Long beans blister in a hot pan, darkening on the outside while staying firm inside. Sambal belacan brings chili heat and deep shrimp umami; lime and crispy shallots add freshness and texture.
Long beans are firmer and longer than regular green beans, with a juicy bite that holds up well to high-heat cooking. Cut them into pieces about five centimeters long so they’re easy to toss and get color on several sides. You can find the beans at many Asian grocery stores; regular green beans are a handy alternative. They’re a little thicker and may cook slightly faster, so keep an eye on them as they fry. This is a vegetable side dish for the middle of the table, not a big serving of sauce with a few beans in it.
Sambal belacan centers on two bold ingredients: chili and belacan, a fermented shrimp paste used in Malaysian cooking. Belacan is salty and intense, so a small piece adds plenty of flavor. Dry-roasting it briefly softens it and makes it easier to pound; its aroma is strong, but mostly disappears into the dish. Use a mortar and pestle for a coarse, lively sambal, or finely chop the chili with a knife. For less heat, use one red chili and leave out the small hot chili. Don’t simply replace the belacan with soy sauce: it adds salt and umami, but not the same shrimp flavor.
A properly hot wok or large frying pan matters more than extra oil. Cook the beans in batches so they stay in contact with the hot metal and blister instead of steaming until soft. They don’t need to be browned all over: dark spots alongside bright green pieces give exactly the contrast you want. Add the sambal at the end and fry it briefly with the beans. This takes the raw edge off the chili while the beans keep their bite. Take the pan off the heat before adding the lime; the juice keeps the flavor fresh and can evaporate quickly in a hot pan.
Crispy shallots finish the dish with a sweet crunch. Slice the shallots thinly and fry them gently until the edges are golden; they’ll continue to brown a little after you take them out of the oil. Scatter them over the beans just before serving so they stay crisp. Serve the vegetables as a side dish with rice, for example alongside fried tofu, egg, or another mildly flavored dish. For extra freshness, serve lime wedges on the side, but don’t add a garnish that overpowers the simple balance. Once cooled, leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator and reheated thoroughly in a frying pan within two days; the beans and shallots will be less crisp by then.
Heat a small dry frying pan over medium heat. Toast the belacan for about 1 minute, pressing it down and turning it with a spatula. Leave to cool briefly.
Pound the red chilies, small hot chili, and belacan in a mortar and pestle to make a coarse paste. Stir in the lime juice, sugar, and salt.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the shallots for 4–6 minutes until golden and crisp, stirring regularly. Transfer them from the pan and drain on paper towels.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and turn the heat to high. Fry the long beans in two batches, about 2–3 minutes per batch. Toss them occasionally until blistered in several places but still firm.
Return all the beans to the pan. Add the sambal and toss for 30–45 seconds, until the chili is fragrant and the beans are lightly coated. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lime zest.
Arrange the beans on a serving platter and scatter the crispy shallots over them just before serving.
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