Sambal Terong Balado (Indonesian Sambal Eggplant)
Bold, savory and spicy, this sambal terong balado, or sambal eggplant will definitely leave your tastebuds tingling! The eggplants are steamed instead of fried to make this Indonesian dish healthier and lighter. Easy to make and is ready in 30 minutes.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 53kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chinese eggplant *
- 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 2 red chilies roughly chopped (deseed to make it less spicy) **
- 2 medium shallots roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or other granulated sweetener
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Prepare eggplant by quartering them lengthwise, then slicing them into 3 inches pieces.1 lb Chinese eggplant
- Now, you can either steam eggplant on stove or in the Instant pot. To steam eggplants on stove - Bring a pot of water to a boil, then fit in steaming basket. Add in eggplant pieces and let it steam for 10-15 minutes, or until they are tender. Set aside.To cook eggplants in Instant pot - Place a cup of water into the inner pot and insert in a collapsible steaming basket. Seal and let it cook at high pressure for 1 minute for a chewy eggplant, or 2 minutes if you like yours to be softer. After timer goes off, quick release the pressure. Set aside for later use.
- In a food processor, place in garlic, chilies, shallots, sugar and salt. Process until smooth.2 red chilies , 3 cloves garlic, 2 medium shallots , 1 teaspoon coconut sugar , 1 teaspoon salt
- Heat up a tablespoon of neutral-tasting oil non-stick wok or pan. Fry chili paste until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in cooked eggplants and remove from heat. Give it a taste and add more salt, if needed.
Notes
*Eggplant - Use Chinese or Japanese variety if possible. They tend to be less bitter and more flavorful than regular ones. If using regular ones, I recommend soaking them in saltwater for at least 30 minutes before using them to remove some of their bitterness.
**Chilies - To reduce spice level, deseed chilies before using. Or, reduce chilies used to 1.
Oil-free - Omit oil and fry chili paste in a good non-stick pan.
Helpful tips
- To make this sambal eggplant less spicy, deseeded the chilies. Or, you could reduce the number of chilies used to 1.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for 2-3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 53kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 590mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 241IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
