Acar ala Sim

Almost all mothers make acar when I was growing up in Malaysia.  However, I might be bias, but my mother's acar is the best!!!  Yet every time I make it, everyone loves it, but I still think it never tastes quite the same like my mom's - but I have come very close to it - so I have been told by family and friends.  Actually, I am not overly pleased with this particular batch of acar as it looks lifeless and is not jumping at me to eat it!  First up, the chillieboh I normally use has been exhausted when I cooked my har mee/prawn noodles.  This acar was made with dried chillies I bought in GWaverley and because it is sooooo spicy which meant I had to use less, so maybe that is another reason why it did not give it the rich chillie oil look when ready. 


Lifeless looking acar without the redness of chillie oil

Everyone have their own recipe and or "secret/different" ingredient for this vegetable pickle and own method of making it, but this is my mom's version.  It is a simple no fuss method and it tastes amazing.

Chillie Paste Ingredients

Onions

Garlic

Lemongrass

Chillies

Blachan
Tumeric

Candlenuts
Blend all the above ingredients into a paste and cook in oil till it separates and put aside to cool down.  Obviously, you add salt and sugar to taste.

Ingredients to be blitz

Vegetables

Mom's combination of vegetables are made up of cucumbers, carrots, french beans, long beans aka snake beans, cauliflower, fresh red and green chillies with their seeds removed and cut longways till it opens up like a flower (optional for me) and savoy cabbage.  With the cucumber, she removes the seedy parts of the inside till you only see the flesh and cuts them down to size about an inch long.  Ensure all vegetables are about the same size, cauliflower in small florets, and cabbage can be about the size of 2x3inches in a square.
Method

Veggies being cut down to size

Cut and blanch all the different vegetables separately in piping hot vinegar. Remember, I repeat, the vinegar has to be boiling hot before you put it in and within a minute or so take them all out.  There is NO WATER whatsoever in mom's recipe.  Then make sure the vinegar is at boiling point again before you put in the next batch of veggies and repeat this process till all the vegetables are done.
The vegetables must be all drained well and dry to the touch in the colander and cooled down completely.

Then mix the chillie paste into all the vegetables or vice versa and add more salt and lots of sugar till you are happy with the contrasting WOW flavours as some might like it more sourish/tangy.  Lastly, toss in pounded roast peanuts and toasted golden brown sesame seeds and mix well in your acar pot.  Note: store in glass or earthen ware as the acidity of the vinegar is not good in stainless steel or plastic.

Rocket salad leaves with acar

I have not put down measurement amounts, as I cook by "abit of this and abit of that" method, but if you merry up the ingredients correctly by judgement and use your tastebuds, (or google an acar recipe to give you a rough idea of proportions) you will end up with a delicious acar that can be eaten on its own or used as a side dish.  It goes extremely well served with nasi lemak (coconut rice).  It may sound weird, but might I also add that it rocks my palate when infused with rocket salad. This is the "Malaysian" in me!!! East meets West.  Acar always tastes better the next day as by now, all the ingredients are infused together and all the flavours have developed overnight oozing out its yumminess.
Have fun cooking and enjoy this tasty easy to make acar recipe that can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 weeks and is still yummy and yesssss I meant to mention it is always CRUNCHY!!!  Gosh, I do miss my mother's cooking and like to share mom's recipe with all of you.  Some day I hope I will make my mom proud and hopefully have done all her recipes some justice!!!:):):)

Acar Ala Sim