This is not a piece in praise of delicate eating. Let's face it – belachan is not a pretty food. Rather, it goes right to the top of the list of Things That Smell Unpleasant But Taste Divine, along with odorous edibles such as durian, smelly tofu and chinchalok (fermented shrimp sauce).
Belachan (pronounced “bah-la-chahn”), also spelled blachan and balachan, is a popular flavoring in the spicy cuisines of Malaysia , Indonesia , Singapore and Burma . It is made from shrimp or sardines and other small salted fish that have been allowed to ferment in the sun until very pungent and odorous. The mixture is then mashed and in some cases dried.
Belachan is available in paste, powder or cake form. Commonly used to flavor Malay and Nonya curries, chillies and sambals, the belachan sold locally usually comes in firm blocks and must be cut into cubes or slices. Once opened, store in a tightly closed jar or in the refrigerator.
Squat, lumpish and an unappetizing dull dark brown, belachan will never be the Miss Universe of the food world. A miss Personality, perhaps.
In a hands of a good cook, it can work wonders, adding a deeper, darker, richer note to the dish. Belachan in roasted and ground along with other herbs and spieces in many recipes, for seafood, beef, pork, poultry or vegetable. A sambal of ground fresh chilies and a squeeze of lime is a fine accompaniment to a meal, but a bit of belachan makes it near sublime.
Belachan must always be cooked before being eaten, and since it is usually part of the spice base, it is fried as preliminary step to preparing a dish. However, if the other ingredients are to be eaten fresh and raw, the belachan is usually grilled or toasted. The best way to do this without stinking up the whole house is to wrap a small square of belachan in foil, folding in the edges to cover it completely; grill at 180ºC for two or three minutes, then turn and repeat.
Where belachan in concerned, a tiny square is all you need, for a subtle hint of flavor. Sometimes, a knock-out effect is called for, for instance, in the Burmese sambal known as ngapi htaung. This roasted shrimp paste relish, which comprises belachan, onions, garlic, dried shrimp floss, chili powder and lemon juice blended until smooth, is best eaten with copious amounts of boiled white rice and ice cold beer.
A favorite Malay dish is sambal petai, which pairs belachan with the equally pungent petai (a ‘stinky' green bean that grows in the wild), a heavenly match to some and quite unbearable to others.
If you appreciate strong, hearty flavors, the A-B-C combination is also quite tasty: it is essentially a dry sambal made with dried Anchovies (ikan bilis), Belachan and red Chilies.
Apart from traditional dishes, belachan also translates well to modern – not necessarily Asian – table, appearing in full-bodied dips for crudités, robust dressings for noodles and spicy pastes for deep-fries. It also works well in crisp, crunchy, contemporary salads – try coarsely chopped cucumber, celery, Chinese parsley, fresh lime juice, a square of roasted belachan and fresh red chilies. For what is the humble, ubiquitous rojak, if not a plain fruit-and-veggie salad made bold with belachan's presence and a dash of black shrimp sauce?
Remember, a little belachan goes a long way. But, a word of advice: don't trust that nose. For when it comes to Things That Smell Unpleasant But Taste Divine, what smells bad may taste good.
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