This is a new dish I ate recently at Amandari Malay Restaurant in Penang. Traditionally, tomatoes as a salad are served unadorned. At most, a dip combining roasted shrimp paste, pounded chilli and sometimes a dash of sugar may be served, but here I was surprised to be offered a dip of dark soy, mixed with roasted coconut, palm sugar and chilli. It reminded me of a Thai dip as it was sweet, hot and coconutty.
Tomato salad (Salat tomat)
Australian Gourmet Traveller Malaysian banquet recipe for tomato salad (salat tomat)
- Serves 6
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
- 60 ml kecap manis (¼ cup)
- 1 tsp finely grated dark palm sugar (gula melaka)
- 3 small red chillies, finely chopped
- 6 vine-ripened tomatoes, thickly sliced
Method
Main
- 1In a small pan, dry-roast desiccated coconut over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant. In a small bowl, combine kecap manis, dark palm sugar and chilli and season to taste with sea salt.
- 2Add all but 1 tsp of coconut to kecap manis mixture and stir to combine. To serve arrange tomatoes in a bowl, drizzle with dressing and scatter with remaining coconut.
