Acar

This dish is quite laborious but the time taken is well spent as it goes well as an accompaniment to any spicy meal or eaten by itself. Use it as a dip with prawn crackers which is one of the favorites of The Chinese New Year. The vegetables i used are must have but other vegetables like cauliflower, french beans, fresh red and green chillies, whole shallots are good additions.



Ingredients:

Vegetables:

400g cucumber(kirby, japanese or english)
200g cabbage
200g carrot
100g long beans

Vinegar mixture for blanching the vegetables:

300ml vinegar
500ml water
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt

Ground spices :(Blend until it becomes a paste)

8 shallots
4 cloves garlic
2cm piece fresh turmeric root
2cm piece galangal
3 candlenuts
20 dried chillies (soak in hot water)
2 stalks lemon grass
1 tsp roasted belacan

10・5 tbsp roasted pounded peanuts
3 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

4 tbsp oil

Seasoning :

2 tbsp of tamarind(soak with 4 tbsp water and sieved)
5 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp vinegar
salt to taste

Method:

Quarter the cucumber lengthwise without peeling them. Remove its core and cut into1 inch long strips.

Cut long beans into 1 inch length.

Remove the center stem of cabbage and cut them into 1 inch pieces. Tear the leaves into 2 inch squares.

Julienne carrots into fine strips of 1 inch in length.

Bring water, vinegar, sugar and salt to a boil.

Scald the vegetables following the this order:

1. long beans

2. Cucumber

3. Carrots

4. Cabbage

Remove and drain.

The cucumber and cabbage have to be squeezed to rid of as much excess liquid as possible.

Heat the 4 tablespoons oil in a wok and saute the ground spices until aromatic.

Add seasoning and bring to a quick boil, turn off the heat and allow to cool completely.

Add in all the prepared vegetables. Stir to mix and bottle the acar.

Allow the acar to pickle for a day.

Just before serving mix in sesame seeds and roasted pounded ground peanuts

Serves