Homemade Indonesian hot sauce (fried sambal badjak) – gluten and soyfee, vegan

Easy recipe to make the most delicious Indonesian hotsauce, called sambal badjak. With fried peppers, onion garlic and spices. Most storebought fried sambals contain white sugar and a lot of unnecessary junk. That’s why I make it myself. And that’s much easier than you might think. Although it does take some time and your house will smell quite strong. So turn the extractor fan to the highest setting and open a window…

Fan of Indonesian flavours and following a soyfree and glutenfree diet? Take a look at my other Indonesian recipes:

Is sambal Paleo?

If you eat strictly Paleo, you cannot eat sambal. Hot peppers are nightshades. However, there is a less strict movement within Paleo that does allow you to eat certain nightshades, such as ripe tomatoes and bell peppers. That’s why I have placed this recipe in the Paleo category so that you can make your own choices.

Is sambal Medical Medium?

Most ingredients are Medical Medium friendly. With two points of attention: fermentation and fat. Coconut aminos is fermented coconut blossom juice. If you want to leave that out, the sambal will have a less deep flavor and less umami.

Every fried sambal has a hot fried bumbu as a base. Coconut oil is needed for that. I tried the Medical Medium method of ‘baking’ the humbug in a little bit of water. For me that taste was a bit disappointing. But I have only been following MM for 3 months. Perhaps I still have to go through some ‘withdrawal’ and go deeper into Medical Medium. Perhaps I will look at it differently in a year. Do you want to try this? Then skip the steps for hot frying and go straight to stewing. The order remains the same: first heat the bumbu, than add the rest of the ingredients.

Sambal badjak is fried sambal

Sambal badjak is the basis for all fried sambals. It is therefore different from sambal oelek. That consists of crushed fresh red peppers without any additions (except often some salt and vinegar). Sambal badjak is the fried version with added onion, garlic and spices. Fried sambal therefore has more flavour and depth and is (relatively) also slightly less spicy.

Other types of sambal

If more sugar is added to the sambal, it is usually called a sambal manis (sweet). If trassi (fermented shrimp paste) is also added to badjak, it is also called a sambal trassi or udang (shrimp). An extra spicy badjak is often called a brandal (hot).

Supermarket or toko?

This recipe uses as many ingredients as possible that you can buy in a regular supermarket (at least in my country). You probably won’t avoid having to go to Asian markets or ordering online.

Hot pepper

The most important ingredient is hot pepper. In real Indonesian or Surinamese cuisine you will choose rawit or madame Jeanette. But I use regular red peppers here, which are called lombok. A combination is also possible of course.

If you also use the seeds, the peppers are a bit hotter than without. That’s why I always use the seeds in. If you are sensitive it is best to cut very hot peppers with gloves on. This will also prevent an accidental rub of pepper in your face or even eyes.

Fresh spices

Galangal, ginger and lemongrass are best used fresh, but if you only have dried, that’s will do. Fresh spices such as galangal and ginger were traditionally ground and mortared by hand. Not everyone has a mortar and it cab also be quite tiring. I usually use the small food processor that comes with my immersion blender. By the way, you don’t ground lemongrass, you break or crush it and remove it from the sambal after stewing.

Kecap manis

In this recipe I also use a little kecap manis. Kecap is a thick, sweet sauce that tastes delicious. It is reduced soy sauce. Spices and especially coconut blossom sugar or molasses are added. Ketjap is therefore much thicker and sweeter in taste than soy sauce. But all mof this means that regular kecap always contains soy and sugar and almost always gluten.

Kecap without soy

I don’t know of any kecap that you can buy in the store without soy. But there is a ‘soy sauce’ without soy. That is coconut aminos. And with coconut aminos you can make your own soyfree kecap. But you can also just use coconut aminos with some coconut blossom sugar in this recipe. Look here for a recipe for homemade gluten and soyfree ketjap. This is suitable for Paleo and Medical Medium.

Fry hot, so in coconut oil!

