Sambal Kicap

Spice up your tastebuds with the sweet and fiery condiment called Sambal Kicap. A staple in Indonesian, Singaporean and Malaysian kitchens, and once you taste it you'll know why! So easy to make with only 4 ingredients, you'll want to put this on everything!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Authentic - this recipe is the real deal - a family recipe shared by a Javanese grandmother (right beside Malaysia)
• Sweet AND Spicy - the flavor balances perfectly with the thick sweet soya sauce and the fresh chili and garlic
• Exciting New Flavor - this sweet spicy sauce is unlike anything you've tried before - you'll be the first to introduce it to your friends
• Fresh - this easy recipe requires no cooking. Just blend, mix and refrigerate!

Ingredients

• Hot Chili Peppers - use 7 Cayenne Peppers with 3 Birds Eye Peppers (to balance the heat)
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Sweet Soya Sauce - called Kecap Manis
• Citrus Juice - from ½ Lemon, ½ Lime or 2 Calamansi

How to Make Sambal Kicap

1. Prepare - remove stems from chili peppers and peel garlic cloves.
2. Process - place Chili Peppers and Garlic into a food processor and blend until smooth. 
3. Combine - transfer to a glass jar and pour in Sweet Soy Sauce (Kecap Manis). The more you add, the thinner and less spicy the sauce. 
4. Add Citrus - squeeze juice of half a lemon and mix together.
5. Enjoy - and keep refrigerated.

Sambal Kicap Variations

• Sambal Kicap Tumis- sauté shallots, diced tomatoes, chili and garlic
• Sambal Kicap Mangga - finely dice some mango for a tropical spicy twist
• Sambal Kicap Belacan - heat some shrimp paste in a frying pan before adding it to your sauce for a distinctive flavor
• Sambal Kicap Pedas - to make it super spicy, use only Birds Eye Chili Peppers

Recipe Tips and FAQs

• Switch Your Peppers - for a mild spice use a Red Bell Pepper with spicy Chili Pepper to manager the heat, or use a mix of red and green chili peppers
• Adjust Consistency - for a thicker sauce add less Kicap Manis (however this may result in spicier sauce). Adjust to your personal preference
• Personalize - change up the recipe to make it your own by adding lemongrass or ginger
• Keep it Tangy - For extra longevity in the tang- once you have squeezed the Lemon or Calamansi, place a few slices of the squeezed Lemon/Calamansi in the sauce.

Can I Adjust the Spiciness?

Of course. Wear gloves and remove the seeds from chili peppers before blending. Also substituting with chili peppers that are lower on the Scoville Scale will reduce the heat.

What is Kicap Manis?

Kicap Manis is known as a Sweet Soy Sauce that's popular in Southeast Asia. During the brewing process, palm sugar is added resulting with a thicker, salty and sweet caramel flavor.

Best Kicap Manis

Kicap Manis can be harder to find outside of Asia (but Amazon sells everything). The most popular brand is ABC Brand Sweet Soy Sauce. However, Habhal's Sweet Soya Bean Sauce is my favorite, an authentic Malaysian sauce. The balance of umami with sweet and savory is incredible! It's worth the effort to find.

Storage

Place in a glass jar and keep refrigerated. Lasts up to one month if refrigerated.

Serving Ideas for Sambal Kicap

• Seafood - enjoy with Grilled Shrimp or Grilled Fish
• Mee Soto - an Indonesian and Malaysian Chicken Soup
• Dumplings - perfect with every dumpling - even Central Asian Manti
• Fried Tofu - drizzle for a punch of flavor
• Cauliflower Fried Rice - a healthier version of the original
• Noodles - toss into your noodles before serving
• Nasi Goreng - kick up the spice by drizzling over your fried rice
• Stir Fry - perfect with this Zucchini Stir Fry
• Breakfast - drizzle over fried eggs and toss through rice
• Dipping Sauce - you'll want to dip everything into this - meats, noodles and vegetables (even your homemade chicken nuggets)

Sauces You've Got to Try

• Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
• Mango Chili Sauce
• Lazadhzan - Central Asian Chili Oil
• Creamy Sweet Chili Sauce
• Sriracha Mayo

Whether you're celebrating with a feast after Ramadan or just love hot sauces, this Asian Sweet and Spicy Soy Sauce is perfect for dipping, basting, tossing, and marinating. If you haven't tried Kicap Manis, it's worth the effort as this is guaranteed to become your next favorite sweet hot sauce. Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!

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