Description
Sambal is a condiment used in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and some parts of Southeast Asia, usually made with variety of Chili peppers. This has got numerous varieties and varies with every region. My preparation is a fusion style Sambal / Sambol covering traditional taste. Most Indonesian sambol includes shrimp paste or dry ground shrimp and I’ve substituted with fresh ones. You can also use store bought sambal paste.Okra Sambol / Shrimp Bhendi Udang / Sambal Olek / Prawn Okra Curry / Shrimp Okra Curry / Ladys finger / Indonesian / Sri lankan / Malaysian
| Ingredients-1 | |
|---|---|
| 2 nos | Thai chili peppers |
| 2 clove | Garlic |
| ¼ cup | Fresh grated coconut |
| 1 tsp | Poppy seeds (optional) |
| ¼ tsp | Black pepper corns |
| 1 no | Dry red chili |
| 3 tsp | Coriander seeds |
| 1 no | Cinnamon stick (very small) |
| 2 nos | Cloves (karambu) |
| Ingredients-2 | |
|---|---|
| 10 nos | Shrimp |
| 2 tsp | Lemon juice |
| 2 pinch | Turmeric powder |
| 1 pinch | Salt |
| Ingredients-3 | |
|---|---|
| 10 nos | Okra |
| 2 nos | Onion ( chopped) |
| ¼ tsp | Cumin seeds |
| 6 nos | Curry leaves |
| ¼ tsp | Turmeric |
| 3 tbsp | Oil |
| ¾ tsp | Salt (or to taste) |
Instructions
Clean the shrimp, wash thoroughly and marinate with ingredients from Table-2 (lemon juice, salt and turmeric) and keep aside.
For the paste: Dry roast red chili, coriander seeds and black peppercorns till it releases the aroma. Let cool and grind along with cinnamon, cloves, poppy seeds to make a fine powder. Now to this add wet ingredients (coconut, Thai chili peppers and garlic), grind to a thick paste and keep aside.
For the Sambal : Wash okra, trim the edges and cut them into small circular shapes, spread them over a newspaper or paper napkin (this helps to remove little bit of the sticky stuff), let dry out for few minutes. Take a pan, heat oil, splutter cumin seeds and curry leaves. Fry chopped onions until slightly brown, now add the okra pieces and fry till it gets rid of the sticky gooey stuff. Now add the marinated shrimp, lightly cover to cook them thoroughly. At this stage add the ground paste along with tumeric and salt. Keep sauteing till it rolls up to thick curry. This could take about 7to 9 minutes over medium flame. When done, switch off and serve as a side for rice.
Notes
Yield: Serves 3 approx.
Adding poppy seeds gives rich flavour and texture to the curry and is not a part of authentic sambol. This is a fusionised version of Sambol, use Sambol Olek and shrimp paste for Traditional style.
How to clean shrimp
1. To remove the shell from the shrimp, first hold onto the tail while gently removing the shell around the body, then the tail can be detached completely by just pulling it.
2. After this, the vein has to be removed, make a shallow cut lengthwise down the outer curve of the shrimp’s body using a paring knife, pick out the dark ribbon-like vein running lengthwise along the shrimp’s back.
3. Then rinse the shrimp in cold water and keep them iced or cook them off.
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