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Sambal Udang

Name: Sambal Udang
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Malaysia
Ingredients: 500g Shrimp; 6 Red Chili Pepper; 1 tsp Shrimp Paste; 2 Red Onion; 3 cloves Garlic; 1 tsp Sugar; 1 Lime; a pinch Salt

Main Dish

⏱ 30 min

👥 Serves 4

Difficulty ⭐⭐

Shrimp stir-fried in a rich chili paste — a defining, deeply spicy dish of Peranakan cuisine.

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📖 The Story Behind This Dish

"Sambal" broadly refers to chili pastes across Malay and Indonesian food culture, but the Peranakan version distinguishes itself by adding the depth of shrimp paste — a nod to Chinese fermented-seasoning traditions. Rich and spicy enough to demand bowl after bowl of rice.

🌆 Where it's eaten: Served with rice, a regular fixture on Peranakan family tables.

🥕 Ingredients (serves 4)

Shrimp 500g
Red Chili Pepper 6
Shrimp Paste 1 tsp
Red Onion 2
Garlic 3 cloves
Sugar 1 tsp
Lime 1
Salt a pinch

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Rehydrate the red chilies in water and blend with the red onion, garlic, and shrimp paste into a paste.
Peel and devein the shrimp.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the paste slowly until fragrant.
Add the shrimp and cook until they change color.
Season with sugar and salt.
Finish with a squeeze of lime.

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