Sambal oelek is a red chilli paste popular as a base for many Indonesian, Malaysian and Sri Lankan dishes. ‘Oelek’ is the Dutch spelling of the word ‘ulek’, a stoneware pestle traditionally used to make this chilli paste; and 'sambal' just means sauce. Sambal oelek brings an enjoyable heat and depth of flavour to marinades and is a great addition to seafood sauces. Sambal oelek is a very important ingredient in Malaysian dishes – with dishes ranging from sambal-stuffed fish to sambal squid, sambal eggs and sambal beans.