Sambal is a sharp and spicy chilli paste as popular as it is varied throughout the world. It can be eaten raw as a condiment to accompany grilled fish and meats and it can be cooked to form additional pastes, or simply used as an ingredient where chilli is called for. Sambal ulek (Indonesian) or oelek (Netherlands) takes its name from the process of using a pestle in a crushing and twisting motion.