When I moved to KL from Penang many years ago, one thing that I was never able to really get used to is the taste of sambal. In this region, sambal is often a pretty sweet affair, prepared with oil, galangal, turmeric, sugar, and involves process of cooking.

What I’m more familiar with instead, is mom’s version that is ultra simple and requires only 2, or maximum of 3 ingredients. This sambal is superb as a condiment with fatty food such as tau eu bak, and can also be used as an ingredient for other recipes such as sambal fried rice.

sambal belacan recipe

Here’s how you can prepare yours, all you need is fresh cili (maybe also some cili padi if you want it really spicy), and good quality belacan.

Instructions:

  • toast 2 tablespoon of belacan in frying pan until dry and fragrant
  • remove seeds from red chili (a dozen), and cut into small chunks
  • pound with pestle and mortar until they’re crushed
  • keep in fridge, squeeze a calamansi when serving and it’ll be instantly “fresh”

Good luck, stay safe, and happy cooking!

KY cooks – Penang Style Sambal Belacan
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16 thoughts on “KY cooks – Penang Style Sambal Belacan

  • January 22, 2021 at 4:57 am
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    Exactly how I do it…but I will only use our Sarawak’s Bintulu belacan -simply the best but the last time I bought, it was RM50 a kilo.

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    • January 24, 2021 at 2:20 pm
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      suituapui: I only use Penang belacan too! 😀

      Reply
    • January 5, 2023 at 9:59 am
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      Can i use blender instead? Will they affect the taste?

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      • January 7, 2023 at 7:37 pm
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        Khai Boon: blender usually won’t taste as good as more moisture is lost.

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  • January 25, 2021 at 12:08 pm
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    I suppose must pound with pestle and mortar for that authentic taste…lol. P/S: That looks like more than 2 tbsp of belacan wei. ^_~

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    • January 26, 2021 at 6:40 pm
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      eatwhateatwhere: oh yess, the old school style! Hahaha ya this particular time I may have used too much belacan 😛

      Reply
    • January 26, 2021 at 6:40 pm
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      Choi Yen: hehehe slightly too much this time.

      Reply
  • February 7, 2021 at 12:27 pm
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    don’t forget to add a dollop of otak udang

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    • February 8, 2021 at 5:51 pm
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      kayteenmoc: OK dollop is a brand new word for me.

      Reply
  • February 15, 2021 at 6:07 pm
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    Reply
  • October 23, 2023 at 3:38 pm
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    Penang Style Sambal Belacan is a burst of bold flavors that truly tantalizes the taste buds!

    Reply
    • October 26, 2023 at 11:08 am
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      indown: definitely yes!

      Reply
  • January 13, 2024 at 1:27 pm
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    Penang-style Sambal Belacan bursts with bold flavors, truly captivating the palate!

    Reply

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