DURIAN SAMBAL

Here’s a recipe we just could not resist including. An old-style recipe from Sumatra, Durian Sambal takes pride of place among traditional dishes. Combining two potent flavors sounds like a potential disaster, yet the durian adds a delightfully piquant flavor to the heat of the sambal, creating a unique taste experience. The following recipe is from Padang: put the flesh of three very ripe durian seeds in a bottle and store overnight. Finely blend 30g of red chillis. Add four finely sliced shallots and salt. Mix with the fermented durian. Boil some rice. Add one cup of boiled rice water to the sambal durian paste. Steam the paste in a rice cooker until done, and let the taste sensation begin. Ming Chien.