Cocos Islands Acar is a traditional Cocosian (from the Cocos (Keeling) Islands) recipe for a classic sambal of cooked mixed vegetables in a chilli, shallot, ginger, turmeric and vinegar base. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Cocosian version of: Cocos Islands Acar.
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Ingredients:
5 large red chillies
150g red Asian shallots, peeled
2cm piece of ginger, peeled
2 onions, sliced
2 large carrots, cut into batons
2 telegraph cucumbers, cut into batons
1 tbsp turmeric
2-3 tbsp sugar
250ml white vinegar
Method:
Prepare the acar sambal by blending 4 of the red chillies with the shallots and ginger in a blender or food processor. De-seed and cut the remaining chilli into batons.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large deep frypan over medium heat. Add the sambal and cook, stirring, until fragrant and darkened slightly. Add the onion and continue to fry until the onion has started to soften (about 3 minutes).
Add the carrot, cucumber, turmeric, and sugar to the mix. Stirring to combine. Add half the vinegar, then taste and season with salt and vegeta. The acar should be a balance of sour, sweet, and savoury. You can add more vinegar, sugar, and salt to adjust to your liking. The mixture should not be too wet as the cucumber will also release moisture as it cooks.
Continue to stir-fry the acar over medium heat for another 2-3 minutes until the vegetables have just started to soften but haven’t lost their crunch.
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