Need a flavor boost? Do the Sambal!

Say the word "sambal" (pronounced as sum-bahl) and this would send my taste buds into a frenzy and mouth salivating, longing, yearning just for a lick of that spicy-sweet-salty symphony of flavors!
Sambal is a spicy condiment, a cross between a sauce and chutney - a must-have staple in South-east Asian, namely Malaysian, Indonesian, Thai and Philippine cuisines. Sambal adds that zesty flavor to any dish, spice it up, give it that little boost or kick, if you will. Back in Malaysia, sambal was a usual accompaniment in our everyday meals and in recent years, with the increasing popularity of ethnic and fusion cuisines Stateside, sambal has slowly made its way into local restaurants in California. Most restaurants here have started offering sambal as a condiment, although I personally find the sambal served here are a far cry from the flavorful Malaysian sambal that I grew up on.

In its simplest form, Malaysian sambal is a blend of chili peppers,  belacan or shrimp paste - the secret ingredient that gives this condiment its "umaminess" and occasionaly, a dash of lime juice or vinegar for some acidity.  Belacan is a crucial ingredient in sambal.  I call it the Malaysian chocolate but don't try to munch on it as you would a chocolate though - you'll be in for a nasty surprise! Belachan is actually shrimp paste made from fermented sun-dried shrimps.

My favorite sambal, one that goes well with any dish and by any, I really mean ANY - from poultry, red meat to stir-fried vegetables to your morning breakfast omelet - let me introduce you to......*drum-roll*...... Sambal Tumis (sounds like too-miss)! Or stir-fried sambal.
Does this make you drool?

The key ingredients for sambal tumis are chili peppers, shallots, garlic, shrimp paste (to me, it's not bona fide sambal without shrimp paste, really) - I call these ingredients the base, the must-haves that ground the dish, make it what it is.

Mise en place for sambal: clockwise from top-left: belacan, galangal root, tamarind paste, lemongrass, turmeric root, dried red chili, fresh red chili, shallots and garlic.

Puree the base ingredients together and stir-fry in a oil until it's fragrant. Then add to that base a touch of sourness (acidity) from tamarind pulp juice (or lemon juice, lime juice or even vinegar in the absence of) and season with sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Spicy. Sweet. Slightly tangy. Definitely umami. There you have it, in less than 30 minutes, a dish that touches four out of your five main taste palettes! Minimal effort, maximum pleasure.
Sambal tumis has added that fiery je ne sais quos to many a meal at our home:

• Grilled chicken or any form of cooked meats
• Stir-fries - noodles, fried rice and even vegetables. Especially vegetables. Add a couple tablespoons (or more) sambal to your stir-fried long beans, green beans or even cabbages and it'll bring the fresh goodness of vegetables to whole new heights.
• Omelettes -  add a couple teaspoons of sambal to your omelette ingredients just before pouring in the egg. Wunderbar!
• Even plain rice or toast! Yes, you read it right. Toast. Morning bread with a spoonful of sambal.

Here's my favorite sambal tumis combo: sambal shrimp. Paired with fragrantly flavorful coconut rice, a hard-boiled egg and several cucumber slices, this, my friends, is how Malaysians add that zing to kick-start the day! We call this wonderful melangé of flavors Nasi Lemak (literally means creamy rich rice) - spicy, sweet and salty sambal with rich, coconut-y rice,  add to that the wholesome substance of hard-boiled egg and crunchy fresh cucumber slices - heaven on a plate, ladies and gentlemen. Heaven on a plate.

Sambal Prawns

Ingredients:
For the sambal:
10-12 shallots
5-6 fresh red chili peppers, de-seeded
3-4 dried red pepper, soaked in hot water for ~ 10 minutes to soften
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons dried shrimp paste - toasted over medium-low heat, then grind into powder

1/3 cup juice from tamarind pulp
Seasoning: salt,sugar and pepper to taste
Oil for stir-fry (~ 5 tablespoon; depending on your burner heat level, add when necessary in order to avoid sambal paste from sticking to pan)
Optional:
1/2 inch galangal
1 turmeric root
1 stalk lemongrass - the white root part

For the shrimp
1 pound shrimp, cleaned and skin peeled
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Season and marinade shrimp for at least 4 hours; overnight's better

2 red onions, peeled and cut into semi-rings (half-round strips)
Oil for pan-fry

To cook the sambal:
Blend and puree all the ingredients, except for the tamarind juice and seasoning in a food processor to form paste.

Heat oil in a heavy-based flat pan, add sambal paste and stir-fry until fragrant (~ 5-10 minutes). Monitor the heat level closely and be careful not to burn the shallots. Add in tamarind juice, allow it to simmer. Add seasoning, taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Simmer sambal for another 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
You can store the cooked sambal in air-tight containers in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

To cook the shrimp:
Heat up oil in a flat pan. Saute onions until they become translucent (~ 5-7 minutes). Add in the shrimps, allowing ~ 2-3 minutes on each side. Do not overcook the shrimp. Once the shrimps turn opaque and pinkish, add in 3-4 heaping tablespoons of the sambal. You can add more or even less - I usually love my proteins swimming in a sea of sauce so I'm on the more-is-more camp when it comes to sambal! Give it a good stir and allow to simmer for ~2 minutes, turn off heat and plate.

This dish is so flavorful and is great eaten as-is, but to maximize the pleasure (aren't we all hedonistic creatures anyway?), we served this with coconut rice and fresh cut cucumbers.
Sambal. My reliable all-time favorite flavor booster!