Acar is a classic Peranakan condiment which is commonly found on the Nyonya dinner table. Nyonya acar, in particular, is very elaborate - much more so than their Malay counterpart. It serves as a good vegetable dish for a party and keeps well in the refrigerator. You can make it in smaller quantities as a side dish for a family meal.
Ingredients :
200g Fresh cucumber cut into 4 lengthwise, seeds removed (Do not peel)
200g Carrot, cut into thin strips
200g Cauliflower or cabbage
200g Long beans or green beans
200g Egg plant or aubergine
6 stalks Shallots, sliced
5 cloves Garlic, sliced
3 pieces Red chilies, seeded and cut into 4 lengthwise
3 tbsp Vegetable oil
2 tbsp Sugar
1/4 cup Peanuts, unsalted and roasted
1/4 cup Sesame seeds
1/4 cup White vinegar
1/4 cup Water
- Salt
Ingredients for Spice Paste
10 pieces Dried chilies, seeded, soaked in warm water till soft and squeezed dry
1 piece Shrimp paste (rosted), approx. 2.5 x 2.5cm cube
4 pieces Candlenuts, smashed
4 cm Fresh turmeric, chopped
1 piece Galangal, chopped (approx. 4cm long)
Method :
* Cut all vegetables into 4 x 1cm strips, except for the cauliflower.
* Put the cucumber strips into a strainer, salt it and place a weight on top and leave it to drain for approx. 30 minutes.
* Heat a saucepan of salted water to boiling point and blanch, in separate batches, the carrots, cauliflower, beans and egg plant for approx. 1 minute.
* Lift out each batch, draining thoroughly then dry them on a kitchen towel, spreading them out to dry further while the cucumbers are draining. When the cucumbers are ready, rinse off the salt and dry them thoroughly with a kitchen towel.
* Prepare the spice paste by pounding the spices. Roughly crush the peanuts and set aside. Dry roast the sesame seeds in pan, cool and set aside.
* Heat oil in a wok and fry the garlic and shallots until golden brown, remove, drain and set aside.
* Fry the spice paste until fragrant, then add the vinegar, sugar and salt and bring to a boil.
* Add the shallots and garlic together with the rest of the vegetables and stir until everything is well mixed. Make sure the vegetables are just cooked through, but still crisp.
* Allow to cool, then mix in the crushed peanuts and sprinkle on the sesame seeds before serving.
HEY PRESTO! GOOD LUCK!
**photos courtesy of Lim Zhuang Li, United Kingdom
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