Sambal terasi

Preparing the ingredients:

1. 1Peel and roughly chop the garlic and shallots.
2. 2Crush the candlenuts.
3. 3Rehydrate the dried red chilies in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes, then drain them.
4. 4Remove the stems from the bird's eye chilies.
5. 5Cut the tomato into wedges.
6. 6Lightly crush the lemongrass stalk.

Preparing the sambal:

1. 7Heat the oil in a saucepan or wok.
2. 8Sauté the shallots, garlic, and candlenuts until lightly golden.
3. 9Add the shrimp paste and continue cooking briefly, stirring.
4. 10Stir in the small bird's eye chilies and dried red chilies, then sauté briefly.
5. 11Blend the mixture until you get the desired texture.
6. 12Put the mixture back in the saucepan.
7. 13Add the bay leaves and lemongrass.
8. 14Sauté over medium heat until the aromas develop and the oil rises to the surface.
9. 15Pour in the water.
10. 16Add the brown sugar, salt, and powdered seasoning.
11. 17Cook over medium heat until the water has completely evaporated and the oil separates from the chili paste again.
12. 18Add the tomato wedges at the end of cooking and continue cooking for a few minutes until tender.
13. 19Remove the lemongrass and bay leaves.
14. 20Let cool before storing in an airtight container.