Squid Sambal

* (known as shrimp sauce in China), This is probably the most exotic of these recipes. No country of origin is given, but from the name and the process it must be Indonesian or Malaysian.

This dish has several unusual ingredients for which there are adequate substitutes available. In any case, all the exotic ingredients are available at Chinese grocery.

In a food processor, purse the onion, almonds, chiles and shrimp paste.

In a large, heavy frying pan or a wok, saute the spice paste in oil over low heat. When it turns dark brown, add tamarind water, the lemon, lemon grass and sugar. Saute a minute more, then add the squid. Turn up the heat and cook for 3 minutes, adding water if necessary to keep the sauce from sticking. Remove from heat and serve over rice.

As a main course this dish serves 3; as a side dish, 6 or more.

From "The International Squid Cookbook" by Isaac Cronin, Aris Books, Berkeley, Ca.

ISBN 0-915572-61-3