Asinan Jakarta - Crispy salad with peanuts and tamarind sauce
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
20 mins
-
Cook Time
10 mins
-
Total Time
30 mins
-
Servings
4
-
Calories
284 kcal
-
Course
Soup
-
Cuisine
Indonesian
Asinan Jakarta - Crispy salad with peanuts and tamarind sauce
Description
Asinan Jakarta - Crispy salad with peanuts and tamarind sauce uses sturdy fresh vegetables like cabbage, beansprouts, carrots, lettuce, and cucumber. These are soaked in salted water to soften and mellow their flavors slightly. A dressing is prepared by crushing roasted salted peanuts with garlic, chili flakes or fresh chili paste, tamarind concentrate, and sugars dissolved in hot water and cooked briefly to meld flavors. This blend creates a complex balance of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy tastes characteristic of the dish.
The salad's texture contrasts the softened vegetables with the crunch of crushed peanuts and optional crispy crackers such as prawn or onion crackers. Garlic and chili contribute a fragrant heat enhanced if fresh chili is used. Tamarind adds a bright sour note that cuts through the earthiness of the peanut sauce and sweetness from the brown sugar.
This salad can be served as a flavorful, appetizing side dish or light snack. Adding crackers before serving imparts an additional pleasant crunch that complements the softer vegetables.
Using fresh ingredients such as freshly ground chili and freshly crushed peanuts improves the aromatic complexity. Adjusting sugar and salt can help achieve the right taste balance in the dressing.
Ingredients
- ½ small cabbage
- 2 cups beansprouts
- 1 large carrot
- ½ round lettuce
- ⅓ cucumber
- ¾ cup peanuts crushed and grind with pestle and mortar, roasted, salted
- 1 clove garlic crushed.
- 1 teaspoon Dry chili flakes grind into a paste, or 1-2 bird’s eye red chillies
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar optional.
- 1 cup water
- noodle crackers kerupuk - optional, or onion crackers
Instructions
- Slice the cabbage. Set aside.
- Cut the carrots into julienne/ matchsticks. Set aside.
- Slice the lettuce. Set aside.
- And cut the cucumber into slices. Set aside
- In a big mixing bowl, add cool boiled water. And stir in one teaspoon of salt.
- Then put all the vegetables in the bowl, i.e. cabbage, beansprouts, carrots, lettuce, and cucumber. Gently press until all the vegetables are soaked in the water.
- Leave the vegetables to soak for at least a few hours.
- In the meantime, make the dressing by mixing crushed peanuts, garlic, chili flakes/chili paste, tamarind, brown sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Pour in hot water from the kettle. Stir well and cook at medium heat until it reaches boiling point.
- Try and taste the sauce. It should taste salty, sour, sweet, and spicy.
- The challenge with making asinan is to get all these four flavours to come together. So you may have to add in a teaspoon of granulated sugar if it’s not sweet enough. Or salt if you can’t taste it. Similarly, you add more tamarind and chilli if needed. Feel free to add more each respectively if you think you need it. Although the measure that I did in this recipe has all the flavours.
- Once you’re happy with your dressing sauce, you can start making your asinan.
- Using a colander, drain the vegetables, and discard the water.
- Arrange the veggies in a serving bowl.
- Spoon the sauce over the vegetables, and mix well.
- Garnish with noodle crackers/ onion crackers if using.
Notes
- The crackers are optional but add enjoyable crunch; prepackaged prawn crackers are a convenient choice.
- Fresh chilies provide more aroma and a livelier spicy flavor compared to chili flakes.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 284 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1g | |
| Calories | 284kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 36g | 12% |
| Protein | 9g | 18% |
| Fat | 13g | 20% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 10g | 59% |
| Sodium | 430mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 17g | 34% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
