Sambal (Malaysian Chilli Paste)

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The quintessential Malaysian condiment, sambal is a deeply fragrant, spicy and sweet chilli paste with the added kick of dried shrimp paste that Malaysians chuck on just about everything.

Be it to stir fry vegetables like aubergines, okra or kangkung (water morning glory/water spinach), to intensify meat and fish dishes or as an accompaniment to our favourite hawker staples like nasi lemak, curry laksa, Hokkien mee and prawn mee, sambal is insanely versatile and characterises the Malaysian addiction to all things hot and tasty. A million different "authentic" versions abound depending on who you ask, but after much experimentation I've found that the recipe below is the closest thing to the stuff we find back home.

Whilst purists will insist you can only make a decent version with the traditional pestle and mortar, I see no point in wasting the convenience of my electric blender and have thus far had no complaints :) Feel free to adjust the heat, saltiness or sweetness as desired.

Sambal (Malaysian Chilli Paste)

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Firstly, deseed about 50g-100g dried chillies (basically a big handful, depends on the heat you want) by tearing them in half and letting the seeds fall out. Don't worry if you leave a few in, but shake most of them out or you'll burn your tongue off!

Boil the chillies for 30-45 mins to further reduce the heat. Drain off the liquid and let cool.

Blend to a fine paste:

The prepared chillies above

15 shallots (the tiny red Asian type) or 3 medium cooking onions

20 cloves of garlic

A small handful of whole dried anchovies

1 tsp belacan (dried shrimp paste)

Heat a generous amount of oil in a saucepan or wok, and fry the blended paste over medium-high heat for 10 mins or so until the oil separates (by this, I mean until the paste thickens and visible trace amounts of oil seep from the sides and "separates" from the bulk. This is a crucial step to make sure the spices are fried thoroughly enough and all the moisture is evaporated).

Add and cook a further 5 mins until a darker red:

1/4 cup asam jawa (tamarind juice- soak a large chunk of tamarind pulp in hot water, stir, then strain through a sieve and discard the seeds)

1/3 cup gula melaka (coconut palm sugar) or dark brown sugar

Salt to taste

Let cool completely before using. Stir in whole crispy fried anchovies to make it sambal ikan bilis, serve alongside nasi lemak or any other rice/noodle dish, or use to stir fry vegetables, seafood or meat.

Store in a container in the fridge, or freeze for later use.

Wagamama-Inspired Asian Soy Ginger Vinaigrette

A tangy sour-salty vinaigrette that makes salads absolutely mouthwatering! :) Inspired by Wagamama's famous dressing, I chuck in a dash of sesame oil and a sprinkling of seeds to add a further dimension to its gorgeous Asian flavours (and it just so happens floating sesame seeds look pretty). Have a taste once it's made and add more soy/vinegar/whatever you like to suit your own preference.

Keep refrigerated. Use on everything :)

Wagamama-Inspired Asian Soy Ginger Vinaigrette

Makes 1/2 cup (125ml)

Stir together well to blend and store refrigerated in a jar:

2 small shallots, finely chopped

1 small garlic clove, finely chopped

1" fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1½ tbsp rice vinegar (or other vinegars if you want to change things up)

1 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tbsp water

100ml vegetable oil

2-3 tbsp light soy sauce (depending on how salty you want it)

Dash of sesame oil

Sprinkling of sesame seeds

Easy Peasy Chunky Guacamole

I like my guacamole simple and unadulterated with just a bit of zing- feel free to add or remove anything to suit your taste and increase the recipe as needed.

Serves one

Mash together roughly:

1 ripe avocado (if you are an avocado virgin, please see "Easy Twisty Way of Cutting an Avocado" below)

Good squeeze of lime juice (I used about 1/4 of a lime)

Few sprigs of coriander, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Serve immediately as a dip, topping or spread on anything and everything imaginable.

Other options: a bit of finely chopped jalapeño, serrano or any fresh hot chilli, minced garlic, chopped onion, diced tomatoes, ground cumin, chilli powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, sour cream, even cottage cheese...

Easy Twisty Way of Cutting An Avocado

Cut lengthwise all the way around (working around the seed) and twist the two halves apart.

Tap the blade of your knife so that it's wedged into the seed, and twist to remove.

Spoon the flesh out with a spoon.

Thai Green Chicken Curry

Fresh coriander, lemongrass, spring onions, chillies, garlic, shrimp paste (belacan)... chuck together and blitz for an incomparably punchy and aromatic paste that characterises the gorgeous spicy flavours of Asian cuisine, and then cook with chicken and coconut milk for a beautiful rich Thai green curry. Perfect served hot with Thai Pineapple Fried Rice and Seafood Kerabu.

Blend until smooth:

6 small fresh birdseye chillies

2 cloves garlic

3 stalks spring onions

2 stalks lemongrass, chopped

Generous handful fresh coriander

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp water

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp shrimp paste (belacan-sold in tubs/blocks, a dark brown dry substance which you'll find very stinky if you are not familiar with it, but crucial for the correct flavour)

To Cook:

Dry fry the paste on high heat without oil until fragrant.

Add 1 kg chicken pieces- I like to use thighs and drumsticks. Stir until covered in paste, then lower heat, cover and simmer for about 30-40 mins or until cooked. Add a bit of water if necessary.

Add 200g long green beans, chopped. Cook a further 5-10 mins.

Stir in 1 cup (250ml) coconut cream quickly until sauce thickens and turn off heat. Do not overheat as curry will become too oily.

Serve immediately.

Homemade Pesto

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If you like pesto and have been buying it in supermarkets, stop now. There isn't a single ready-made jar on the market, no matter how well-known the brand or premium the range that can even come close to the flavour of one you freshly blitzed yourself. I swear to you I am not exaggerating; my pesto-lover friend Daniel has never looked back after trying this recipe, and even makes his own reddish-brown version with sundried tomatoes.

Chuck it all into a blender/food processor and press "on". That's all it takes.

Blitz to a smooth puree:

50g (2oz) fresh basil leaves

1 large garlic clove, crushed

1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Dash of salt

25g (1oz) Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (substitute with Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano) or Grana Padano if unavailable)

Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Delicious stirred into pasta, roasted with chicken, grilled on bread with melted cheese for amazing toasties, tossed with salad and olive oil as a herby dressing...