Category Archives: Sawsawan

Sambal

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Chopped ingredients

Sambal is a Southeast Asian condiment, a sauce, an appetizer, or an accompaniment to rice or viands. And because it’s hot and spicy, it’s something I have dearly adopted. I have learned to prepare sambal in Yogyakarta through Made, a Balinese cook.

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Shrimp paste

There are several variations of sambal, and one can modify the proportions of certain ingredient to suit one’s taste. In a nutshell, here’s the process: chop shallots, garlic, chili peppers, and tomatoes, you may crush all together with a squeeze of calamansi juice, then saute everything with belacan (shrimp paste) in a small amount of oil. You’re done if you feel the urge to sneeze.

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Not the saucy version as I didn’t crush the ingredients. Perfect accompaniment to my weekend lunch of fried eggplant and fried fish

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Here’s Made, the Balinese cook

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Made’s recipes in our cooking class can be found inside this Javanese cookbook

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Here’s Made again

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Front cover of the cookbook. A souvenir from my Jogja trip

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Bignay Vinegar

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I used to eat bignay (the fruit) with salt in my hometown and Hiligaynons call it bugnay. Now I’m using bignay vinegar as dipping sauce. It’s masarap thanks to the enterprising neighbor who makes wine and vinegar out of bignay.

Sawsawan Ritual

Crushing of sili in toyo with calamansi juice extract is a Filipino pre-meal ritual.
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Sinamak

Bacolod king of sawsawan (dipping sauce).

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Chilis, ginger, garlic added to cane vinegar aka sinamak is ever present in all chicken inasal place

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At Michael's Eatery

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Libertad Public Market

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