PREPARATION

1. Prep the dried chillies by using a pair of scissors. Snip the chillies into 2cm pieces into a large bowl. Using a gloved hand, gently shake the chilli pieces so that the seeds fall out and gather at the bottom of the bowl. Pour hot water into the bowl and let it soak for about 5 minutes, then use a strainer or tongs to remove the now-soaked chilli pieces and place into a blender.
2. Slice larger pieces of the onions into half, then add the whole 500g of onions into the blender with the chillies, along with the candlenuts.
3. Blend until it becomes an even paste.

COOKING

1. Heat a wok over low heat and add the vegetable oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer (about 2 minutes), add all the contents of the blender into the wok. Stir evenly.
2. Cook for about 45 minutes. Stir the sambal at least every 5 minutes to ensure it does not burn. The chillies will turn from bright red to a deep maroon as the onion juices evaporate and the sambal begins to caramelise.
3. Once the oil has separated (pecah minyak), the sambal is ready.

• Water is not mandatory while blending the paste, but if the mixture is not blending as smoothly, add 125ml of water at a time and keep blending until it is even. Add just enough to mix; do not add too much water as this will increase your cooking time.
• Sambal tempra is base of many Eurasian sambals including sambal tambrinyu which can be made with 3 tbsp of sambal tempra, 1/2 cup of tamarind water, and salt and sugar to taste. Sambal tambrinyu can be used as a topping on fried fish, and steamed or grilled vegetables.
• Sambal tempra can also be used for prawn or ikan bilis sambal, and sambal petai.