Sunday, February 8, 2026

Malaysian Spicy Eggs: Egg Sambal (Sambal Telur)

Malaysian spicy eggs, made with 4 boiled eggs, a spicy paste and garnished with torch ginger flower.
Sambal - our Malaysian spicy dip, is also a spicy sauce. It is the heartbeat of many Malaysian dishes and truly versatile, comparable to Indonesian sambal (INDONESIAN SPICY EGGS). From simple to more elaborate versions, ingredients can be varied to make your own sambal. The humble egg is loved in Malaysia and beyond, a staple in every household. 

In Malaysian Spicy Eggs, the sambal is the core. The common kitchen staples come alive with home-grown herbs, adding aroma and the benefits they bring to Malaysian food. Options include lemongrass, galangal, curry leaves, kaffir lime leaves, coriander leaves, torch ginger flower, and more (EGG SAMBAL).

Malaysian Egg Sambal, or sambal telur in Bahasa Malaysia, is all about big, bold flavours: spiciness, aroma, umami, and a touch of sourness from lime or tamarind juice. It is not just eggs in sambal - poultry, meat, and seafood can also be added (MALAYSIAN SPICY FISH/FISH SAMBAL). 

 

Leftover sambal can be used for another dish. Once the boiled eggs are eaten, tip the sambal over fried eggs for another meal. Sambal cannot be detached from Malaysian palates; it’s a must in daily meals. No sambal, no Malaysian.

 

The recipe may seem a little tedious, but trust it, the cooking technique is actually very simple, delivering the much-loved Malaysian Egg Sambal.

 

Watch our YouTube Shorts or follow the recipe below.

Ingredients for Malaysian Spicy Eggs
For the Sambal/Spicy Sauce
3 shallots - remove skin and slice
6 garlic cloves - remove skin and slice in half
1 large tomato - sliced
Dried chilli paste (or dried chillies after soaking) - to taste
1 ½ tbsp dried shrimps - soaked and rinsed
1 piece roasted belacan/shrimp paste

 

Other Ingredients

4 boiled eggs

1 torch ginger flower - peel the flower

Oil as needed

Salt to taste

Water as needed

 

Method

How to make Malaysian sambal/spicy sauce

Heat some oil and sweat the garlic, shallots, and tomato.

Add the chilli paste, dried shrimps, and belacan.

Stir and soften for 1 minute.

Remove from heat, cool, and blend.

Set aside.

Ingredients for Malaysian spicy sauce, dried chili paste, tomato, garlic, shallots, dried shrimps and roasted shrimp paste.

Making Malaysian spicy sauce by sauteing shallots, garlic, tomato, dried shrimps and roasted shrimp paste.

Blended Malaysian spicy sauce, made with sauteed tomato, shallots, garlic, dried shrimps and roasted shrimp paste.
How to make spicy egg/sambal telur
Heat some oil.
Add the sambal paste, water, and salt.
Cook to release the aroma.
Add boiled eggs and stir.
Switch off the heat and combine with the torch ginger flower.
Spicy eggs Malaysian style, made with 4 boiled eggs, dried chilies paste, and ginger torch flower.