Sambal Matah
It’s been months since we were in Bali. What an awesome trip we had. Bali can be quite an affordable little getaway and is just a short three hour direct flight from Perth. Lucky us!!
While in Bali I was surprised with a Balinese cooking class. It was an all day affair that included a trip to the market. To say that I enjoyed every second of it would be a huge understatement. It was a really good balance of hands on and demonstration combined with amazing food and drinks. We learned how to make so many dishes and luckily, at the end, we were given a small cookbook with all the recipes we made during the class.
One of the condiments we made was Sambal Matah. It is a predominately shallot and chili based condiment. In this recipe I have made it much more mild than you would see in Bali so please, feel free to do like the Balinese and add lots of chilies. While I do like it spicy as it was intended to be, it is much easier for my wimpy palate to handle with chili in moderation.
I really like to serve sambal matah with fish and seafood but it would also pair well with poultry and pork dishes. It is particularly good with anything that comes off the grill. It is quick to whip up and can be prepared ahead of time.
Sambal Matah
Ingredients
- 3 large shallots sliced thinly **see note**
- 4 cloves garlic slice thinly
- 1 red chili minced
- 2 lemongrass bruised and chopped **see note**
- zest of one lime **see note**
- 2 T lemon juice
- 2 T coconut oil
- 1 tsp dried shrimp paste Belechan or Terasi grated **see note**
Instructions
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Combine all ingredients
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Allow to sit for a couple of hours for all flavors to come together
Recipe Notes
**To slice the shallots as thinly as possible I used a mandolin. A food processor could be used as well.
**To bruise the lemongrass tap it with the back of your chef's knife moving up and down the stalk and rotate to reach all sides and then chop.
**Zest the lime prior to juicing. Use a rasp or fine grater to zest. Be sure to only use the green part as the white pith is bitter.
**Dried shrimp paste can be found at Asian markets.