MULTI PURPOSE VEGETARIAN SAMBAL

My appreciation to Vegepapa Youtube video sharing this lovely vegetarian sambal chilli that is not difficult to prepare if you follow his step by step instructions.  This chilli paste is for multi purpose use according to his information and your own creative idea to cook up vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes delicious, tasty and yummy-licious.  With this pre-prepared chilli paste, you can create any spicy dishes in a jiffy.

I have use it to prepare several non-vegetarian dishes such as Sambal Petai Ikan Bilis, Fried Rice with Petai and Prawns.  For  vegetarian dishes, just replace the anchovies and prawns with vegetarian ones which I will be preparing for meatless diet.

Recipe adapted from Vegepapa Youtube with slight modifications

Ingredients For Sambal Chilli Paste

100 gm dried red chillies - rinsed several times and soak to plump up, drain

50 gm ginger - scrape off skin

50 gm fresh tumeric - scrape off skin

50 gm buah keras - rinsed

50 gm lemongrass - use white part only

50 gm lengkuas [galangal root] - scrape off skin

200 gm chilli boh [store bought chilli paste]

1- 2 cups oil [may not need to use all]

1 tsp each salt and sugar

1. Cut dried red chillies into small sections and rinsed several times, then soak to plump up.  Rinsed again and drained in a colander.
2. Scrape the skin of ginger, tumeric and galangal.  Rinsed, cut into small bits.
3. Cut lemongrass into small bits.
4. Mash buah keras.
5. Blend dried chillies and other ingredients in several batches with some oil until fine.
6. Pour blended ingredients into a wok, fry over medium heat, constantly stirring for about 15 minutes.  Add in chilli boh and continue to fry until oil separates.  Add extra oil if necessary.  Add in salt and sugar.
7. Fry till paste is aromatic.
8. Off heat and scoop paste into several glass containers.  Leave to cool for awhile before capping.
9. Store in freezer for later use [keep for at least several months] or in the refrigerator shelf for regular use.