Condiment
Shrimp paste
Terasi / belacan
Also called terasi, belacan, belachan, kapi
A dense block or paste of salted, fermented, dried tiny shrimp. The deep savoury base of Southeast Asian sambals and spice pastes.
Origin
Coastal Southeast Asia; Indonesian terasi and Malaysian belacan are the best-known forms.
Flavour
Intensely salty and fishy raw; toasted, it turns rounded and savoury.
How it is made
Small shrimp are salted, fermented for weeks, sun-dried and pressed into blocks.
How to use it
Toast a small piece in foil or dry in a pan before pounding into pastes. A teaspoon seasons a wok of rice. Open a window.
Storage
Wrapped tightly in the fridge. Lasts a year or more.
Recipes using it
Nasi goreng
Indonesian fried rice stained with kecap manis, seasoned with shrimp paste and chilli, and finished with a fried egg.
EasyMedium heat
Chilli crab
辣椒螃蟹
Singapore's wok-fried crab in a sweet, tangy tomato-chilli gravy thickened with egg, eaten with fried buns.
MediumMedium heat
Katong laksa
Laksa Katong
Singapore's coconut laksa from the Katong district: thick rice noodles cut short in a rich prawn and coconut gravy, eaten with a spoon.
MediumMedium heat
Asam laksa
Penang's sour fish noodle soup: flaked mackerel in a tamarind broth thick with chilli, lemongrass and torch ginger, over round rice noodles with pineapple, cucumber and mint.
MediumHot
Bicol Express
Pork belly simmered in coconut milk with shrimp paste and a lot of chilli until the sauce reduces and turns oily. Bicol's hot pork, for rice.
EasyHot
Laing
Dried taro leaves simmered slowly in coconut milk with pork, shrimp paste, ginger and chilli until dark, rich and almost dry. Bicol's leafy coconut dish.
EasyMedium heat
Bún riêu
Bún riêu cua
Vietnamese crab and tomato noodle soup: a sour red broth with soft crab-and-pork curds floating on top, fried tofu and rice vermicelli, finished at the table with herbs, lime and shrimp paste.
Medium
