Belacan or Shrimp Paste is made from fermented ground shrimp, sun dried and sold as a cooking ingredient in South east Asia. Find out how to use it in recipes.
1TbspShrimp paste as called for in the recipe you're making
Instructions
Place the shrimp paste in a small frying pan on medium-low heat to roast.
Flatten it as much as you can to get as much of the surface area roasted as possible. Scrape off bits that stick on your spatula and add back to the pan.
Roast it on the medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. You'll start getting a really strong odour, and when you think you can't take it anymore, it's done! But seriously, if you're not sure, give it 10 minutes, keeping a close eye on it, take it off before it burns, when it looks nicely charred, and is a lighter brown than the uncooked paste.