Spicy Dried Shrimp Sambal

WB has been craving for this Sambal Hae Bee/Dry Shrimp Sambal for almost a year....why I took so long to make some for him . Reason being, I had a surgery done and not fit to make for him. Now after recovery from the surgery, with his help of course , I was able to make a big tupper of it for him :)  He did the pounding of the sambal paste and I did the frying for him LOL!  Want to eat something nice, of course have to help...right?  That tupper of spicy drid shrimp sambal can last him weeks...a month at least :)  He has them in his sandwiches , rice and noodles sometimes.  Act as an appetizer too ...love love it myself too !

I love my traditional mortar and pestle ...a gift from my mom when I got married

one can drool while frying the sambal.....awww the aroma filled the whole house

and the flies are looking for my house :p

Spicy Dried Shrimp Sambal  - WB's Kitchen

300 gm dried shrimp - soaked,  washed and pounded coarsely

ground ingredients below together :
(A)
one handful dried chilli  - soaked and pounded into paste
a thumb size dried shrimp paste /belacan
1 cup of shallots slices

1/4 cup of garlic

2 stalks of lemongrass -slice the white part

2 pieces of turmeric

1/2 cup of vegetable oil
4 -5 tbsp of brown sugar
1/2 cup of thick tamarind water
2 tsp of salt or to taste


Using a mortar and pestle, ground all the ingredients (A) into a paste.  Pound the dried shrimps coarsely ( coarseness depends on individual ) I like it  coarse.

Heat up a wok under medium heat, add in the vegetable oil and sauteed the ground ingredients till fragrant. Once the oil surfaced, add in the pounded dried shrimps and keep stirring till the dried shrimps are well mixed with the aromatic paste.  Keep stirring, lower heat, add in the tamarind water, sugar and salt and continue to stir fry till the sambal shrimps has become drier and fragrant.  Leave it to cool in the wok.  Once it has cooled down, store in air tight tupper or glass jar .  Keep in the fridge.  It can keep up to 3 months.

*            *            *