I was never a great fan of pickled vegetables, or locally known as acar. This is mostly due to the sogginess of the vegetables and the sour taste. I used to think of acar as nothing more than vegetables on the brink of going rotten.
That was because I was trying out commercial acar at coffee shops, economy rice stalls or even restaurants. My grandma, whom I think is the greatest cook on earth, seldom makes acar and whenever she makes any, I’d give the dish a clear berth when I was younger because it looked weird and later, because of the bad experiences with commercial acar.
So, it was only in recent years when she persistently told me to try it (also with a slightly hurt expression that I refused to give one of her most famous creations a try) that I took the plunge..a bite..to be exact. Since then, I was hooked, line and sinker! But only to her acar. I still do not eat commercial acar.
Recently, Chef Grandma created a new acar, different from the conventional mixed vegetables acar.
Carrots and Raisins Acar
(Pickled Spicy Carrots and Raisins)
Here’s the recipe for it:
Ingredients
Seasoning 1:
2 stalks lemongrass (serai)
1 small piece galangal (lengkuas), about 4cm
1 small piece of turmeric ginger (kunyit), about 5cm
15 – 20 no. dried chilies (more if you preferred it to be more spicy)
2 no. candlenut (buah keras)
5 garlic
20 shallots
Seasoning 2:
rice vinegar
sugar
Vegetables:
3 carrots, finely grated
1 box of raisins (1 cup)
lime (optional)
Instructions
1. Blend all the ingredients for the seasoning 1 using a blender till it became a paste.
2. Season the grated carrots with seasoning 2. Use just enough vinegar to soak all the carrots but not too much that the carrots are swimming in vinegar. Add sugar to negate its sourness so if you preferred it to be sweeter, add more sugar. Let it season for about an hour or so. This is to preserve the crunchiness of the carrots.
3. In a wok, heat up some oil and then saute the blended seasoning 1 till fragrant. Lower the heat and add the carrots (together with the vinegar) into the mixture.
4. Stir and add in the raisins. Add lime only if you prefer it to be more sour. Otherwise, can remove from heat and serve warm or at room temperature.
This acar can be kept for about two weeks in the freezer and you only need to thaw it the night before if you want to eat it the next day. No need to reheat it as reheating will only make it soggy and soften the crunchy carrots. Just take it out of the fridge early and let it ‘warm up’ according to the room temperature.
It is best served with plain white rice or even eaten on its own.
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