Belacan Recipes

SAMBAL BELACAN

Steps:

• Place belacan in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir until fragrant and toasted, about 5 minutes.n
• Grind red chile peppers with salt using a mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. Add belacan and grind until evenly distributed. Squeeze limes over paste just before serving.n

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.

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.

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:

• 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.

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.

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!

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.