Indonesian recipe 

Compiled By: Joe Hing Kwok Chu

Sambal Telur

recipe from Arfi Binsted

10 hard-boiled eggs, peeled,
3 big shallots, peeled and diced,
5 cloves garlic, peeled and diced,
2 tomatoes, diced, 1 Tbs Sambal Oelek,
1 block dark palm sugar,
1 tsp shrimp paste (or 2 tsps fish sauce),
sea salt,
1 bay leaf,
1 tsp ground ginger (or 2cm fresh ginger),
1 tsp ground galangal (or 2cm fresh galangal),
1 Tbs rice bran oil,
1 tsp tamarind paste,
3 Tbs warm water.
 

Heat the oil and put diced shallots, garlic, tomatoes and sea salt in the pan on a low heat, covered. Let them become soft and wilt, then squash with a fork. Add in sambal oelek, palm sugar, shrimp paste, bay leaf, ginger, and galangal. Dilute tamarind paste with warm water, then add into the mixture. Let it boil. Correct the seasoning. Add in the eggs. Cook further 15 minutes until the mixture is thicken. Serve 6.

Above recipe is from by Arfi Binsted

I found that if the garlic and shallots are roasted first, the flavor is better. If you use fresh chili instead of sambal ulek (oelek), it is better if you roast them first.

Daun salam is being used in original recipe instead of bay leaves.

In some recipe, lemon grass or coriander are also used.

Some people deep fat fry the hard boil eggs until light brown, before adding to the sauce.

I have tried adding a piece of kafir leaf (daun jerut purut) making it more fragrant.

Note: sambal ulek is smashed chili with salt, with or without vinegar.

• 1-2 kg stewing beef, cut into 1" chunks
• extra garlic, sambal olek, soy sauce and oil

• 4-6 cloves garlic (fresh and not pre-pureed bottled garlic as it tastes foul)
• 2" piece of fresh ginger, skinned
• 1 medium onion or a bunch of shallots
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder (or preferably the fresh root)
• 3-4 tbsp sambal olek (Indonesian Chili Sauce, do not use sweet Thai Sauce)
• salt to taste or soy sauce

• 1 cup of coconut milk or paste
• 1-2 teaspoons tamarind paste
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2-3 mashed kemiri/candle nuts
• oil for frying

Rub the beef with mashed garlic, Sambal Olek, soy sauce and oil. Let marinate for a couple of hours in the fridge.

Make a paste (in a blender or food processor) of everything in the second group of ingredients (garlic ... soy sauce). If it is too thick to blend add some oil. Modify the spices according to taste, however you must use a lot of the chili paste as this is the central ingredient for the sauce.

Heat oil in pan until it is very hot. Add the beef and sear until brown all over (about 4-5 mins).

Add the spice paste, mix and cook on high heat for another few minutes.

Add the final group of ingredients (except candle nuts). Bring to boil then simmer for about 2 hours. Stir regularly (every 20 mins or so) as the sauce tends to be thick and dry.

With half and hour to go, check sauce thickness. The sauce should be a thick sauce when finished. Add candle nuts to thicken and then leave with lid off to reduce the liquid levels and make the sauce a thick pasty consistency (stir more frequently to stop sticking).

This dish improves with age so I usually cook it the day before I want to eat it and then reheat. Cuts down workload if you are cooking several dishes.

The above rendang recipe is  from Tracey Parrish

If you have other version of these recipe or comment, please email Bobbie Chu  at

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Last update: Sept 19, 2008; 10:57 p.m. LAH