Sambal is best fried in coconut oil, which can withstand heat well. Do not use olive or seed oil! I prefer to use coconut oil in its pure form, it really tastes like coconut. Its unprocessed and referred to as (extra) virgin coconut oil.

Trassi and fish sauce

A sambal with a lot of umami often contains fish sauce and trassi. Fish sauce consists of fermented anchovies. I love it, but unfortunately it does not fit within Medical Medium because it can contain heavy metals. If you use it, use a good fish sauce that does not contain any unnecessary junk. My favorite has always been always Red Boat Fish Sauce.

Trassi is Indonesian fermented shrimp paste pressed into blocks. In Holland its widely available. If you use Amazon for online orders this Thai kapi shrimp paste comes closest. Beware that shrimp are most often farmed and do not fit in Medical Medium or Paleo.

Mushroom powder for umami

In my opinion when not using trassi or fish sauce, the sambal lacks umami. Therefor I add mushroom powder. I particularly like Lionsmane. But you can also use Reishi or Cordyceps as a mix.

Storage

I often use a small preserving jar. But also old sambal jars from when I used to buy it in the store.

An opened jar will keep for a few weeks or even months in the refrigerator. If you make multiple jars at once, you probably want to be able to store the sambal for even longer. Then keep the jars closed and make sure you put it in a cool place (not too warm) and dark (no sunlight). Also make sure the jar and spoon are clean. Opinions are divided about cleanliness: some say a high dishwasher setting is enough, others really disinfect in an oven at 100 degrees or in a pan of boiling water.

Homemade Indonesian hotsauce (fried sambal badjak)

Marjolein

This recipe may contain

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Make your own special and delicious Indonesian hotsauce: fried sambal badjak! You can decide yourself upon what ingredients you want to use. And… it is not difficult at all. You make a bumbu of chili peppers, onion and garlic. Fry them with fresh ginger, galangal and lemongrass. And add extra flavour with coconut blossom sugar, kemiri nuts and ketjap.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 1 small jar
Calories 396
Cuisine Asian, Indonesian

Equipment

  • large ceramic non-stick pan
  • small kitchen aid or mortar
  • mortar
  • grinder
  • clean jar

Ingredients
 

Optioneel
  • 1 small piece trassi (Indonesian shrimp paste) not MM, paleo and vegan, see text above recipe
  • or 2 teaspoons kapi (Thai shrimp paste) not MM, paleo and vegan, see text above recipe
  • 1 tl fish sauce not MM and vegan, see text above recipe

Instructions

  • Put the peppers, onion and garlic in the food processor. Mix. If you want to be authentic, put everything in a mortar and pound as finely as possible.
  • Peel the ginger and galangal (thin skins do not all have to be peeled and can simply be put in the machine). Cut into pieces and add.
  • Mix everything as finely as possible into a smooth paste. You have now made the bumbu for your sambal.
  • Turn on the extractor hood to the highest setting and preferably open a window.
  • Pound the kemiri nuts in the mortar into small pieces. Roast them in the pan on medium heat.
  • Then put the frying pan on high heat and add the oil. Let it get really hot.
  • Add the boemboe. Stir on high heat for a few minutes.
  • For fatfree Medical Medium: don't fry the bumbu but only 'bake' it with some water on a lower heat. See text above recipe.
  • Then turn the heat back to medium and add some water. Let the stew simmer nicely.
  • Squeeze the limes and add the juice.
  • Add the homemade ketjap or the coconut aminos with the coconut sugar.
  • Add the mushroom powder.
  • If you use it: chop the trassi, you can also do this in a mortar, and add it. Or spoon in the Thai paste. You can also add the fish sauce now if you use it.
  • Add the lemongrass (sereh) (crush/bend and twist) and let it simmer. Let it simmer for another half hour and add water if necessary.
  • Put the sambal in a clean glass jar with a lid (or a preserving jar) while it is still hot. Stir it well with the spoon to prevent air bubbles and then close it immediately.
  • When it has cooled down, it can go into the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 396kcal

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