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Dried Prawn Sambal Recipe made with dry prawns, onions, garlic, chilli flakes, and sesame oil in traditional North Chennai style.

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
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
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.