Sambal Matah a la Chef Sem

once, i felt this like crazy: craving for sambal matah. the crispness of the onion, the hotness of the chilis, the lovely smell and pungent taste of lemongrass, the fresh and spiciness of kaffir lime... made me drool. If only i could get any nasi campur and sambal matah now! One has to fly to Bali to get them! Oh Ibu Oka!


So when friends and i went to Cianjur, i saw these scattered on the wooden floor:

- chilies
- onions
- kaffir lime leaves
- lemongrass

suddenly the sun shone through the clouds...

i waited no more and started to cut them into thin fine slices. mixed well, the ingredients were infused with heated oil, fresh from the wok. et voila.....

the smell ...heavenly... it was the best condiment for the fried chicken and fish, sayur asam, and kerupuks we had for lunch. friends loved it too!

did i happen to mention that the floor also served as cutting board?