Sambal ikan bilis (anchovies sambal) is one of the must have ingredient in the Nasi Lemak (Coconut Milk Rice). Other basic side ingredients were normally comes with fried peanuts, hard boiled eggs or fried eggs, and cucumber.
I prefer to use those whitish big anchovies over those small tiny anchovies. Big anchovies gives a more fragrant & sweeter taste. And do not wash the anchovies as its hard to get it crispy after that.
The below recipe yields half portion of fried anchovies and the other half for use in the anchovies sambal.
Ingredients : (serves 2)
30g Anchovies
1/2 pc Red Onion (thinly slice half ring)
3 tbsp Cooking Oil
2 tsp Brown Sugar
Pinch of salt / to taste
1 tsp Light Soy Sauce
Blend together :
2 slices Ginger (thin slice) 1 pc Red Onion (big) 1 clove Garlic 7 pcs Dried Red Chillies (soaked & deseed)
Step by Step:
1. Blend together red onion, dried chillies, garlic and ginger. Do not add water.
2. Heat up oil in pan. Fry anchovies in medium heat till golden brown & crispy.
3. Dish up & set aside. Once cool down, store then in airtight containers.
4. Using the remaining oil (from frying anchovies), set on low heat, put in blended ingredients in step 1 above.
5. Slowly stir & cook on low heat till oil separates.
6. Add in sliced onion, sugar, salt & soy sauce.
7. Cook till onion soften & ready to dish out & serve.
For spicy prawns in Tomato Chilli Puree recipe , you can refer to my previous recipe link below:
https://cookwithmi.wixsite.com/cookwithmi/single-post/2015/12/23/Spicy-Prawns-in-Tomato-Chilli-Puree
Happy Cooking.