Name: Rojak
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 Lebanese cucumbers, seeds removed, coarsely chopped; 2 jicama, julienned on a mandolin; 1 green mango, julienned on a mandolin; 1 green papaya, shredded on a mandolin; ½ pineapple, cored, cut into thin wedges; ½ cup each Thai basil and coriander, coarsely torn (loosely packed); 70 gm roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely crushed; To serve: toasted sesame seeds; Chilli and tamarind dressing; 55 gm palm sugar; 1 small red chilli, finely chopped; ½ tbsp roasted belacan, cooled (see note); 2 tbsp tamarind concentrate (see note); 1 tbsp shrimp paste; Juice of 1 lime

This salad is a take on the Malaysian street snack.

Ingredients

2 Lebanese cucumbers, seeds removed, coarsely chopped

2 jicama, julienned on a mandolin

1 green mango, julienned on a mandolin

1 green papaya, shredded on a mandolin

½ pineapple, cored, cut into thin wedges

½ cup each Thai basil and coriander, coarsely torn (loosely packed)

70 gm roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely crushed

To serve: toasted sesame seeds

Chilli and tamarind dressing

55 gm palm sugar

1 small red chilli, finely chopped

½ tbsp roasted belacan, cooled (see note)

2 tbsp tamarind concentrate (see note)

1 tbsp shrimp paste

Juice of 1 lime

Method

Main

1.For chilli and tamarind dressing, crush palm sugar, chilli and roasted belacan in a mortar and pestle to a fine paste, add remaining ingredients and season to taste (the dressing should taste spicy, sour, salty and sweet).

2.Combine vegetables, fruits and herbs in a bowl, drizzle dressing over, toss, scatter with peanuts and sesame seeds and serve.

Note Belacan is a shrimp paste available from Asian grocers. To roast, preheat oven to 180C, wrap belacan in foil and roast (10-15 minutes). Alternatively, because the belacan becomes very pungent during roasting, you can roast it outside on a barbecue. Tamarind concentrate is available from Asian grocers; it doesn’t require soaking.
Notes