Sambal Goreng (Easy Tasty Recipe)

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This version is my quick, go-to recipe which is a big favorite with my family and friends. Sambal Goreng is a hearty vegetarian dish made with Long beans, Tua Kwa and Tempe, in a Sambal Paste. Tau Kaw is soybean curd which is an extra firm version of tofu, which holds up well while deep frying. Tempe is made from fermented soybean, which is pressed into a cake form. Sambal Paste is made by grinding together fresh ingredients with chilies and shrimp paste to make an aromatic wet paste.

The paste is fried in a fair amount of oil till well cooked and then the fried ingredients( tau kwa, tempe, and long beans) are added to this and tossed well. A small amount of coconut cream and dark sweet soy sauce (kicap manis) is added for flavoring.

Although traditionally the beancurd(tau kwa), fermented soybean cake(tempe) and the long beans are deep fried, you can very easily fry these ingredients, using your air fryer to choose the healthier choice. Just brush the ingredients with oil and air fry till tender. You will have to do this in several batches, though depending on your air fryer capacity.

I have previously shared another classic version of making Sambal Goreng here. That recipe uses tamarind whereas here, we use tomato as the souring agent. You will be surprised how good this version is also. 

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Ingredients:

For the Fresh Sambal Paste(Rempah):

Method:

1. Prep: Cut the bean curd into rectangular pieces, the long beans into 5 cm lengths, and the tempeh (if using) into cubes.
2. Sambal Spice paste: Now we prepare the spice paste base, which is also known as the ‘Rempah’ in Malay. Peel the garlic and shallots. Remove the outer layers of lemongrass to reveal the tender stalk portion. Peel the galangal using a sturdy knife. Now, chop the lemongrass and galangal (2 tsp each). Remove the seeds from the chillies and chop roughly. Chop the tomato. Add everything to a grinder jar along with shrimp paste and grind to a smooth paste. No water is added. Make sure there are no chunks of fibrous bits of galangal or lemongrass.
3. Fry: Fry the Bean curd in hot oil, in batches. It takes about 7 minutes, for the bean curd to turn golden and firm.  Remove from oil and set aside. If using Tempeh, fry similarly and set aside.
4. Fry the long beans briefly in the same oil, just till the beans turn bright green, and quickly strain from the oil. They should become a little tender by flash frying also.
5. Cook the Sambal Spice Paste: Heat oil (3Tbsp) in a large non-stick wok/ pan. Add the prepared fresh spice paste before the oil becomes too hot. Stir and cook the spice paste, till the aromatics in the spice paste are cooked thoroughly. There should be no raw aroma of garlic, shallots, chillies, and galangal. The oil should separate also.
6. Add the half-portion of the vegetable stock cube and mash it into the mix. At this point, you can add more shrimp paste, to taste. Add a dash of salt if needed.
7. Now, stir in the coconut cream briskly till it is incorporated to make a smooth, homogenous mixture.
8. Return all the fried ingredients and toss them together thoroughly till everything is heated through once again, coating the beancurd and beans nicely. Lastly, add a drizzle of Kicap Manis and stir once more.
9. Easy Sambal Goreng is ready. This makes an excellent side dish with rice.

Sambal Goreng (Easy Tasty Recipe)

Notes:

• Shrimp Paste is the Umami of South East Asian Cooking. Shrimp paste is heated up during cooking and may have an initial pungent aroma, but it will elevate the flavor of any dish, suddenly transforming your dish into something savory, meaty, and yummy. The flavor of shrimp paste is an acquired one, but once your tastebuds are accustomed to it you find yourself craving it. When you start out it is best to use tiny amounts to allow yourself to get customized
• Fish Sauce is another condiment of liquid form made from fish or krill, mixed with salt and fermented for up to two years. It is used as a seasoning, during of after cooking.

Belacan is a Malaysian Shrimp paste made with fermented dried shrimp. It is sundried, formed into blocks and then allowed to ferment again. It is quite pungent and funky. Used as a cooking condiment.

Terasi is Indonesian Shrimp paste. Small shrimp are harvested, rinsed, and mixed with sea salt, then laid out in the sun for a few days until the shrimp have broken down, fermented and become a dark brown pulp. This is drained and pounded into a paste before being compressed into blocks. Used as a cooking condiment.

Kapi (gkapi)  is a shrimp paste found in Thailand. Made by mixing tiny shrimp and/or krill (tiny shrimp-like crustaceans) with salt and leaving them to ferment. It is then sun-dried and ground into a purple-brown colored dense, sticky paste. It is pungent and funky. Used as a cooking condiment.

Mam tom is a shrimp paste, that is a staple of Vietnamese cookery. Made by salt-fermenting crushed shrimp, producing a violet-colored, thick paste with a pungent smell. It serves both as a dipping sauce and a spice in cooking.

Bagoong is a shrimp paste from the Philippines. It is made by mixing tiny shrimp and/or krill in a brine solution with salt and leaving them to ferment. The bagoong available in the supermarkets is usually a sauteed shrimp paste, adding garlic, onion and sometimes chilli. It can be used in cooking or eaten as a side condiment(without cooking).

• In Southeast Asian cooking, you will find many vegetarian dishes, that still contain shrimp paste. It is considered ‘okay for vegetarians’ by many. If you prefer a Vegan Sambal Goreng, you can replace the shrimp paste with fermented soybean paste or Miso paste.
• You can also add two kaffir lime leaves while frying the sambal paste for and added flavor and aroma.
• If you are using coconut milk instead of coconut cream, you can add about half a cup and cook it down till thickened.
• Sambal Goreng is most often served with rice as a side dish with some type of curry and other vegetable sides. I love it with rice and my Easy Thai Tuna Curry.
• If you do not have fresh lemon grass and galangal, you can sometimes find the pureed version available at Asian supermarkets in glass jars. This keeps for over a month in the fridge. The lemongrass and galangal especially, mist be ground till smooth, or you have a lot of fibers in the dish. So if you do not have a proper method of grinding , the store-bought puree would be a good option also.

Key Ingredients: Bean Curd, Long Beans, Tempe, Oil, Homemade Sambal paste, Kicap Manis, Salt.

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