Penang Acar

My contribution during our Kota Kemuning gathering

Penang Acar
1 kg cucumber
500g cabbage
300g long bean (or French beans)
300g carrot
300g cauliflower

1kg groundnuts (toasted and coarsely ground)

100g sesame seeds (toasted)

Grind these rempah ingredients :-
6 stalks lemon grass (serai)
5cm piece of galangal (lengkuas)
5cm piece of fresh tumeric (kunyit)
2.5cm of belacan (optional)
300g shallots
6 pips garlic
30 dried chillies (seeded and soaked)
4 candlenuts

1-1/2 cups oil
2 cups rice vinegar
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 tsp salt

Cut vegetables into 2.5cm lengths,

Remove seeds of cucumber but keep the skin, then toss in one teaspoon of salt and dry the slices under the sun.

Blanch the rest of the vegetables separately in a pan of boiling water with 1 cup of vinegar, starting with cabbage, followed by cauliflower and so on. The vegetables must not be overcooked or else they won’t be crunchy. Drain off the excess water from the vegetables before adding in the sauce.

Fry the grounded ingredients till fragrant or when oil surfaces. Ad vinegar, sugar and salt. Allow to cool for a couple of hours before adding vegetables. Sprinkle groundnuts and sesame seeds.

Best serve after the vegetables has been soaked overnite and kept in the fridge.