From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
A southeast Asian condiment made from chile peppers. There are various kinds of sambals, depending upon the ingredients added. For instance, sambal oelek is simply ground chiles, possibly with a bit of sugar and salt. Sambal udang also includes shrimp, and samabl bajak is likely to contain a multitude of ingredients, such as nuts, garlic, galangal and Kaffir lime leaves. Sambals are usually served as an accompaniment to other dishes. Occasionally, the word sambal is used to describe a spicy savory dish.
