[2] It is made of shrimp, either peeled or unpeeled, stir-fried in hot and spicy sambal paste in a small amount of cooking oil.

[3] The bumbu (spice mixture) used in sambal shrimp includes shallot, garlic, candlenut, ginger, shrimp paste, turmeric, galangal, and red chili pepper; all mixed and ground with salt and water.

Additionally, bruised lemongrass, daun salam (Indonesian bayleaf), and citrus leaf are then added and stir-fried in cooking oil (usually palm or coconut oil) until the spice mixture releases its aroma.

Additional ingredient might be added, such as green beans and quail eggs,[4] fried diced potato, tofu, or green stinky beans.

[5] Shrimp cooked in sambal chili paste is quite common in various cooking traditions of Indonesia; from Minangkabau (Padang) to Malay, Sundanese, Javanese, Balinese and Manado.