Sarawak Acar (Malaysian Pickled Vegetables)

Method

1. Halve 500g cucumber and scrape out the seeds, then cut the cucumber, 2 horn chilies and 200g carrot into batons about as thick as a chopstick.
2. Toss the vegetables with 1 tablespoon salt and leave them for 1 to 3 hours to draw out the water, then wring them out thoroughly by hand.
3. Blend 3 to 4 hot chilies, 2 shallots, 5 cloves garlic, 1 knob of ginger and 2 tablespoons soaked dried shrimp to a paste. Seeding the chilies first makes it milder.
4. Heat 60ml cooking oil in a pan, add 1/2 tablespoon turmeric powder and stir for about 15 seconds, then add the blended paste and fry until fragrant.
5. Add the carrot, cucumber and horn chili and stir quickly for about 1 minute, then add 45g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds and stir for another 30 seconds before turning off the heat. Any longer in the pan and the vegetables soften.
6. Pack the mixture into a glass jar and pour 60ml rice vinegar over the top. Once it has cooled, seal the jar and keep it in the fridge, where it is ready after about 1 to 2 days.

Tips

• The pickles suit fried spring rolls, prawn crackers or plain rice.
• Dried shrimp can be fried until fragrant rather than blended raw for a gentler smell.
• They keep in the fridge for a few weeks.
• Squeeze the soaked dried shrimp completely dry before blending, since water left in turns the jar sour fast.
• Cool everything fully before it goes into the jar, as a lid closed while hot traps condensation.
• Wring the salted vegetables out thoroughly, because leftover water turns the jar sour and soft quickly.