Sambal Oelek recipe takes just 20 minutes and is so easy to make. Blend, cook, and cool. And because it packs a punch of spicy, fresh, and bright flavors, the sambal oelek is a do-it-all sauce.
We’ve been getting loads of fresh red chilies in the market. And while I’m not much of a fan of fiery foods, it’s hard to resist the vibrant beauties. So, I bought a bunch and decided to make a couple of jars of sambal oelek chili sauce. The delicious chili paste is great as a dip, marinade, garnish, or cooking ingredient for everyday recipes like sweet potato soup or spicy mutton curry.
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What Is Sambal Oelek
Sambal Oelek (or ulek) is a popular Indonesian chili sauce/paste. The hot sauce is also a staple in Malaysian and Thai cuisine. Made with simple everyday ingredients like red chilies, salt, and vinegar, freshly ground Sambal paste is ready in minutes and barely takes any effort. The results are way better than any bottled sauce you may have tried.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Fiesty and punchy, this vegan sambal oelek is so simple to make! You just need 7 basic ingredients. Make it in a mortar pestle or in a blender, whatever you prefer!
It takes only 20 minutes to make. And you can customize the flavors according to your taste.
It is the perfect kick for any dish like this spicy tofu stir-fry. It’s versatile. Use it as a dip, marinade, or topping to add an exotic flair to your meals.
What Is In Sambal Oelek
While the basic sambal is made with just red chilies, salt, and vinegar. My version also has ginger, garlic, lemongrass, and sugar!
Red Chili Peppers: I did deseed most of the chilies, but you can keep them intact if you prefer a fierier version. You can use any variety you prefer - red bird's eye chilies ( for super spicy flavor!), red serrano peppers, or red jalapeno peppers.
Vinegar gives the sauce its characteristic zing. I used rice wine vinegar.
Sugar brings out the natural sweetness in chilies, making the overall taste richer and more complex.
Salt to balance all the ingredients of the sambal oelek recipe.
Add-ins: Garlic, ginger, and lemongrass to give the sambal paste more flavor. Don't have lemongrass? Add a squeeze of lemon juice and some zest too.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make
Step 1: Combine the red chilies, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and vinegar in a food processor. Blend.
Step 2: Transfer the sambal paste to a small saucepan. Add sugar and salt and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Taste and adjust for seasonings.
Step 4: Let the sambal oelek chili paste cool completely.
Step 5: Transfer to a jar and refrigerate.
Final step: Serve and savor!
Pro Tips
- Sambal oelek keeps well in the refrigerator for a week.
- Blend to the consistency you like. I prefer a slightly chunky sambal oelek recipe.
- You can use a mortar and pestle to make a paste of all the ingredients.
- Add water while cooking the sambal chili sauce if it feels too thick to you.
Recipes With Sambal Oelek
I love how versatile sambal chili paste is. You can use it as a dipping sauce for serving alongside your meal as a chutney.
- A couple of spoonfuls add pizzazz to fried rice and Thai peanut noodles.
- Kick up your mayonnaise and yogurt dip a notch by mixing in some Sambal Oelek!
- Make a simple side dish like millet-stuffed tomatoes spicy by stirring in the feisty sauce.
- Marinate chicken, fish, paneer, or tofu for about 10 minutes with a mixture made with Sambal Oelek, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and sesame oil. Then pan fry it in a cast-iron skillet to get that crispy crust. Make extra marinade to drizzle atop!
Recipe FAQs
Both Sriracha and Sambal Oelek are great staples to have in the pantry. Sriracha has a tangy, garlicky, and sweet kick. It’s also milder than sambal oelek, which is why I love it as a vinaigrette in red rice and mango salad or sauce for sticky sweet potatoes.
Typically, sambal paste doesn’t have garlic. Yes, my sambal oelek recipe does! Sambal sauce is also chunkier, while chili garlic sauce is slightly smoother. Sambal has more heat. Chili garlic is slightly sweeter thanks to the garlic. Finally, sambal is far more versatile than garlic sauce, which is best as a condiment.
Honestly, the answer is both. Sambal brings instant heat. A homemade gochujang adds depth and is just fantastic. The Korean hot pepper paste is delicious as a glaze on crispy braised potatoes. If you want a sharp, spicy taste to a meal, use sambal oelek. If you want a rich umami flavor, opt for gochujang.
📖 Recipe
Sambal Oelek Recipe
Ingredients
- 7 oz / 200 gms Red Chilies, sliced
- 5 cloves Garlic, peeled
- 1.5 inch Fresh ginger, sliced
- 2 Lemongrass stalks, only the white part, sliced
- 4 tbsp Rice wine vinegar
- 1-2 tsp Sugar
- Salt per taste
Instructions
- Combine the red chilies, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and vinegar in a food processor. Blend until you get the consistency you like. I kept it slightly chunky. You can even use a mortar & pestle for this step.
- Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan, add sugar and salt, and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce gets too thick, add a little water while it's getting cooked.
- Taste and adjust for seasonings per your taste. Let the sauce cool completely before transferring it into a jar. Store in the refrigerator. This should be good for 7 days.
Notes
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- Sambal oelek keeps well in the refrigerator for a week.
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- Blend to the consistency you like. I prefer a slightly chunky sambal oelek recipe.
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- You can use a mortar and pestle to make a paste of all the ingredients.
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- Add water while cooking the sambal chili sauce if it feels too thick to you.
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