp paste (belacan) belacan
- 1 ½ tablespoons coconut sugar
- 4 tablespoons lime juice
- 6 medium red chilies sweet or spicy
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium and add the shrimp paste.
- Use a wooden spoon to break it into pieces while it toasts.
- Toast for about 5-10 minutes, until it becomes mostly dry and powdery. (This will make your house smell pretty strongly of shrimp paste).
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until a paste is formed. If it's too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it is a paste/sauce consistency.
- Store in the fridge for up to a week, or in cubes in the freezer for 6 months.
Expert Tips:
- For a spicier sambal belacan, use spicy chili peppers. For a sweeter condiment, use milder chili peppers.
- Make sure you’re using fresh red chilies and not dried chilies.
- If it’s too tangy from the lime juice, add a little more coconut sugar.
- 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.
- Don’t skip the step of toasting the dried shrimp paste as this helps bring out the flavors.
- If you’re having trouble getting it to a dry and powdery consistency, grind it using a mortar and pestle.
- If you don’t have a blender, you can use a food processor to blend the paste.
- For a thinner paste, just add more water until it reaches your desired consistency.
Bobby
Loved this! So much flavor. I mixed a little with some stir fry chicken and it was incredible!
Danielle
So glad you liked it!