Fresh Red Chilli Sambal
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and NYT Cooking.
Fresh red chillies pulsed with rice vinegar, salt and a touch of sugar into a coarse, bright paste, finished with lime.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Prepare the chillies. Put on gloves and roughly chop the chillies. Remove some of the seeds if you would like a milder paste.
- 2
Pulse. Tip the chillies, vinegar, salt and sugar into the food processor. Pulse, scraping down the sides, until you have a coarse paste.
- 3
Finish. Stir in the lime juice, taste, and spoon into a clean jar.
- 4
Serve. Serve in small amounts with rice, noodles, fried eggs or grilled chicken, with lime wedges on the side.

Cat tip
Pulse rather than blend: a coarse paste keeps the fresh chilli texture and does not turn watery.
More from the cat
- Use a mix of mild and hot red chillies to control the heat.
- A mortar and pestle gives a more rustic texture.
- Leave for a day to let the flavours mellow.
Storage
Keep in a clean jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- chopping board
- knife
- gloves
- food processor
- spatula
- clean jar
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 10 kcal |
| Protein | 0.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 2.3 g |
| of which sugars | 1.5 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.4 g |
| Fat | 0.1 g |
| of which saturates | 0 g |
| Fibre | 0.3 g |
| Salt | 0.73 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
4 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
