Squids in Sambal - Seafood Week #2

These squids have been in my freezer for………… 5 months. I bought them before I got to know I was pregs, and after that as you all know I haven’t been cooking for a long time.

So, I finally thawed these and cooked them for dinner. Served them with piping hot nasi lemak. Being the understanding wife (*coughs), I cooked extra rice knowing that dear hubby will definitely ask for seconds. And truly he did. He can never resist my nasi lemak. Hahaha. Hey, not that nasi lemak Seringgit or 20 sen type ok, don’t stain ur brain. If you don’t understand the relation of nasi lemak and a woman, please refer to your Malay friends. It’s equivalent to our Chinese saying of Siao Loong Pau, Cha Siew Pau or Big Pau. Now I guess you know what is the relation of nasi lemak and a woman. Hahahaha!!!

Squids in Sambal
Recipe source: Wendyywy

300gm cleaned squids, cut into rings or whichever way you fancy
10 dried chilli
100gm fresh chilli (mine were really huge ones, so I don’t know how many regular sized ones, they were about the length of a del monte/dole banana)
50gm shallots (5 pieces)
10gm garlic (2 cloves)
7gm belacan (1 pinkie sized piece)
1 tsp tamarind paste (I used Adabi ready to use paste)
2 Tbsp coconut milk
2 Tbsp sugar (might need more)
1.5 tsp salt (don’t put in all first)
1 red onion, sliced
3 Tbsp cooking oil

1. Snip dry chillies into halves and rub them to remove the seeds. Soak the chillies in water for 10 minutes at least.
2. Remove seeds from fresh chillis, peel shallots and garlic.
3. Mill/Grind dried chilli, fresh chilli, shallots, garlic and belacan until fine.
4. Heat a wok and put in cooking oil. Carefully pour in the chilli paste and on medium low heat,
5. Cook until paste is almost dry. Put in coconut milk and cook until the milky colour disappears
6. Put in tamarind paste, salt and sugar. Adjust the taste.
7. Turn heat to high and put in sliced onions and cook until wilted.
8. Put in cleaned squid rings and cook until the squids firm up, it will only take 1 minute. (Take note that squids will release moisture, so do not put in water in the chilli paste earlier on)
9. Dish up and serve.