Sri Lankan Dried Shrimp Sambal

Ingredients

125 g/4 oz/1 cup dried shrimp
90 g/3 oz/1 cup desiccated coconut
3 teaspoons chopped red chillies
or sambal ulek
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
185 ml/6 fl oz/3/4 cup lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt or to taste

Directions

Floss prawns in a blender or food processor. Put desiccated coconut in a dry frying pan and toast, stirring constantly, until a rich brown colour. Immediately turn out onto a plate to cool.

Blend chillies, onion, garlic, lime juice and salt to a smooth pur&eacutee in a blender, add coconut and blend again, adding a little water if necessary to produce a smooth paste. Add shrimp floss and blend again, scraping down sides of goblet with a spatula. Serve as a relish with rice and curries.


Recipe excerpted from Encyclopedia of Asian Food by Charmaine Solomon (Periplus Editions, 1998)