Dried Prawn Sambal Recipe |North Chennai Eral Sambal

Growing up in North Chennai, this Eral Sambal also known as dried prawn sambal recipe was one of our favourite side dishes at home. Whenever this was made, the whole house would be filled with the smell of roasted garlic, onions, and dry prawns. Even today, that aroma brings back a lot of memories.

This is a simple recipe made with dry prawns, onions, garlic, sesame oil, and red chilli flakes. There are no fancy ingredients, but the taste is amazing. A small spoon of this sambal is enough to make a plate of hot rice taste so good.

We usually had it with rasam rice, kootu, dosa, or chapathi. But my favourite combination has always been hot rice with keerai masiyal and a spoon of Eral Sambal on the side. If you have tasted this combination before, you will know how good it is.

Another thing I love about this recipe is that it can be made in a bigger batch and stored. In our home, we always kept a bottle ready. Whenever there was no side dish or when we wanted something spicy with our meal, this sambal would come to the rescue. We used it almost like a pickle.

The secret to a good Eral Sambal is not in adding more ingredients. It is in taking your time. The garlic needs to roast well, the onions should shrink and turn golden, and the dry prawns should be sautéed slowly until everything comes together. The end result is a spicy, flavourful sambal that goes well with even the simplest meal.

What is Eral Sambal?

If you have never tasted Eral Sambal before, think of it as a dry prawn side dish that is packed with flavour. It is made with dry prawns, lots of onions, garlic, red chillies and sesame oil.

The best part about this recipe is that it can be made in a bigger batch and stored. Since it uses a good amount of oil and is cooked until most of the moisture is gone, it stays good for a long time. In our house, there was almost always a bottle of Eral Sambal sitting in the kitchen.

Whenever there was rasam rice, keerai masiyal, curd rice or dosa, we would just take a spoon of sambal and have it on the side. Sometimes that alone was enough to make the meal taste better.

Dry Prawn Sambal Preparation

• Clean the dry prawns thoroughly and wash them well. Drain all the water and let them sit for at least 15 minutes. This helps remove excess moisture before cooking.
• Transfer the drained dry prawns to a blender and pulse for 1–2 seconds. Do not grind them into a fine powder. The prawns should remain coarse in texture.
• Slice the onions thinly and keep them ready. Dry roast the red chillies until aromatic, then grind them into coarse chilli flakes. Keep the garlic cloves unpeeled, as the skin adds flavour while roasting.
• Once all the ingredients are prepared, you can start making the Eral Sambal.

Note : It is perfectly fine if some dry prawns remain whole after pulsing. The texture does not need to be completely uniform.

How to Make Eral Sambal

Step 1: Roast the Garlic

Heat sesame oil in a wide pan and roast the garlic cloves with the skin on until they turn golden brown and fragrant.

Step 2: Saute the Onions

Add the sliced onions and cook until they soften, shrink in size, and start turning golden.

Step 3: Add the Dry Prawns

Add the coarsely crushed dry prawns and sauté for about 10 minutes. This helps remove any remaining moisture from the prawns and allows them to blend well with the onions and garlic.

Step 4: Add the Chilli Flakes

Add the prepared chilli flakes and mix well until they are evenly combined with the prawns and onions.

Tips : I usually make a larger batch of chilli flakes in advance and store them in the refrigerator, so I always have some ready whenever I make Eral Sambal or other recipes.

Step 5: Slow Roast the Sambal

Continue cooking on low to medium flame for 15–20 minutes until the onions, garlic, chillies, and prawns blend together and develop a deep roasted colour.

Step 6: Cool and Store

Allow the sambal to cool completely before transferring it to a clean airtight container.

Serving Suggestions

Here are some of my favourite ways to enjoy Eral Sambal:

• Hot rice with Siru Keerai Masiyal
• Nellikai Rasam rice
• Paruppu Kootu
• Dosa
• Chapathi
• Kanji
• Murungai Keerai Soup with rice

Tips & Variations

• Adjust the number of dried red chillies to suit your spice preference.
• For a smokier flavour, roast the chillies slightly longer on low flame.
• Make a larger batch and store it for future meals.
• Serve with hot rasam rice, keerai masiyal, curd rice, dosa, chapathi, or kanji.

Dried Prawn Sambal Recipe (North Chennai Eral Sambal)

A traditional North Chennai style Eral Sambal made with dry prawns, onions, garlic, chilli flakes, and sesame oil. This flavorful side dish pairs perfectly with rasam rice, keerai masiyal, kootu, dosa, and chapathi.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings: 20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: north chennai, south indian

Calories: 75

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 250 grams dry prawns
• 250 grams onions thinly sliced
• 20 garlic cloves with skin
• 10 Nos dried red chillies
• 5 tablespoons sesame oil gingelly oil

Method

 

1. Clean and wash the dry prawns thoroughly. Drain all the water and let them rest for at least 15 minutes.
2. Transfer the dry prawns to a blender and pulse for 1–2 seconds until coarsely crushed. Do not grind into a fine powder.
3. Dry roast the red chillies until aromatic. Allow them to cool and grind them into coarse chilli flakes.
4. Heat sesame oil in a wide pan over medium flame.
5. Add the garlic cloves with the skin on and roast until they turn golden brown and fragrant.
6. Add the sliced onions and saute until they soften, shrink in size, and begin turning golden.
7. Add the coarsely crushed dry prawns and sauté for about 10 minutes. This helps remove any remaining moisture and allows the prawns to blend well with the onions and garlic.
8. Add the prepared chilli flakes and mix well until evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
9. Continue cooking on low to medium flame for 15–20 minutes, stirring regularly. Slow roasting helps the onions, garlic, chillies, and prawns blend together and develop their signature flavour.
10. Once the sambal becomes dark, dry, and well roasted, switch off the flame.
11. Allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container.

Notes

• Do not grind the dry prawns into a fine powder; a coarse texture works best.
• Use enough oil, as it contributes to both flavour and shelf life.
• Roast the garlic well for the authentic taste.
• Slow roasting is the key to a flavorful Eral Sambal.
• Always use a dry spoon when serving stored sambal.

Don’t worry if a few dry prawns remain whole after pulsing. A slightly uneven texture is completely normal and actually gives the Eral Sambal a better bite and more traditional texture.

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