Terong Saus Terasi - Eggplant with Spicy Shrimp Paste
Sauté eggplants in a savory and spicy Indonesian shrimp paste (terasi) sauce. Use this versatile and umami-rich sauce with fried tofu or your favorite greens.
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 medium-sized eggplants (about 750 gram or 1 1/2 lb. total) (Note 1)
- 4 tablespoon oil
- 5 kaffir lime leaves, remove the ribs
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced (for garnish, optional)
- 15 dried red chilies (Indonesian: cabe merah kering), seeded and soaked in hot water to soften
- 75 gram shallot (Indonesian: bawang merah)
- 5 cloves garlic (Indonesian: bawang putih)
- 1 tablespoon shrimp paste (Indonesian: terasi; Malaysian/Singaporean: belacan), toasted
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the eggplants: Cut eggplant into wedges, and soak in a mixing bowl filled with 2 quarts (8 cups) of water and 1/3 cup of salt for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
- 2
Fry the eggplants: Heat a wok over medium-high heat until hot, then add 4 tablespoons of oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add eggplant wedges into the wok sear until golden brown. Set aside.
- 3
Cook the eggplant dish: Lower the heat to a medium, there should be some oil left in the wok, but if there isn’t, add a little more oil so it comes to about 2 tablespoons. Add the spice paste and kaffir lime leaves and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- 4
Add tomato, salt, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until tomato wilts.
- 5
Return fried eggplants into the wok and turn up the heat to medium-high. Once it boils, reduce the heat to a medium and cook until eggplant is soft and tender, and the sauce has reduced.
- 6
Garnish and serve: Turn off the heat. Transfer the dish to a serving plate and garnish with thinly sliced scallions.