Sambal & Spice Pastes
Sambal Terasi Bakar (Grilled Shrimp Paste Chili Sauce), Fiery and Addictive
Prep
15 min
Cook
10 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Sambal terasi bakar is a classic Sundanese chili sauce that's a must-have on every Bandung dining table, with the fragrant aroma of grilled shrimp paste and a fresh, spicy kick from chilies and tomatoes. Its texture is coarse, just like a proper mortar-and-pestle sambal, and it pairs perfectly with warm rice, fresh raw vegetables (lalapan), or fried fish. One taste and you'll be hooked, guaranteed to have you reaching for seconds of rice!
🧂 Ingredients
🍽️ Servings: 4
Adjust the servings and the ingredient amounts & nutrition below update automatically.
- 15 red bird's eye chilies
- 8 curly red chilies
- 2 red tomatoes
- 1 tbsp good-quality grilled shrimp paste (terasi)
- 6 cloves shallots
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp palm sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 key lime (jeruk limau)
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👩🍳 Instructions
- 1 Wash the bird's eye chilies, curly chilies, and tomatoes thoroughly. Set aside.
- 2 Grill the chilies, tomatoes, shallots, and garlic over an open flame or on a dry skillet (no oil) until softened and slightly charred in a few spots to bring out their aroma.
- 3 Grill the shrimp paste separately, wrapped in banana leaf or aluminum foil, for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- 4 Coarsely grind the grilled chilies, grilled shallots and garlic, and grilled shrimp paste together with the salt and palm sugar until well mixed but still slightly chunky in texture.
- 5 Heat the cooking oil in a small pan until very hot.
- 6 Pour the hot oil over the ground sambal and stir well so the oil is fully incorporated, which also helps the sambal keep longer.
- 7 Squeeze the key lime over the sambal, stir briefly, then taste and adjust the salt or sugar as needed.
- 8 Serve the grilled shrimp paste sambal in a mortar (cobek) alongside warm rice, fresh raw vegetables, and your favorite side dishes.
💡 Tips
• Use really fresh chilies so the sambal has a bright color and a more punchy flavor.
• When grilling the chilies and shrimp paste, don't let them burn completely black—just soften and turn fragrant so no bitterness develops.
• Pouring hot oil over the sambal at the end helps it keep longer in the fridge, up to 3-4 days.
• For a spicier version, add green bird's eye chilies or reduce the amount of tomato.
📊 Nutrition Facts / serving
85 kkal
Calories (kcal)
2 gg
Protein
6 gg
Fat
7 gg
Carbs
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