Sambal Goreng Daging - meatballs in a spicy creamy sauce with petai and peas

Ingredients

• 350 gminced beef
• 1egg white
• 2Indonesian bay leaves (salam)
• 2 cmgalangal
• 13petai beans
• 50 gpeas
• 500 mlthin coconut milk
• 250 mlthick coconut milk
• 1 tsppalm sugar
• 1 tbspasam water
• 3 tbspoil
• 4shallots
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 6curly red chillies
• 3red lomboks, deseeded
• 1/2 tsppepper
• 1/2 tspterasi (shrimp paste)
• 1 cmturmeric
• 1 cmlesser galangal (kencur)
• 1 tspsalt

Instructions

1. 1

   Shape the meatballs

   Mix the minced beef with the egg white and shape the mixture into small, marble-sized balls.

2. 2

   Make the spice paste

   Pound or grind the shallots, garlic, chillies, pepper, terasi, turmeric, kencur and salt into a paste. Halve the petai beans.

3. 3

   Fry the paste

   Heat the oil in a pan. Add the spice paste, salam leaves and galangal, and fry for 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Cook the meatballs

   Add the meatballs and fry until their colour changes.

5. 5

   Simmer the sauce

   Add the petai, peas, palm sugar and thin coconut milk, then bring the mixture to the boil. Stir in the thick coconut milk and asam water, and cook over low heat until the meatballs are done and the sauce has thickened.

6. 6

   Serve the dish

   Serve once the meatballs are cooked and the sauce is thick.

What is sambal goreng daging?

Sambal goreng refers to an Indonesian style of cooking with a spiced, fried paste, while daging means meat. This version uses small beef meatballs and simmers them in coconut milk with petai and peas.

The dish draws on Indonesian pantry flavours: chillies, aromatics, terasi and galangal. Frying the paste first helps bring its flavours into the oil before the coconut milk goes in.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 1750 calories, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat.

Beef supplies most of the protein, while the coconut milk and oil contribute much of the fat; the peas and palm sugar add some carbohydrates. Serve a measured portion with rice and an extra serving of vegetables to round out the meal.

Building the spice base

Spice paste: grind the shallots, garlic, chillies, pepper, terasi, turmeric, kencur and salt together until they form a paste. A mortar gives a textured result; a grinder can make it smoother.

Aromatics: salam leaves and galangal fry alongside the paste for 5 minutes. Keep the heat moderate enough that the paste fries rather than catches on the pan.

Shaping and cooking the meatballs

Small portions: shape the beef and egg white mixture into marble-sized balls, as directed. Keeping them small helps them cook through during the sauce simmer.

Colour cue: fry the meatballs until their colour changes before adding the other ingredients. The recipe does not specify a separate browning time, so use the colour change as your guide.

Working with two coconut milks

Thin coconut milk: add this first with the petai, peas and palm sugar, then bring the pan to the boil. It gives the ingredients a liquid base in which to simmer.

Thick coconut milk: add it after the first boil, together with the asam water. Keep the pan over low heat as the meatballs finish cooking and the sauce thickens.

Petai and peas

Petai: halve the beans before cooking so they are ready to add to the pan. Their distinctive flavour is a key part of this particular combination.

Peas: add them with the thin coconut milk and palm sugar. The recipe gives no need to cook them separately.

Serving the meatballs

Serve the dish hot once the meatballs are cooked and the coconut sauce has thickened. Plain rice is a practical accompaniment for soaking up the sauce.

For a more complete plate, add a simply cooked vegetable alongside the rice; keep it plain so it does not compete with the spiced sauce.

Recipe notes & tips

• Grind the spice paste thoroughly so it cooks evenly.
• Halve the petai before starting to cook, as the recipe specifies.
• Fry the paste with the salam leaves and galangal for the full 5 minutes.
• Bring the thin coconut milk to the boil before adding the thick coconut milk.
• Keep the final simmer low while the meatballs cook and the sauce thickens.

Variations

• Adjust the heat: use fewer chillies in the paste for a milder sauce.
• Use another mince: substitute minced lamb for the beef while keeping the same method.
• Add vegetables: include extra peas for more vegetables in the sauce.
• Serve with rice: spoon the meatballs and sauce over plain rice.
• Make it smoother: grind the spice paste finely before frying.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the paste-frying stage: fry it with the salam and galangal for 5 minutes before adding the meatballs.
• Adding both coconut milks at once: add the thin milk first and the thick milk after the mixture boils.
• Cooking the final sauce too fiercely: keep it over low heat so it can thicken gently.
• Making oversized meatballs: shape them to marble size as directed so they can cook through in the simmer.
• Stopping before the sauce thickens: continue cooking over low heat until both the meatballs and sauce are ready.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and use within 2 days. Reheat gently in a pan until piping hot, adding a little water if the sauce has become too thick.

Frequently asked questions