Mango Sambal Belacan

Cik Seri
May 2, 2016
2 min read

There are times when you don't feel like eating. Even though your stomach cries really loud. Especially during time like this. The weather is very hot and you feel stressed out. The stomach cries loudly. FILL ME! FILL ME! Complicated meal is not the answer. What you need is a simple combination of all taste to stimulate your taste bud and at the same time stops that stomach from crying out loud.

Just imagine, a zesty taste that wakes the fatigue body system up, acidic yet pleasant, with natural sweetness form the young mangoes, combined with the saline taste from the sea salt and the toasted shrimp paste, activating that saliva from that salivary gland. It can even make you cry but quitting is not in the list of options. That is what sambal belacan can do to you.

Sambal belacan is a popular side dish for Malaysian. Basically, fresh chilis are pounded together with toasted belacan (shrimp paste) in a stone mortar (lesung) to which sugar, salt, and any sour juice are added. Originally, limau kesturi or calamansi lime, is used but there is no limit to creativity when it comes to taste. Ours here used unripe mangoes. It can be eaten with cucumbers or ulam (leafy herbs) in a meal of rice and other dishes. It is good to go with salted fish, fried or grilled. It can be eaten with steamed tapioca or sweet potatoes too. The choice is yours. It can also be used as a paste to make the most popular dish - nasi goreng (fried rice). Nothing can be any better to save that leftover rice and sambal belacan.

Dietitian Sheeba Majmudar in Men's Health magazine August 2011 issue explains that nutrition-wise, sambal belacan has its fair dose of goodness. He adds furthermore, that shrimp is a good source of protein and vitamins D and B, and is low in saturated fat. Red chillies are a good source of vitamins A, K and C, and lime is alkalising. Thus, this pungent dip is not all nothing but the tastes. It is also good for your body and health.

If you never try sambal belacan, you just have to give it a go today. RIGHT NOW! For those who has already known the spell this simple dish can do to you, do I have to tell you more?