SQUASH BALADO
I ate a lot of balado in Indonesia earlier in the year, not with squash, usually with aubergine, and sometimes with tofu. Balado is the spicy bumbu - aka sauce, a sambal that is served with vegetables or protein. It’s spicy, a little sweet, and super moreish.
I’ve been cooking aubergine balado a lot this summer, it was on the menu at our last supper club. As the seasons change and I’m eating all the squash I can get my hands on, I thought this would make a nice seasonal switch. I used crown prince squash in this dish and it really worked. The texture is nice and firm, but almost creamy and it’s not overly sweet, just enough that it compliments the heat from the sambal.
The sambal can be made ahead. It keeps well and freezes well so feel free to make extra for a later date.
serves 4 as a side
Sambal
110g shallot, peeled and halved,
150g red chilli, destemed
40g garlic, peeled
4 kaffir lime leaves
5g / teaspoon salt
30g oil - I use rapeseed oil
60g rapeseed oil - to cook the sambal
20g coconut sugar
4 kaffir lime leaves, deveined and finely sliced
½ crown prince - about 1kg
50g roast and chopped peanuts
Blend the sambal ingredients, until well combined, it doesn’t have to be totally smooth.
Heat a medium deep sided pan or saucepan on medium heat, add the oil and then the paste. Be careful it can spit out. Stir well, when the sambal is bubbling turn the heat down and cook for about 40- 50 minutes, stirring regularly. The sambal should thicken and darken slightly. It shouldn’t have any raw taste to it. This is a long time and it may not need so long, but I always find it takes its time.
While the sambal is cooking preheat oven to 200c.
Stir in the coconut sugar and a good pinch of salt to the sambal, cook, stirring to stop sticking, until the sambal darkens and the oil separates, this will take about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed.
Wash and cut the squash into wedges, keeping the skin, I cut mine into eighths.
In a baking tray that fits the squash snugly, add half the sambal, place the squash on top of the sambal, and then finish with the rest of the sambal. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the squash is cooked through. You can test this with a knife, the knife should easily slide in.
When it’s ready, transfer to a serving dish or serve straight from the baking dish, garnish with crushed peanuts and finely sliced kaffir lime leaves.
