Ingredients
Serves 5
5 firm, soft boiled eggs (5 mins), peeled
1 large onion, quartered and finely sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1cm piece fresh ginger, grated
½ tsp turmeric
1 tbsp sambal oelek, or to taste
½ tsp belachan
4 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp tamarind puree or lemon juice
¼ to ½ cup water
1 tbsp sugar
Salt, to taste
Fried shallots, to serve
Method
In a small pan deep fry the eggs until golden. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen pan. In a small amount of the same oil, fry the onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric and belachan until deeply golden. Add sambal oelek and tomato sauce. Stir well and add enough water to make a sauce like consistency. Add salt and sugar to taste. Return eggs to the pan and simmer until eggs are well coated and sauce is slightly reduced.
Sprinkle with fried shallots and serve.
Serve as part of a Malaysian style banquet.
Notes:
Make sure your eggs are firm enough to peel, but hopefully still runny-ish on the inside.
Traditionally the eggs are hard-boiled, but having them soft is an amazing sensation when you bite into them.
Sambal is a condiment popular in South India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the southern Philippines and Sri Lanka, as well as the Netherlands through Indonesian influence, and in Suriname. It is typically made from a variety of peppers, although chilli peppers are the most common. Sambal is used as a condiment or as a side dish, and is sometimes substituted for fresh chillies; it can be very hot for the uninitiated. It is available at exotic food markets or gourmet departments in supermarkets in many countries.