| Udang balado | |
| Alternate Name: | Sambal goreng udang |
| Country: | Indonesia[1] |
| Course: | Main course |
| Served: | Hot |
| Main Ingredient: | Shrimp (peeled or unpeeled) in hot and spicy sambal spice mixture with a lot of red chili pepper |
Udang balado or sambal goreng udang is a hot and spicy shrimp dish commonly found in Indonesian cuisine.[2] It is made of shrimp, either peeled or unpeeled, stir-fried in hot and spicy sambal paste in a small amount of cooking oil.[3]
The bumbu (spice mixture) used in sambal shrimp includes shallot, garlic, candlenut, ginger, shrimp paste, turmeric, galangal, and red chili pepper; all mixed and ground with salt and water. Additionally, bruised lemongrass, daun salam (Indonesian bayleaf), and citrus leaf are then added and stir-fried in cooking oil (usually palm or coconut oil) until the spice mixture releases its aroma. The cleaned shrimps, either with or without the peel, are stir-fried together until they are cooked. Additional ingredient might be added, such as green beans and quail eggs,[4] fried diced potato, tofu, or green stinky beans.[5]
Shrimp cooked in sambal chili paste is quite common in various cooking traditions of Indonesia; from Minangkabau (Padang) to Malay, Sundanese, Javanese, Balinese and Manado. In Minangkabau tradition it is known as balado udang and considered as one variant of the spicy balado dishes.[6]