Homemade Chili Paste
I normally make a huge batch of this versatile chili paste every two or three weeks for the dishes that I would use throughout the week.
Most of the time it's for Nasi Lemak ( one of our favorite staple menu) or when I cook fried noodles.
Believe me this base saves me money and so much of time with lunch and I prefer making my own chili paste rather than buying the commercial ones which God known what's in it.
You may half the portion if you don't want a monstrous batch.
Blend this ingredients together:
30 dry chilies
3 large ripe tomato
3 medium size onion
10 pips of garlic
30g of fresh ginger
1 small piece of galangal
4 lemon grass - cut fine
2in shrimp paste/belacan
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1 golf size ball of tamarind paste
1 block of palm sugar
salt
Remove all seeds from the dried chilies so that the sambal will not be too hot. If you want it spicier then leave some with the seeds.
Boil the chili for a two minutes, drain the water and set aside.
Add the ingredients above in the blender, with some water (just enough to cover the ingredients) and grind till fine.
Add tamarind juice and the rest of the ingredients. Cook until the chili mixture turns a little dark red.
This requires a lot of stirring occasionally , so keep the heat at medium and stir well till the paste changes colour, from bright red to a brown. This would take about 30 - 40 minutes in a medium heat.
Remember to stir it often and cover the wok. By now the oil would have separated and covers the surface, a sigh that it is cooked. Check for seasonings.
Cool the chili paste completely before storing it in a container and kept in the fridge or freezer for a longer shelf life. I hope you would try this paste. Do check out my Nasi Lemak dishes and other sambal dishes for ideas.
Enjoy...jue
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