Lilly pickled spicy vegetables

By Dunjab

Ingredients

• To make into paste:
• 1 cucumber - (removed the seeds) and cut into 4cm strips
• 150 g cabbage leaves, cut into 2.5cm squares
• 2 carrots cut into 4cm strips
• 150 g long beans, cut into 4cm strips
• 6 fresh chillies
• 5 dried chillies –soak in hot water until soft
• 6 shallots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cm fresh turmeric root/1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1 ” galangal (lengkuas)
• 3 candlenuts/almond or macadamia nuts
• 1 stalk lemon grass, sliced finely
• 1 ” of shrimp paste (belachan) - optional
• 1 cup of white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 6 tbsp of brown sugar (more if you like it sweeter)
• 1 tsp salt
• 200 g roasted peanuts, skinned and pounded
• 5 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
• For blanching the vegetables:
• 600 ml water
• 400 ml vinegar
• 2 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 15mins

Preparation

Step 1

1.. Rub cucumber slices with 1 tbsp salt. Leave aside for one hour. Wrap in clean towel or muslin cloth and squeeze out excess liquid. Put all the ground ingredients in a food processor and ground into paste and set it aside.
2. Bring water, vinegar, salt and sugar for blanching vegetables to a rapid boil. Blanch the vegetables (except cucumber) one type at a time for 15 second. Remove and using a clean kitchen towel, squeezed the water out of the vegetable and set it aside.
3. Heat up about 3-4 tbsp of oil in frying pan and stir-fry the ground ingredients until fragrant and the oil begins to separate. Stir in water and vinegar. Add sugar and salt and bring to a boil, then leave to cool completely. Check seasoning as you might need to add more sugar to it.
4. Stir in all the prepared vegetables, peanuts and sesame seeds. Store in a clean jar and refrigerate.