1 C dried chilies

1 medium size brown onion

5 garlic

5 candlenuts

2 thumb size Belacan / shrimp paste / terasi

1 thumb size Tamarind paste

2-3 tbsp water

46 g coconut sugar or palm sugar - grated, crushed or shaved

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp (or to taste) chicken seasoning powder

~ Asian groceries sell variety of Dried Chilies that are packed in different sizes. It ranges from mildest to hottest. We usually get two big bags, the mildest and the hottest

~ In most of my Asian recipes, i combine these two types, 1/3 of the hottest ones and the rest is the mild type. Adjust your preferred heat accordingly. Experiment and know your chillies

~ The mildest one is needed for the paste and the hottest one is, of course, for the heat

~ It’s best to check the label before buying. Most labels do include the level of heat of their packed chillies from mild to EXTRA HOT

~ Tamarind is available in most, if not all, Asian groceries. It comes in a block of pulp with either seeds or seedless and also in a jar/container of concentrated thick paste

~ We prefer the seedless tamarind paste that comes in a block. Soak a thumb-size in hot water, then push the pulp through a sieve and discard any fibers and broken seeds

~ Coconut sugar is added for its flavour. It’s available from Asian groceries and labeled as Coconut Sugar

~ A packet of Pure Coconut Sugar comes with small blocks that usually weigh around 46g - 50g

~ Unlike Palm Sugar, a block of Pure Coconut Sugar melt easily when expose to heat and it’s fairly easy to crush, shave or grate