sambal

American  

[sahm-bahl] / ˈsɑm bɑl /

noun

1. a condiment or side dish of Indonesia, Malaysia, and southern India, made with any of various ingredients, as vegetables, fish, or coconut, usually seasoned with chile peppers and spices and served with rice and curries.

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Etymology

Origin of sambal

First recorded in 1815–20; from Malay, from Tamil campāl “kind of relish, condiment,” akin to campāram “ingredients for curry,” Telugu sambhāram ”preparation of spices for seasoning,” Marathi sā̃bhar “seasoning for dal,” all ultimately reflecting Prakrit saṃbhārei “(he) garnishes,” Sanskrit saṃbhārayati “(he) causes to be brought together,” derivative with sam- “with, together” ( see syn-) and bhṛ- “to bring, carry, bear” ( see bear ¹)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sambal

Indonesians eat a hot sauce known as sambal made of chilli, garlic, shallots and aromatics with just about every meal.

From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026

The steak fries with sambal mayo weren’t bad, but don’t expect any extra sauces once the show has started — we got none despite multiple requests.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 12, 2024

Mr. Mousa’s red sauce of choice, a spicy sambal, costs $23 a gallon, up from $11.

From New York Times ● Feb. 4, 2024

Huy Fong Foods typically uses about 50,000 tons of chiles a year in producing its three condiments, which also include a chile-garlic sauce and a sambal oelek.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2023

He ate without stopping, mopping up the last of the sambal from the banana leaf with the roti.

From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook