If you are an avid fan of Padang (West Sumatera) cuisines, then you must be familiar with Sambal Lado.
This flaming-red Sambal is extra spicy and does not taste like Sambal Terasi or Sambal Bawang. Generally mixed with hard boiled eggs, dendeng (marinated beef), anchovies, tempeh (fermented soyabean cake), etc.
Originally, Sambal Lado is from Padang and made only from cabe keriting – the curly red chillies. But to add the heat, you can add cabe rawit (birds eye chillies) to the mixture.
Here is the recipe of Sambal Lado:
Ingredients:
19 cabe merah keriting (long, curly red chilies)- 9 cabe rawit
- 8 cloves of shallots
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 lime leaves
- 1 medium-sized tomato
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sugar
- Vegetable oil for sauteing
- Chicken or beef broth
Instructions:
- Crush all chilies, shallots, garlic and tomato in a stone mortar. Don’t crush them into paste,
- Sambal Lado tastes better if the chilies are coarsely ground
- Add sugar, salt, and pepper
- Heat vegetable oil on medium heat, and sauté the chili paste.
- Add lime leaves and broth, mix well until the water becomes absorbed to the chili paste
- Remove from the heat and Sambal Lado is ready to serve or mixed with food.
If you want to add hard boiled eggs, chicken, eggplant, or dendeng, just sauté the food with Sambal Lado till it is thoroughly mixed.
