Sambal Be Tongkol: The Balinese Tuna Salad Recipe You'll Crave
Flaked tuna tossed with a bright, fiery raw sambal of shallots, chilli and lime. Sambal be tongkol is fresh, punchy Balinese home cooking at its best.
MyGlob Editorial June 4, 2026 1 min read
Sambal be tongkol is proof that some of Bali's most addictive food is also its simplest. 'Be tongkol' is the local name for tuna or skipjack, and here it is poached or grilled, flaked, and folded through a raw sambal matah-style mixture of finely sliced shallots, chilli, lemongrass and lime. The result sits somewhere between a salad and a relish: zingy, herbaceous and gently fiery, with the rich tuna grounding all that brightness.
Ingredients
- 400 g fresh tuna or skipjack, in one or two thick pieces
- 8 shallots, very thinly sliced
- 4 to 6 bird's eye chillies, finely sliced (adjust to your heat tolerance)
- 2 stalks lemongrass, tender inner part only, very finely sliced
- 4 kaffir lime leaves, stems removed and shredded as finely as possible
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1 teaspoon shrimp paste (terasi), toasted (optional but traditional)
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, plus salt to taste
- Season the tuna with a little salt, then either poach it gently in simmering water for a few minutes or grill it until just cooked through. Let it cool, then flake it into bite-sized pieces, discarding any dark bloodline if you prefer a milder taste.
- In a bowl, combine the sliced shallots, chillies, lemongrass, lime leaves and garlic.
- If using shrimp paste, toast it briefly in a dry pan or wrapped in foil until fragrant, then crumble it into the shallot mixture.
- Warm the coconut oil until just hot, then pour it over the shallot and chilli mixture. This light scalding takes the harsh edge off the raw aromatics while keeping their fresh crunch.
- Add the lime juice and a good pinch of salt, then toss everything together.
- Gently fold in the flaked tuna, taking care not to mash it. Taste and adjust salt, lime and chilli until the balance sings.
- Serve immediately at room temperature, piled alongside hot steamed rice.
Method
- 1This dish is a fixture of Balinese family tables and warungs alike, eaten with a mound of steaming rice. Because nothing is overcooked and the sambal stays raw, the freshness of the ingredients really matters. Below is a home-friendly version that comes together in well under half an hour.
- 2The texture of the shallots is everything in this dish, so slice them as thinly and evenly as you can. A sharp knife and a little patience pay off, giving you that delicate, almost translucent shallot that defines a good sambal matah base.
- 3Pouring warm coconut oil over the raw aromatics is a classic Balinese trick. It mellows the bite of raw garlic and shallot without cooking them, so do not skip it. If you like extra heat, leave some chilli seeds in; for a milder version, remove them.
- 4Sambal be tongkol is best eaten fresh, while the herbs are still vivid and the lime is sharp. It pairs wonderfully with grilled fish or chicken and a simple plate of blanched greens, turning a handful of pantry aromatics into something genuinely memorable.
Sambal be tongkol is a Balinese salad of flaked tuna tossed with a spicy sambal of chillies, shallots, garlic, lime and aromatics. It is fresh, zesty and usually served with steamed rice as a flavorful, protein-rich meal.
- Dish type
- Spicy tuna salad
- Main fish
- Tongkol (mackerel tuna)
- Sambal base
- Chilli, shallot, garlic, lime
- Heat level
- Spicy (adjustable)
- Served with
- Steamed rice
- Sambal be tongkol is a Balinese tuna and sambal salad.
- Tongkol (mackerel tuna) is the traditional fish used.
- A spicy sambal of chilli, shallot and lime flavors it.
- It is fresh, zesty and rich in protein.
- It is typically served with steamed rice.