2013年4月21日星期日

阿杂(Nyonya Acar)

 Nyonya Acar is a type of vegetable pickle or salad popular in Malaysia. Made from different vegetables like cucumbers, long beans, carrots, cabbage ,pineapple and is cooked with spicy paste and tamarind juice or vinegar. Ground peanuts and sesame seeds are also added to this salad.



My family used to eat this delicious Nyonya Acar (Nyonya Pickles) once a year,during Chinese New Year reunion dinner.  Here comes the question ,why only  once in a year ? Its  because preparing acar is time consuming and a tedious job. However, today I cook again because I demonstrated to a friend how to cook this Nyonya  Acar.


you need to cut a lot of veggie ,peel a lot of shallots that bring tears to your eye. The worst part is the need to separate the seed in the dry chili which always makes your hand feel  like burning.


Prepare the acar one day ahead of serving  so that the spice paste have enough time to develop its flavor and the vegetables  properly pickled as well. Don't ever serve this on the day it is made or you will be disappointed.


This dish is usually eaten as an accompaniment to a main meal or can be eaten as an appetizer or a snack.


Although the preparing process is tough, but when I see my family members enjoy and appreciate it, I feel is worth to do it.


 Look, how crunchy and yummy it is! Once you've started,it's difficult to stop.

华语版这里
Nyonya Acar
Ingredients :
300g Roasted peanuts (coarsely pounded)
5 tbsp Sesame seeds (toasted)
1tsp turmeric powder
60g  dry chili, seedless and blended into paste
300g shallot,
blended into paste
200g tamarind paste + 500ml water,(make tamarind juice)  


cut into 4cm length:
4 cucumber, remove pith
2 carrot
250g long bean
300g cabbage,cut small pieces
300g pineapple,
cut small pieces
  
150g sugar
6tbsp oil
some salt


Method :


1.  Rub the cucumber with salt. Drain in colander for about 10 to 15 minutes.  Squeeze excess water from cucumbers and set aside.



2.   Heat up oil, saute shallot and dry chili paste till fragrant. Add in turmeric powder continues saute until oil and paste is separated.  Then add in tamarind juice ,sugar and stir well, follow by 1/3 of the peanuts,stir evenly.

3.    Now, add in carrot ,long bean,cucumber,cabbage and pineapple(according to this sequence). Stir after each addition.  Maintain the medium flame until boiling.



4.    Sprinkle  peanut and sesame on top before serve.


Tips:
1.  Before you add in any ingredients, make sure it is dry, to ensure the concentration of the paste. By this way only  you can get the ideal  Nyonya Acar.
 2.  It is important that your vegetables are fresh to ensure crunchiness and be sure to remove the pith of the cucumbers and salt them to remove excess water.





17 条评论:

  1. Acar是一道不错开胃的小吃,我很喜欢。

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    1. 我很喜欢吃的,尤其是要到脆脆的青瓜,
      还有香香的花生芝麻,
      酸辣甜参杂蔬菜味,好吃!

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  2. 我要多多芝麻的,谢谢:)

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  3. 我现在要吃晚餐了。。。。。。快来一大碗。

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    1. 看你kicit-kicit,竟然要一大碗,
      engine蛮吃油一下哦,
      瓦卡卡。。。。。。。。

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  4. Aunty Young, 你的acar看起来好开胃哦!真想坐在你旁边跟你一起分享 :)

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    1. 没问题,可是hor,
      那天我不小心biuo到你妈咪的阿扎,
      看得出好好吃哦,
      嘻。。。。。好料一起分享勒:)

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  5. 哇!!我的最爱,可惜家人都不喜欢。。。

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    1. 朋友,
      看来,我们又多一样共同喜爱的东西。yeah...!

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  6. 安迪漾,做莫你家变成english version了的,哈哈哈
    我还米有适应嘞~ 有button可不可以让我按转台的啊?? 我也喜欢acar,我的妈妈以前做工厂时认识到一班马来安迪的同事,学会很多马来菜,这个acar也是妈妈学会的一个。可是啊,现在的我暂时不能碰生的没煮过的凉拌菜。。。医生交代要严重戒口噢 :(

    我来闻闻味道就好 :)

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  7. 小雨伞,好乖哦,听医生叔叔的话,安迪奖你一颗糖,哈。。。。。。。
    (好了,不玩了,暂时戒口换回健康是必要的,加油!)

    尝试上英文帖子,是为了不谙华语的安哥宋,远在澳洲家人偶尔的温馨安排。尤其这kaya 和 Acar 都是他们的最爱。

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  8. 这道acar如果也变成side dishes,出现在我家的ayam masak merah里,
    我那两位贵宾一定吃到离不开饭桌,哈哈哈哈!

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  9. 这个好吃,但觉得实在麻烦准备,所以都用来买,嘻嘻~
    你准备了好多叻,我不客气地拿大碗来和你一起享用咯!

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  10. Your acar looks very delicious there! In here, we can find acar as a side dishes to go with nasi lemak. I never make it before.

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