Acar - the Malaysian Vegetable Pickles

 

Malaysians like spicy food, even when it comes to our vegetable pickles. Acar is one such dish, sweet, sour, a bit spicy, lemon grass and tumeric infused vegetable pickles. I got this recipe scripted from my friend, Amelia. 

Amelia’s Acar Recipe

Sambal

1. Lengkus - 1 palm size
2. Shallot - 1 medium bowl (3 times of garlic)
3. garlic - 1/3 of shallot size
4. Dry chillie - 1 rice bowl, cut n soak n boil, throw water n seeds
5. 8 Timeric - medium size
6. 3 stalks lemon grass chop up
7. Sugar
8. Salt
9. 1 handful of Assam Java - so only need little vinegar with 500 ml water
10. Rice Vinegar 
11. Toasted Sesame Seeds (for topping)

Vegetables

12 medium cucumber (not the Japanese cucumber)

1 Large Cabbage

6 Carrots (not too long) 

How to prepare for the sambal :-

• Lengkus - 1 palm size - peeled and chop into slides for easy blending
• Shallot - 1 medium bowl (3 times of garlic)
• garlic - 1/3 of shallot size
• Dry chillie - 1 rice bowl, cut n soak n boil, throw water n seeds
• 8 Timeric - medium size
• 3 stalks lemon grass chop up
• Sugar to taste
• Salt to taste
• 1 handful of Assam Java - so only need little vinegar with 500 ml water
• Rice Vinegar - use sparingly, mostly use Assam Java sourness so that we do not have the sour after taste

Cut up the vegetables in chunks :-

• 12 medium Cucumber soak with salt to get rid of water, squeeze using tea towel to get rid of water
• Cabbage large - cut into big chunk (half the whole cabbage, half both side and then quarter again), salt n water soak, add when boiling water, when tiny bubbles appear, stop. Take out, cold and squeeze out water
• 6 carrots medium - same as cabbage

Note :- with this method, the cabbage and carrots remain as crunchy and not over-cooked. 

Method 

1. Blend the sambal ingredient and stir fry with 1 medium bowl of oil until fragrance.
2. Cool and set aside the sambal.
3. Cut up the vegetables in chunks
4. Mix in the vegetables with the sambal sauce. The vegetable should remain crunchy. 
5. Sprinkle Toasted Sesame