What is sambal?
Sambal · Indonesian
Indonesian and Malaysian chili paste; sambal oelek is plain ground chili, others add shrimp paste, garlic or lime.
What it tastes like
Hot and fresh with a raw chili punch; versions with shrimp paste (sambal belacan) get deeply savory.
Where you’ll see it
With rice dishes, satay, fried chicken and noodles at Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean restaurants.