Belacan Recipes

KANGKUNG BELACAN

Steps:

• Be sure to rinse water spinach well as it can be gritty. Allow vegetables to drain in colander for at least an hour or use a salad spinner to get rid of excessive water.
• Blend red chilies, shallots, garlic, dried shrimps, and belacan with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water into a paste.
• In a large pan or wok, heat oil. Saute blended mixture for 4 to 5 minutes until it is fragrant.
• Add kangkung and fry on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until vegetables are wilted. Add a little salt to taste.
• Remove and serve immediately with steamed rice.

BELACAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Soak the de-seeded dried chili peppers in 1 cup of warm water for 15-20 minutes.
• While the dried peppers are soaking, de-stem and de-seed the Holland peppers, removing the membranes as well. You can leave the seeds in if you like your sauce very spicy. Cut each pepper into 3 pieces. If using, chop the Thai chilies.
• Take half of your shallots and finely chop them. With the other half, thinly slice them. (You can also chop them, but I think slices add another textural dimension to the final sauce.
• Drain the dried chili peppers, and set aside the soaking water. To the bowl of a food processor or blender, add the dried peppers, Holland peppers, Thai chilies (if using), half of the shallots (i.e. your chopped shallots, setting aside the slices for later), and garlic. Pulse until the mixture is smooth, or if you prefer, a coarse paste. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure the mixture is evenly processed.
• Heat a frying pan or wok over medium heat. Add the oil and chopped dried shrimp. Fry over medium to medium low heat for 3-5 minutes.
• Put the belacan in a mortar and pestle to break it up (you can also put it in a small bowl and break it up with a fork). Add it to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the belacan is melted into the sauce.
• Add the sliced shallots, and cook for 3-4 minutes, until translucent.
• Next, add the chili, garlic and shallot paste. Stir to combine, and add ½ cup of the reserved pepper soaking water. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the fish sauce and brown sugar. Continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
• Let the mixture cool, and transfer to a clean jar or other airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 weeks, or freeze (it should last up to 1 year frozen).

SAMBAL BELACAN

Steps:

• Toast belacan in a small pan until crumbly. This will take about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and allow it to cool.
• Remove seeds from chilies and cut into small pieces.
• Transfer the chilies to a stone mortar. Pound with the pestle until the pieces are broken. Add toasted belacan and continue to pound until desired fineness. Alternatively, chilies and toasted belacan may be place in a food processor and processed until fine.
• Squeeze in the lime juice and stir to mix. Transfer to a small dish.
• If not consuming right away, transfer to a jar and store in the refrigerator. Squeeze in the lime juice just before serving. Best consumed within 2 to 3 days.

BELACAN RECIPE

Steps:

• Firstly, take out a dry pan and place the shrimp paste in it. Then, toast the shrimp paste until fragrant. Once done, remove it and set aside to cool.
• Next, put in the shrimp paste and chillies into a stone mortar. Pound them using the pestle, ensure that they are evenly mixed. You can also use an electronic blender or a food processor for this step.
• After that, squeeze in the calamansi juice to the pounded shrimp paste and chillies. Add salt and sugar to taste. Stir it to mix.
• Lastly, store the sambal in a dry and clean jar or bottle. You can store the it in the refrigerator up to one month.

GRILLED BELACAN CHICKEN WINGS

Steps:

• In a large baking dish or mixing bowl combine the shrimp paste, lime juice, tamarind juice, brown sugar, hot chili sauce and the fish sauce.
• Stir well into a sticky marinade. Then add the chicken wings.
• With a soft brush or with your hands start rubbing the marinade all over the chicken wings. Make sure they are entirely coated.
• Then cover the chicken wings and the dish or bowl with a piece of cling film and place it in the fridge for an hour to marinate so all the lovely flavors can develop. Then remove the chicken wings from the fridge again, get rid of the cling film and sprinkle the wings with the corn starch or tapioca flour.
• Rub the chicken wings all over with the starch or flour. This will add extra crunch to them while grilling. Then place the chicken wings neatly on a large baking tray. Sprinkle lightly with some olive oil.
• Grill the marinated chicken wings under a hot grill for 30 minutes. Halfway through cooking time turn the wings over and grill them on their uncooked side. In the end the wings will look golden brown, crunchy on the outside and cooked through on the inside. Then remove the wings from the grill and place them on a large serving tray. Serve hot with extra chili sauce.

