Sambal Oelek

Pull the stems off the chillies and boil them for 5 minutes to soften them, then drain well. This lets them grind easily and helps the sambal keep.

Pound them in a mortar with the salt, or pulse in a processor. Oelek means to grind, and the texture should stay coarse — never a smooth purée.

For sambal terasi, toast the shrimp paste in a dry pan for 1 minute until it smells sharp, then pound it in with the chillies.

Peel and crush the garlic, if using, and add it with the sugar and the vinegar, working them through.

Fry the sambal in the oil over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and the oil separates out. For raw sambal, skip the frying, keep it in the fridge and eat it within 3 days.

Cool and store in a clean jar under a film of oil. Fried, it keeps for a month in the fridge.