Singaporean-Malaysian🐟 Seafood

Soft Squid Sambal

Name: Soft Squid Sambal
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Singaporean-Malaysian
Ingredients: 800–1000 g squid; ½ cup cooking oil; 1 stalk lemongrass; 1 shallot, large (roughly sliced, for sautéing); 2 tbsp oyster sauce; ~2-3 tbsp tamarind juice; 1–2 tbsp palm sugar; 1 tbsp sweet soy sauce; ~1 tsp salt; 1 red onion (sliced into rings for garnish); 15–20 dried red chilies; 4 shallots, small; 1 shallot, large; 5 garlic cloves; ½ ginger

⏱ 45 min

A classic Malaysian seafood dish featuring tender squid coated in a thick, fragrant red chili sambal. This recipe emphasizes proper cleaning and cooking techniques to ensure the squid stays tender and doesn't shrink, while the sambal is rich and perfectly coats the seafood.

Adapted from a video by Che Nom

Sambal Sotong Lembut Tak Liat & Tak Kecut – Rahsia Sambal Pekat Melekat

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

squid800–1000 g
cooking oil½ cup
lemongrass1 stalk
shallot, large (roughly sliced, for sautéing)1
oyster sauce2 tbsp
tamarind juiceto taste~2-3 tbspest.
palm sugar1–2 tbsp
sweet soy sauce1 tbsp
saltto taste~1 tspest.
red onion (sliced into rings for garnish)

Steps

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1
Prepare all ingredients. Boil the dried chilies until soft, then remove the seeds. Finely grind them together with the small shallots, large shallot, garlic, and ginger, adding a little water to form a paste.
2
Clean the squid: slowly pull out the head to release the innards, and discard the ink sac and intestinal membrane. Optionally peel off the outer skin. Cut the squid body into rounds about 1 inch thick.
3
Remove the tentacle-like teeth from the squid head and cut into small pieces. If the squid is large, split it in half. Massage the squid with 1 teaspoon of salt for 30–60 seconds until foamy to remove fishiness and slime.
4
Rinse the squid with water until all bubbles disappear and strain dry.
5
Heat the oil in a pan. Once hot, add the chopped lemongrass and roughly sliced shallot. Sauté until fragrant and the onion is wilted but not crispy.
6
Add the finely ground chili paste and stir-fry until the oil separates. Repeat adding water and cooking several more times until the sambal is darker, thicker, and the oil clearly rises.
7
Add the oyster sauce, a little tamarind juice, palm sugar, and sweet soy sauce. Stir well and continue cooking until the sambal is completely dry and crispy with clear oil separation.
8
Season with salt and seasoning powder to taste if desired.
9
Pour the drained squid into hot water until submerged and blanch for just 1 minute. Quickly strain and dry without lingering to avoid overcooking.
10
Add the blanched squid to the dried sambal and stir quickly to coat evenly.
11
Slice the red onion into rings and sprinkle into the sambal. Stir until the onion wilts and then turn off the heat.

Soft Squid Sambal

Ingredients

Steps

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