Home Made Indonesian Rojak Sauce

I love rojak! all types really - Penang (with the prawn paste sauce), Indian (with the kari sauce) and Indonesian (gado-gado with the peanut sauce). I'm not sure what it really is with me and rojak, although I do remember when I was younger, and even now, my parents used to takeaway Penang rojak and we would sit around the table all digging into the rojak. They tapau-ed both the Penang and Indian style rojaks.

So, actually it's not just me, but what my whole family who has this love for rojak :). It is even more special because the husband does not share the same enthusiasm for rojak *yawn*. He does not understand why on some afternoons, one needs to drive out into the hot Malaysian sun looking for rojak to eat *bleah*. Anyhow, I recently found out that Indonesian rojak sauce, no, not the gado-gado type, is actually like the Penang rojak sauce, but without the prawn paste. I mentioned it to my maid one day and she said she could make it! (have I ever mentioned that she's heaven sent?) Indonesian rojak sauce was ideal for those who wanted the same taste but didn't or couldn't take the prawns.

It's mainly made with sambal, tamarind and gula melaka for that thick goo-ey spicy sweet yummy sauce. So, I stepped into the kitchen just the other day to kepoh what she was cooking and she said ROJAK SAUCE :). I was delighted as I had just been thinking of asking her to make some to try.

Here's the finished product:

  

▲ home made Indonesian rojak sauce - super yum! pictured here with pieces of pomelo

(looking at the pictures now make me salivate for some rojak sauce already)

Conclusion: was good and it ranks on the 'will-make-you-cry' end of the spicy scale but shiok nonetheless... eating it is somewhat akinned to some form of sado-masochistic torture, cause you are in some sort of pain with the spiciness (guarantee you will not stop hissing), but yet you keep wanting more. Have put aside some for S to try so that I can get her verdict, but she has yet to find some time in her busy schedule to pick it up or for me to drop it off at her place.

▲ the ingredients for sambal which maid 

also made on the same day - no picture of 

ready-to-serve sambal but that is yummy!

PS - oh yes - my maid makes gado gado sauce from scratch too! that might make its appearance on another post!