Vegetarian Pickled Mixed Vegetables [Acar Awak] 2013

It's Nine Emperor Gods Festival [Kew Ong Yeah] which starts today 5th till 13th October for 9 days.  I made this pickled mixed vegetables again.  I think, I skipped this dish last year cos' the family was in mourning of our beloved father then.    This time I have replaced long beans with french beans.  The idea came from a lady at the wet market who told me that french beans stay crunchy and taste better in this acar.  Look up this post [here] for the recipe with long beans.

Cut vegetables before blanching

Ingredients for the Chilli Paste [combine together]

200 gm chilli paste

100 gm grounded lemongrass

50 gm grounded galangal

50 gm tumeric paste [tumeric powder mix with water]

30 gm grounded candlenuts [buah keras]

2 kg cucumber - cut 1 inch length thin strips - season with some salt, set aside

1/2 kg cabbage - break into bite size pieces

1/2 kg carrots - cut 1 inch length thin strips

1/2 kg french beans - cut 1 inch length pieces [replacing long beans]

200 gm grounded peanuts

3-4 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

200 gm sugar

2 tsp salt

1.5 ml water and 200 ml white vinegar
150  ml oil

Blanched vegetables and chilli paste

1. Season cut cucumber with some salt and set aside for 15-20 minutes. Place seasoned cucumber in a muslin bag and squeeze out the water.  Do this in several batches.  Drier cucumber will make it crunchy when cooked.
2. Bring water to boil in a wok then add in vinegar.  Blanched each of the cut vegetables for about a minute and remove using  a serrated ladle into a basin. Usually, I will blanch the cucumber first, followed by carrot/long beans and cabbage.  Do not overcook the vegetables.  Discard the water after all the vegetables are blanched.
3. Heat up oil in the wok to saute the chilli paste till aromatic and oil separates.  Add in half portion of sugar and salt.  Fry to combine then add in all the blanched vegetables.  Stir to combine the chilli paste and vegetables. Then add in the cut chillies, balance sugar and salt.  Taste to adjust seasoning [need not be too sweet, sour or salty as it tastes better after 1-2 days].
4. Bring it to a boil, lower heat then add grounded peanuts and sesame seeds [keep a little as garnish].  Mix well and off fire.  Leave to cool before storing in containers.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds when serving.  Keep well for 4 weeks or more in refrigerator.  Bring out and leave it to  room temperature before serving with white rice.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

  Notes:

• If cooking less, just adjust the quantity of the ingredients proportionately.  
• Acar tastes better after several hours or even after several days.
• Chilled in the fridge in airtight container, keeps well for up to at least a month

Visit this site for its Nutritional Facts [here]