Craving Malaysian Chicken Sambal? Try This Easy Recipe With Simple Ingredients At Home

Learn how to make Malaysian chicken sambal at home with this easy step-by-step recipe. Tender chicken is cooked with a spicy, aromatic sambal for a bold and flavourful Malaysian-style meal.

What is Chicken Sambal?

Chicken Sambal is a super popular dish in Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia. It has a unique flavour profile—spicy from chillies, tangy from tamarind, and a hint of sweetness from palm sugar. Its deep red masala and amazing aroma make it totally different from our usual Indian chicken curries. Here's how you can make it perfectly at home.

Main Ingredients You'll Need:

Here's what you need:

• Chicken: 500 grams (cut into small pieces)
• Dried red chillies: 10 to 12 (seeds removed)
• Shallots: 15 (or 2 large onions)
• Garlic: 8 cloves
• Ginger: 1-inch piece
• Thick tamarind paste: 2 tablespoons
• Palm sugar or jaggery: 1 teaspoon
• Kaffir Lime Leaves: 3 (torn)
• Cooking oil: 4 tablespoons
• Salt and turmeric powder: as needed

Making the Special Sambal Paste

• First, soak the dried red chillies in hot water for 15 minutes and drain.
• Then, put them in a mixer with shallots, garlic, and ginger.
• Grind them into a coarse paste without adding too much water. A smooth paste won't give you that authentic sambal texture.
• For an extra kick, you can add half a teaspoon of lightly roasted shrimp paste (Belacan).

How to Perfectly Fry the Chicken:

• Take the chicken pieces and marinate them with a little turmeric powder and salt for 15 minutes.
• Next, heat some oil in a pan and fry the chicken until it's about 70% cooked and lightly golden. Don't cook it fully.

This trick keeps the chicken juicy and helps it soak up the masala better later on.

The Art of Sautéing the Masala

• In the same oil, add the chilli paste you prepared and sauté it on medium heat. You need to be patient here.
• Keep sautéing until the raw smell of the chillies is completely gone and you see the oil separating from the masala.

This step is what gives the sambal its signature colour and taste.

Balancing the Flavours

Once the oil separates, add the thick tamarind paste, palm sugar, and salt to taste.

The magic of sambal comes from the perfect balance of three flavours: the spice from the chillies, the tang from the tamarind, and the slight sweetness from the sugar. When you add the Kaffir lime leaves, your kitchen will start smelling like a Southeast Asian restaurant!

Final Touches and Serving

Now, add the fried chicken pieces to the masala. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and let it cook for 5 minutes. This allows the chicken to absorb all the amazing flavours. Before serving, you can squeeze a little lime juice on top. This Chicken Sambal tastes incredible with hot coconut milk rice (Nasi Lemak), ghee rice, fried rice, and even chapatis!