TOASTED BELACAN (DRIED SHRIMP PASTE) RECIPE

Steps:

• Cut belacan into thin slices. Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Place the belacan slices slightly apart on a roasting pan. Roast for about 4 to 7 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Let it cool before use. Note that roasting belacan this way will make your kitchen smoky and smell strongly for some time. Leaving the windows and doors open will help to clear the odors.
• Heat a dry pan or wok over medium heat. Add thin slices of belachan and fry until they are brown and their pungent smell is released.
• Check to see if they have been well cooked by taking a slice and breaking it in two. It should break like a crisp biscuit and the inside should be brown and dry and not soft.

SAMBAL BELACAN - MALAY CHILLI PASTE WITH SHRIMP PASTE

Steps:

• If you are using a pestle and mortar, start by pounding the chillies, sugar and salt.
• When it has reached the semi coarse stage, add the shrimp, pound for a minute.
• Then finally, add the lime juice and zest and mix well.
• Store in a clean jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

KANGKUNG BELACAN

Steps:

• Cut the kangkung into equal lengths, separating the harder stalks from the leaves, place on 2 separate plates.
• Place the the onion, garlic, chilli, shrimps and shrimp paste in a chopper and chop to a fairly fine mix.
• Heat oil in a frying pan on medium high heat and fry the ground ingredients until fragrant, about a minute.
• Add the stalks, stir fry for a minute, then add the leaves, give it a quick stir and taste for seasoning, turn stove off. Like spinach, kangkung cooks quickly and is best eaten with a slight crunch as is true for all vegetables!

SAMBAL GORENG TERASI

Steps:

• Soak the dried red chillies in a cup of boiling hot water (from the kettle).
• Then cut the fresh red chillies in big slices, roughly chop the tomatoes. Peel and cut the onions in big chunks. And peel the garlic.
• When the dried chillies are softened enough, and the water is cool enough to touch, cut the chillies in big chunks as well.
• Place all the chillies, the tomatoes, onions, garlic and the water from soaking the chillies in a blender or a food processor. Then blitz/ process the ingredients until you get a nice chilli smoothie :-).
• Put the blended chillies in a cooking pan. Then add the galangal, lemongrass, salam leaves, sugar, salt, Terasi/ Belacan and oil.
• Cook the chilli mixture at moderate-low heat until you get a nice thick chilli sauce with oil separated from the edges. It takes me about an hour to get the consistency that I want. So, do take care by checking and stirring the sambal mixture every now and again. To prevent it from burning at the bottom of the pan.

MALAYSIAN BELACAN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Rinse the chicken with water and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside. Prepare the cilantro juice by cutting off the bottom 2-inch part of cilantro (the stems). Using a mortar and pestle, pound the stems and extract the juice from the stems using your hand.
• In a big bowl, whisk the shrimp sauce, sugar, egg white, sesame oil, cilantro juice, corn starch and flour together until smooth. Add the chicken, coat well and marinate for at least 4-6 hours.
• When ready, heat up a pot of cooking oil or use a deep fryer. Drop the chicken gently into the oil and deep fry the chicken until crispy and golden brown (the inside should cook thoroughly but remains juicy). Transfer the fried chicken out on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil.
• Serve the fried chicken immediately with chili sauce.

STIR-FRY BELACAN WITH KANGKUNG RECIPE

Steps:

• Discard the fibrous section of the kangkung (close to the root).
• Wash the kangkung thoroughly
• Drain the kangkung in a colander before use.
• Separate the stems from the leaves
• Cut to divide the kangkung into the stems and leaves sections. Cut the stems into five cm short sections.
• Place the belacan in a saucepan without oil and toast it until it begins to smoke. Remove.
• Clean the dry shrimps with water. Soak it in water for at least ten minutes until it becomes soft. Coarsely chopped.
• Blend all the ingredients for the sambal until smooth.
• Saute the sambal over low heat until aromatic.
• Add the stems and stir fry over medium heat for two minutes. You can add one to two tablespoons of water if it is too dry.
• Add the salt and sugar.
• Add the leaves and continue to stir fry until it wilts down.
• Dish out and serve with steamed rice.

SAMBAL BELACAN

Steps:

• Clean chilies with running water, seeded and sliced. Transfer the chilies to a mortar.
• Heat up a wok or pan on low heat and "toast" the belacan until aromatic. The texture of the belacan would turn dry and powdery after toasting. Transfer out and add to the chilies and start pounding with the pestle until fine. (Some people like their sambal belacan somewhat coarse so it's personal preference.)
• Transfer out to a bowl, add salt and sugar to taste and add lime juice (or Calamansi lime juice). Blend well. You can keep the sambal in the refrigerator for a couple of days, or freeze in the freezer for a longer period.

