Indonesian · sauce/condiment

Sambal Matah (Balinese Raw Shallot and Lemongrass Sambal)

Sambal Matah (Balinese Raw Shallot and Lemongrass Sambal) reads citrus 6.4, sourness 5.9 and salinity 5.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indonesian sauce/condiment, about 47 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.6 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 1.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 8.2 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 0.7 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.4 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.3 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 6.4 · Sourness 5.9 · Salinity 5.2 · Umami 5.1 · Marine & Briny 5.1 · Richness 4.7 · Funk & Ferment 4.5 · Allium 3.6 · Heat 3.2 · Herbaceous 2.8 · Nutty 2.3 · Floral 1.8 · Sweetness 1.4 · Warm Spice 1.2 · Bitterness 0.7 · Fruity 0.6 · Earthy 0.6

What's in it (8)

• shallots — 200 g
• lemongrass — 160 g
• red bird's eye chillies — 35 g
• kaffir lime leaves — 3 g
• shrimp paste — 7 g
• coconut oil — 92 g
• lime juice — 30 g
• salt — 5 g

Time & effort: about 47 min (26 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 183.9 kcal, 1.2 g protein, 17.2 g fat, 6.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (6 steps)

1. Slice everything as finely as you possibly can, by hand and with a sharp knife. Matah means raw, and since nothing here is cooked, the knife work is the entire technique: thick shallot rings taste harsh and thick lemongrass is inedibly woody. Use only the pale bottom third of each lemongrass stalk.
2. Toast the terasi. Wrap it in foil and press it in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 minutes a side, or hold it on a fork over a gas flame until it smells sharply of the sea and crumbles easily. Raw terasi tastes muddy and its rawness is obvious in an uncooked sambal.
3. Crumble the toasted terasi into a bowl and mash it into the salt with the back of a spoon.
4. Add the shallots, lemongrass, chillies and kaffir lime threads and rub everything together with your fingertips for a full minute. Rubbing rather than stirring bruises the shallots just enough to release their juice and distributes the terasi evenly.
5. Heat the coconut oil until it is hot but not smoking, about 1 minute, and pour it straight over the mixture. It will hiss and the smell will bloom immediately. This is the only heat in the dish and it half-cooks the shallots without softening them.
6. Stir in the lime juice, taste for salt, and leave 20 minutes for the flavours to marry. Serve at room temperature with grilled fish, ayam betutu or plain rice. It is best on the day it is made and loses its lift after about 8 hours in the fridge.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Grilled Thai Coconut-Lime Shrimp Skewers — Thai
• Ceviche Nikkei de Atún — Peruvian
• Shrimp and Poblano Tacos with Lime Crema — Mexican
• Greek-Style Grilled Tuna Steaks with Lemon-Oregano Oil — Greek
• Larb Moo (Pork Larb) — Thai

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.