Sambal Matah (Balinese Raw Shallot Sambal)

Name: Sambal Matah (Balinese Raw Shallot Sambal)
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Balinese
Ingredients: 200 g Asian shallots; 3 Lemongrass stalks; 12 Bird's eye chilies; 5 Kaffir lime leaves; 5 tbsp Coconut oil; 2 tbsp Lime juice; 1 tsp Salt

A raw sambal, not a cooked one: shallot, lemongrass, chili and lime leaf sliced paper-thin and woken up with hot coconut oil and lime juice.

Fonte

Receita de Balinese home kitchens · 🏺 Tradicional · Balinese household cooking

Traditional condiment · Bali — A condiment with no single author. English Wikipedia has no standalone article for sambal matah, so we cite the general sambal article, which covers the family — chili ground or sliced with shallot, garlic, lemongrass, shrimp paste and an acid such as lime — rather than this Balinese raw version specifically. The Balinese detail here reflects the common preparation and is not sourced to that page. The steps are our own writing.

Contexto na Wikipédia ↗

Veja como se faz · 3 vídeos

heytheresia The Meatmen Channel Novi's Bali Kitchen

⏱ 20 min🍽 6 porções🔥 90 kcal🇮🇩 Indonésia🌶️🌶️🌶️

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Modo de preparo

Peel the shallots and slice them across into rings as thin as you can manage. Separate the rings with your fingers.
💡 Thin is the entire dish. Thick shallot rings stay harsh and oniony in the mouth; paper-thin ones soften in the oil and lime within minutes.
Trim the lemongrass to the pale bottom third, peel off the dry outer layer, and slice it into fine rounds.
Slice the chilies into rings and shred the lime leaves as finely as you possibly can.
Toss everything together in a heatproof bowl with the salt, using your fingers to separate and mix rather than a spoon.
Heat the coconut oil until it shimmers but does not smoke, and pour it straight over the bowl. Stir once.
💡 The oil should be hot enough to hiss faintly and no hotter. Smoking oil cooks the shallots into a limp fried sambal — matah means raw, and the raw crunch is the whole identity of the dish.
Let it sit for 10 minutes, then stir in the lime juice and taste for salt.
Serve at room temperature alongside grilled fish, chicken or plain rice.

💡 Dicas

Make it an hour before you eat, not the day before. It is at its best when the shallots have relaxed but still crunch.
Many Balinese cooks add a small amount of grilled terasi (shrimp paste) for depth. This version leaves it out, which keeps it vegan — add half a teaspoon if you want the traditional savoury undertow.
It is a condiment with real volume — treat it as a side salad and eat it by the spoonful, not the drop.