Sambal Oelek
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Fresh red chile peppers — 300 g (10.5 oz)
- White vinegar — 20 ml (4 tsp)
- Salt — 5 g (1 tsp)
- Sugar — 3 g (1/2 tsp)
Method
- Remove stems from chiles (deseed for a milder version, if preferred).
- Pound chiles in a mortar and pestle to a coarse paste, or pulse briefly in a food processor.
- Stir in vinegar, salt and sugar.
- Mix well to combine.
- Transfer to a jar; ready to use immediately, though flavour develops further after a day.
Cultural Background: A raw, coarse chile paste built simply on pounded fresh red chiles, vinegar and salt, sambal oelek ('ulek' referring to the stone grinding technique) is Indonesia's foundational sambal, used both as a condiment and as a base for hundreds of other sambal variations.
Tips: • A mortar and pestle gives the traditional coarse, textured result central to sambal oelek's identity. • This sauce is intentionally simple and raw — it's meant as a base building block for other, more complex sambals.
Variations: • Adjust chile-to-vinegar ratio for a thicker or looser paste. • Use as the starting base for sambal terasi or other regional sambal variations.
Storage: Refrigerate in a sealed jar up to 3 weeks.
Reheating: Not applicable; used cold as a condiment or cooking base. Nutrition (per serving) Approx. 10 kcal, 0.4 g protein, 0 g fat, 2 g carbohydrate per 15 g serving.
FAQs: What is sambal oelek traditionally used for? A base condiment and starting point for countless other sambal preparations across Indonesian cuisine. How is it different from other sambals? Sambal oelek is the simplest, rawest form — just chile, vinegar and salt — while other sambals build on this base with additional aromatics and cooking.
- Fresh red chile peppers — 300 g (10.5 oz)
- White vinegar — 20 ml (4 tsp)
- Salt — 5 g (1 tsp)
- Sugar — 3 g (1/2 tsp)
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