Asian

Acar

Name: Acar
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 150 g cucumber; 60 g carrot; 60 g white cabbage; 40 g long beans; 30 g small shallots; 1 red chilli; 2 candlenuts; 1 clove garlic; 15 g shallot; 2 dried red chillies; 1 tsp fresh turmeric; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 75 ml white vinegar; 1.5 tbsp sugar; 1 tsp salt; 20 g roasted peanuts; 100 ml water; 1 tsp sesame seeds

A tangy Indonesian pickle of crisp cucumber, carrot, cabbage and long beans tossed in a fried turmeric-candlenut rempah with vinegar and palm-sweet syrup, finished with crushed peanuts and sesame. Eaten cold alongside rice, satay or fried fish.

Sides Vegan 8g+ fibre

45 min30 prep · 15 cookMedium624 kcalper serving

Method

Put 2 dried red chillies in a small bowl, cover with hot water and leave to soak for 15 minutes until soft and pliable, then drain.
Cut 150 g of deseeded cucumber and 60 g of carrot into batons about 5 cm long and 1 cm thick. Cut 60 g of white cabbage into 3 cm pieces and 40 g of long beans into 4 cm lengths. Peel 30 g of small shallots, halving any large ones, and split 1 fresh red chilli lengthways.
Toss the cucumber and carrot batons with 0.5 tsp salt in a colander and leave to drain for 20 minutes. Rinse quickly, squeeze gently and pat thoroughly dry with a cloth — this keeps the pickle crunchy.
Pound the drained chillies with 2 candlenuts, 1 clove garlic, 15 g shallot and 1 tsp grated fresh turmeric in a mortar (or blitz in a small processor with a splash of water) to a smooth rempah.