Sambal kicap is the condiment for many Johorean-Malay families, drizzled liberally on top of soto and fried rice or used as a dip for pisang goreng. Alia’s mother’s version relies solely on white vinegar as the souring agent, giving a cleaner-tasting chilli-soy sauce combo that will brighten but not interfere with any dish it is used with.
Sambal kicap
by Alia Ali
Sambal kicap is the condiment for many Johorean-Malay families, drizzled liberally on top of soto and fried rice or used as a dip for pisang goreng. Alia’s mother’s version relies solely on white vinegar as the souring agent, giving a cleaner-tasting chilli-soy sauce combo that will brighten but not interfere with any dish it is used with.
Servings: About ½ cup
Prep time: Quick
Servings: About ½ cup
Prep time: Quick
Ingredients
20 green bird’s eye chillies (cili padi), stems removed
65ml Malay-style soy sauce, preferably Tamin brand
30ml distilled white vinegar
Directions
- In a mortar and pestle, pound the cili padi as fine as possible. Pour in the soy sauce and white vinegar. Mix and taste, then adjust according to preference. The texture of the sambal should be loose, and it should taste sharp but not unbearably sour.
Tips
- Because of the high amount of vinegar, this sambal will keep for months in the fridge. If it dries out, simply add a bit of hot water to loosen it up—it’s not advisable to add more vinegar as it will become overpoweringly sharp.
- Other Malay-style soy sauce brands can be used, like Cap Kipas Udang or Mudim, which usually come in sweet or salty variations (compared to the light/dark/thick varieties of Chinese soy sauces). If using a salty variety, add a little sugar to balance the flavours. If using sweet, add a dash of salt.
Ingredients
20 green bird’s eye chillies (cili padi), stems removed
65ml Malay-style soy sauce, preferably Tamin brand
30ml distilled white vinegar
Directions
- In a mortar and pestle, pound the cili padi as fine as possible. Pour in the soy sauce and white vinegar. Mix and taste, then adjust according to preference. The texture of the sambal should be loose, and it should taste sharp but not unbearably sour.
Tips
- Because of the high amount of vinegar, this sambal will keep for months in the fridge. If it dries out, simply add a bit of hot water to loosen it up—it’s not advisable to add more vinegar as it will become overpoweringly sharp.
- Other Malay-style soy sauce brands can be used, like Cap Kipas Udang or Mudim, which usually come in sweet or salty variations (compared to the light/dark/thick varieties of Chinese soy sauces). If using a salty variety, add a little sugar to balance the flavours. If using sweet, add a dash of salt.
