Sambal Belacan

Ingredients

• 50g shrimp paste (belacan), crumbled
• 120g fresh red chillies, seeded
• 5 bird's eye chillies
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, remove the veins
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Juice of 2-3 calamansi limes
• 1/4tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp oil

Method

Heat oil in a nonstick saucepan. Add belacan and fry over low heat till fragrant.
Put in both chillies, salt and kaffir lime leaves. Fry for about a minute, then remove from heat. Tip into a food processor and blitz until finely chopped. Dish out and add sugar and lime juice to taste.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or serve immediately as a condiment for vegetables, such as cucumber, ladies fingers, carrot, celery and cherry tomatoes.