Results tagged “southeastasian”

I like it spicy – really spicy. I also have a weakness for all food Southeast Asian, and a big soft spot for most things Indonesian. Sambal Oelek brings the best of both. This pre-prepared sambal (that’s a spicy, flavorful paste, usually chili-based, for those of you not fluent in Indonesian) will save you long precious minutes of peeling, chopping and grinding by hand, but has a flavor bright enough to pass for homemade. The gold label – look for the rooster - contains Indonesian chilis, with a bit of salt and vinegar, ground into a sauce about the same texture as a chunky marinara. The bottle without the label (and the info printed right on the bottle) has garlic, too, for some extra kick. Though I sneak the Oelek into just about everything, this time of year I use it most often in marinades for my bar-b-q kabobs – tofu, eggplant, and mushrooms soak it up the best.