Belacan

Ingredients

To toast

• 1block belacan (fermented shrimp paste), a piece about 2 cm square per use
• foil, or a dry pan

Sambal belacan

• 2 tsptoasted belacan
• 8fresh red chillies
• 4bird’s eye chillies
• 2 tspsugar
• ½ tspsalt
• juice of 2 limes
• 1shallot (optional)

Directions

1. Cut a piece the size you need.
2. Wrap it tightly in a double layer of foil to contain the smell, which is formidable.
3. Toast the parcel in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 minutes a side, or hold it over a gas flame, until the paste inside is dry, crumbly and intensely fragrant.
4. Crumble the toasted paste. For sambal belacan, pound the chillies with the salt in a mortar until broken down but still coarse, then add the toasted belacan and pound to combine.
5. Work in the sugar, then the lime juice a little at a time. It should be thick, rough-textured and balanced between hot, salty, sweet and sour.
6. Serve immediately as a condiment with rice, or use as the base for nasi lemak, kangkung belacan and countless other dishes.

Technique

• Toast it in foil or open a window. The smell is powerful and lingers for hours.
• Pound, do not blend. A mortar bruises the chillies and releases their oils; a blender purées them and gives a watery sambal.
• Malaysian belacan, Indonesian terasi and Thai kapi are close relatives but differ in salt and strength, so adjust quantities if substituting.

Substitutions

• Terasi or kapi in place of belacan, used slightly more sparingly.
• There is no vegetarian substitute that does the same job; miso brings salt and umami but not the marine note.

Variations

• Sambal belacan with grated green mango folded through.
• Cincalok, the wetter fermented krill condiment used the same way.

History

Made on the west-coast shores by salting tiny geragau shrimp, sun-drying and fermenting them for weeks; Penang and Melaka are traditional producers.

Frequently asked questions

What is Belacan?

Belacan is a sauce & condiment from Malaysia: compressed block of fermented shrimp, toasted before pounding into sambal. Made on the west-coast shores by salting tiny geragau shrimp, sun-drying and fermenting them for weeks; Penang and Melaka are traditional producers.

How long does Belacan take to make?

Belacan takes 5 min of preparation and 5 min of cooking. The recipe makes preparation and use of one block. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Belacan?

Yes, within limits. Terasi or kapi in place of belacan, used slightly more sparingly. There is no vegetarian substitute that does the same job; miso brings salt and umami but not the marine note.

What is the most important thing to get right in Belacan?

Pound, do not blend. A mortar bruises the chillies and releases their oils; a blender purées them and gives a watery sambal.