Copycat Sambal Oelek: A Homemade Recipe for Spicy Red Chili Paste! (2024)

FAQs

What is the main ingredient in sambal oelek? ›

I chose sambal oelek, an Indonesian chile paste, because it's so flavorful and so simple—crushed raw red chiles, a little vinegar, and salt. It's good as a condiment and is also good as an ingredient in cooked foods, and, even better, it will taste like you are cooking with fresh chiles.

What can I use instead of sambal oelek? The best substitutes are garlic & chilli sauce, sriracha (though this is sweeter than sambal) or crushed chilli. It's easy to make your own, too.

Sambal Oelek is a spicy Indonesian chili paste made with hot red peppers. It's typically made with hot red chile peppers, salt and vinegar. Some variations can contain onion, lemon, sugar, etc.

While ubiquitous all over Southeast Asia, sambal is thought to have originated in Indonesia. In Indonesia, a sambal can be a paste of red or green chiles ground together with any number of other ingredients: garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, tomatoes, and/or shrimp paste.

The phrase sambal oelek in particular translates to ground chili sauce, but the word “oelek” is actually a Dutch spelling of the Indonesian word ulek, which means to grind in a mortar. The sambal oelek we know today consists of chilis introduced to Indonesians by the Spanish and Portuguese during the 16th century.

One of the spiciest types of sambal is Sambal Terasi or shrimp paste sambal, which is made with ground chili peppers, shrimp paste, garlic, shallots, and other spices. Another spicy sambal is Sambal Oelek, which is made with fresh chili peppers, vinegar, and salt. It is known for its heat and versatility in cooking.

Sambal oelek is available in many grocery stores, but you can easily substitute chili garlic sauce (another spicy chili sauce found in the international aisle), sriracha, or your favorite hot sauce. Lemon or lime juice in dishes like this one will add a fantastic freshness and tanginess.

Harissa. This North African staple is essential for many dishes and is remarkably similar to sambal oelek. With starring ingredients including chile pepper, salt, and garlic, harissa also includes oil and spices, which distinguish it and give it a smoky taste.

What Types of Chili Peppers are Used for Making Sambal Oelek. Let's talk chili peppers. Thai red peppers would be optimal for this recipe, but you truly have many, many other options. If you can't find Thai peppers, or if they are too hot for you, try cayenne peppers, red serranos, or red jalapeno peppers.

What country is sambal oelek from? ›

The result is a chunky, spoonable paste studded with chile seeds. Though it's also popular in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, sambal oelek is native to Indonesia, where it's used as a basic condiment, much as Westerners would use any hot sauce.

Sambal oelek goes fabulously with fried or grilled proteins such as tofu, tempeh, chicken, eggs, and beef ribs. One of the best ways to use this spicy paste is to add it to rice-based dishes or use it to build soups, but it can also add flavor to lalapan, which are Sudanese raw or boiled vegetables.

Do not over cook - This includes cooking the dish for too long or using too high heat. Doing so may cause the ingredients to burn resulting in an unpleasant bitterness.

1. Sambal Terasi. Sambal Terasi, also known as shrimp paste sambal, is one of the most popular sambals in Indonesia. It's made by grinding red chilies, shallots, garlic, and shrimp paste (terasi) into a smooth paste.

Basic sambal is made up of red chile peppers, vinegar, and salt. It's chunkier than Sriracha and made with less vinegar and without sugar, giving it a bright, spicy flavor that'll appeal to chile pepper purists. Homemade sambal is sometimes described as having a natural sweetness from the chiles.

Harissa. This North African staple is essential for many dishes and is remarkably similar to sambal oelek. With starring ingredients including chile pepper, salt, and garlic, harissa also includes oil and spices, which distinguish it and give it a smoky taste.

The author of the linked recipe appears to be substituting in turn for gochujang, which in addition to spice has a bit of a yeasty, fermented flavor not unlike miso (no surprise, since both include fermented soybean). Sambal oelek will be brighter, generally hotter, and looser in texture.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Sriracha is a totally smooth counterpart to the chunkier chili-garlic sauce, with all the same ingredients but with added sweetness from sugar. Chili-garlic sauce is nearly identical to sambal oelek, except that it contains garlic and sambal oelek does not.

4. Hot Chilli Powder or Chilli Flakes. You can get the heat needed from Sambal Oelek with good old chilli powder or chilli flakes.