MALAYSIAN SAMBAL BELACAN RECIPE

Steps:

• Blend the onion and garlic with some oil with an electric blender. Add some water to facilitate blending if necessary.
• Boil the dried chili in water for ten minutes. Remove and drain.
• Cut fresh red chilies into sections. Blend both chilies with some oil and water to form a chili paste.
• Soak the dried shrimp in water for fifteen minutes. Drain. Blend the dried shrimp until it looks like meat floss.
• Place the belacan in a small pan without oil, roast it slowly until it is thoroughly dry, and break up into large granules.
• Saute the onion and garlic over low to medium heat until slightly brown and aromatic.
• Soak the tamarind pulp in hot water for ten minutes, then remove the pulp and seeds by pouring through a strainer.
• Add the dried shrimp, belacan, palm sugar chili paste, and tamarind juice to the sambal. Simmer over low heat for thirty minutes.
• Season with salt.
• When the red oil starts bubbling around the paste, it is done.

QUICK STYLE KANGKUNG BELACAN

Steps:

• Heat a wok or large fry pan. Add vegetable oil followed by garlic, red chilies, and belacan. Stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until belacan is fragrant.
• Add kangkung/water spinach and salt to taste. Stir fry for another 3 minutes or until vegetables are wilted and cooked.
• Turn off stove and transfer vegetables to a plate. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

KANGKUNG BELACAN (STIR-FRIED WATER SPINACH WITH SHRIMP PASTE)

Steps:

• Peel and quarter the onion, peel the garlic and roughly chop the chillies (in 2-3 pieces).
• Place all the paste ingredients into a chopper and chop to a fairly fine paste.You could use a pestle and mortar, if you like. If you are, soak your dried prawns in very hot water for 10 minutes. Then drain and pound.
• Rinse and chop the kangkung into roughly equal lengths, measuring about 5cm/2 inches. Separate the harder stalks from the leaves, as the stalks will need cooking slightly longer.
• Heat oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat and fry the ground ingredients until fragrant, for about a minute.
• Add the kangkung stalks, stir, then add the water. Mix again and leave to cook for 2 minutes.
• Now add the kangkung leaves, give it a quick stir just to let the leaves wilt. You don't want to cook it for more than 30-60 seconds. Take it off the heat.Like spinach, kangkung cooks quickly and is best eaten with a slight crunch as is true for all vegetables!
• Check seasoning and stir in the salt if you want it saltier (the shrimp paste and dried prawns are salty ingredients). Serve immediately.

MALAYSIAN FRIED RICE WITH SHRIMP AND BELACAN RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place the dried shrimp in a shallow bowl. Pour in just enough water to cover. Leave to soak for 20 to 30 minutes or until fully rehydrated.
• Drain and set aside.
• In a wok or frying pan, heat 1 tablespoonful of cooking oil. Stir-fry the diced string beans over high heat for a minute or two, just until a bit underdone. Scoop out and set aside.
• Crumble or chop the belacan as finely as you can.
• Pour the remaining 3 tablespoons of cooking oil into the pan. Fry the dried shrimp and the belacan together, stirring continuously.
• When the dried shrimp turn crispy and slightly brown, and the belacan smells fragrant, add the rice and partially cooked string beans. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes or until the rice is heated through.
• Push the fried rice to the sides of the pan to make a well in the center. Pour in the beaten egg. Stir the egg in a circular motion until set at the bottom but still very wet on top.
• Incorporate the egg into the rice by stirring in a spiral with the circle getting wider until the egg has been mixed into the rice.
• Turn off the heat. Taste the fried rice. Add salt, if needed. Stir a few more times before serving.

SAMBAL BELACAN

Steps:

• Belacan has an intense aroma, so it is best to open a window or turn on the stove's exhaust fan to its highest setting when toasting it. Toast the belacan in a frying pan over medium heat, using the back of a spatula to rub it against the surface of the pan. Stir and continue to toast until it is brittle and lightens in color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.
• Seed the chiles if you prefer a milder sauce. Finely chop the chiles. Transfer the chiles and makrut lime leaf to a mortar, and grind with a pestle until blended. Stir in the toasted belacan and continue to pound until you obtain a fine, dark paste. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, pulse the ingredients with a small blender or food processor to form a chunky purée. Use a spatula to keep pressing down the paste as you blend to make it smoother.
• Add sugar and salt to taste. Sugar helps tone down the pungency; salt is optional and usually unnecessary. The sauce should be a balance between savory and spicy. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, squeeze the limes into the sambal and mix well.

SAMBAL BELACAN RECIPE

Steps:

• In a blender, grind chillis and belachan. You can also pound the ingredients using a mortar & pestle. Make the sambal. Transfer blended paste to a small bowl. Add sugar, lime juice and salt to taste. Stir to mix well. You can store the chilli in refrigerator for about a week. It can be used as a chilli condiment or in stir fries.