Nyonya Acar Awak Recipe(Spicy Mixed Vegetable Pickle) |
Ingredients: |
500 g cucumber, do not peel the skin 300 g cabbage, cut into 3 cm-thick 100 g carrots, cut into 3cm long strips 100 g long beans (snake beans), cut into 3 cm lengths 100 g French beans, cut into 3cm lengths 100 g pineapple, cut into small pieces For scalding vegetables: 600 ml water 400 ml vinegar 2 tablespoons salt 2 tablespoons sugar Spice grind to paste: 50 g dried red chilies (soaked a while until soften) 100 g shallots, peeled 40 g cloves garlic, peeled 15 g fresh turmeric, remove skin 5 g galangal, cut into thin slices 10 g candlenuts 20 g toasted dried shrimp paste (belachan) 1 stalk lemon grass (use only the bottom inner white tender part), cut into thin slices 20 g coriander seeds 100 g peanuts, roasted and pound coarsely 4 tablespoons roasted white sesame seeds 8 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons salt 2 tablespoons vinegar ¾ cup cooking oil |
Method: Quarter the cucumber lengthways and remove the core. Cut into 3cm-long strips. Knead 1 tablespoon salt into the cucumber slices and leave aside to marinate for 1 hour. Wrap the cucumber slices in a clean towel or muslin cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Lay the cucumber slices on a tray and sun for 2-3 hours in order to give the cucumber a nice crunch. For the other vegetables, sun them separately in trays for 1 to 2 hours. Bring water, vinegar, salt and sugar for scalding vegetables to a rapid boil. Blanch the sun-dried vegetables, one type at a time. 2 to 3 seconds for the cucumber and cabbage and 8 to 10 seconds for the rest of the vegetables. Drain vegetables in a colander and leave aside to air dry them while you prepare the paste. Heat the oil in a wok to fry the spice paste until fragrant and aromatic. Season with the 8 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of salt or to taste. Bring to a boil and leave to cool completely before stirring in 2 tablespoons vinegar or to taste. Add in all the drained vegetables and stir to mix well. Serve “Nyonya Acar Awak” or Spicy Mixed Vegetable Pickle garnished with a sprinkling of the pounded peanuts and roasted white sesame seeds. Note: This “acar” or pickle will keep for two weeks in the refrigerator if the ground peanuts has not been mixed in. Best serve “Nyonya Acar Awak” or Spicy Mixed Vegetable Pickle overnight to allow the flavors to develop. If you would like it more spicy, you can also washed and sun dried some bird’s eye chilies to be added together with the vegetables. |
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