Sambal Rujak (Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce)

Rujak Buah, which is a fruit salad with spicy peanut sauce, is a popular street food in Jakarta. Vendors can often be found with their carts nearby schools and office buildings. I forget exactly how I was introduced to Sambal Rujak. I think RS had some that we tried with some fruit.  I must’ve liked it because after we returned from Indonesia, I made some. I always joke that there’s a rule about shopping for food in Doha: Be prepared to visit at least three supermarkets as you hunt down the ingredients.  To be fair, I’m always cooking foreign food of some sort which often requires ingredients not readily available at the big grocers. Luckily, there’s an excellent small Indonesian supermarket where I can usually get more obscure ingredients.

In this case, the big challenge was getting peanuts that still had their skins intact. It took a couple of trips around Doha, but we eventually found them. This recipe is great because not only is Sambal Rujak very easy to make, but it’ll last a week or so in the fridge, so you don’t have to use it all at once. You can use a little whenever you’re enjoying a bit of fruit.  Apples, pineapple, mangoes, and papaya all taste great with Sambal Rujak. As such, it works well as a work-day or school day snack.

Sambal Rujak (Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce)
Ingredients 200 g peanuts (skin should be on them) 4 red bird-eye chilli peppers 3 Tbsp tamarind juice Fruits 2 apples, cored and cut into wedges 1/2 pineapple, cored and cut into cubes 1/2 papaya, cored, skinned and cut into cubes 2 young mangoes, peeled and cut into thick slices Heat oil to about 350°F and fry the peanuts until fragrant, for about 2-3 minutes.  Transfer the peanuts to a bowl lined with a couple of paper towel to let the excess oil drain. Traditionally, the peanuts, chillis, sugar, and tamarind juice can be ground together using a mortar and pestle to make the sambal (paste).  Otherwise, use a food processor to blend the ingredients.  If the resulting sambal is too thick, mix in a tablespoon of hot water to make it thinner. If you’re making this for a group, the combination of fruit listed above will make a visually appealing fruit platter. However, if you’re making it for snacks, just cut up the fruit you wish to eat and scoop a little bit of the sambal into a bowl for dipping. Enjoy!