31/01/2009
28/01/2009
22/01/2009
Jenny's Achar Or Jenny's Mixed Vegie Chutney --Chinese Style
Hi there,
This is mummy's achar recipe. I'll try to disclose as near as possible to the recipe that mummy uses and sometimes you need to try out a few combinations before you can strike the right amount of ingredients to use. I'll relate to you what mummy used in her latest achar. Here it goes:
Ingredients:
1. Cucumber .........5.5 kg.
2. Chinese Radish......one (the big type from Cameron Highlands)
3. Carrot ............4 or 5 (Australian type NOT those from China!)
4. Long beans ........300 gm.
5. Groundnuts .........1 kg. or 1 1/2 kg.
6. Sesame seeds.......300 gm.
7. Small onions........1 kg. - 1 1/2 kg.
8. Lengkuas...........300 gm. (Or one big piece)
9. Yellow ginger ......One piece about 2 inches long.
10. Lemon grass........6 stalks
11. Vinegar............one big bottle (Yuen Chuan..local co.)
12. Sugar .............1 kg.
13. Salt ..............2 tablespoon (taste and see)
14. Oil................half a litre. (about 2-3 cups)
15. Chilli.............half cup (depending on the hotness of the chilli)
16. Candle nuts........half a cup
Method:
Some of the ingredients must be prepared earlier and set aside before you start the whole process of cooking the achar. Mummy will do the following things first before she starts her work.
The groundnuts must be roasted first and the skin removed. You can also fried the groundnuts in a kuali or in the microwave oven. Mummy chose the microwave for an even cook. She then skined the groundnuts and kept them in a container to be ground into a fine paste on the day she wanted to cook the achar. As for the sesame seeds, she just cook them in a microwave oven and set aside.
Next she'll peel the small onions and kept them in the fridge. The chilli is made from dry chilli. Mummy normally would buy 300 gm. cut them into smaller pieces and soak them in warm water, until they were quite soft. Then she would puree it, divide it into two or three small packets and then keep them in the freezer, to be used on the day she cooked her achar. Get ready the vinegar, sugar, and all the other spices.
Then on the day of cooking.... this will require a few people to help to dice or cut the vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, chinese radish, long beans, cabbage) into small mouth-sized pieces. The cucumbers will normally be cut into strips of one inch long and half a cm. thick. Remember to remove the seeds and the pulp as this will add to much moisture to the achar.
After all the vegetables had been cut into the required sizes all the vegetables are then placed into boiling water for a short time (blanch) and then removed and dripped dry in a percolater or anything that allows the water to drip out. Then put the vegetables aside. Next, prepare the spices. The onions, yellow ginger, candle nuts, lengkuas, lemon grass must be blended together until it becomes a fine mush. Put in some oil to cook the spices. Then add in the chilli. The amount of chilli to be used will depend on how hot you want your achar. Must cook until the chilli oil can be seen. Then add in the vinegar, and salt to taste. Next put in the sugar. It is not necessary to put in all the stuff in that order. But all the spices must be cooked first before you put in all the vegetables. After you have put in the vegetables, turn down the flame to low. Next you mix all the vegetables until they are well mixed. Then add in the blended groundnuts and the sesame seeds. Mix again until completely mixed ....ta .. da. You have Jenny's achar!!
Enjoy with mummy's prawn crackers. (see recipe )
This is mummy's achar recipe. I'll try to disclose as near as possible to the recipe that mummy uses and sometimes you need to try out a few combinations before you can strike the right amount of ingredients to use. I'll relate to you what mummy used in her latest achar. Here it goes:
Ingredients:
1. Cucumber .........5.5 kg.
2. Chinese Radish......one (the big type from Cameron Highlands)
3. Carrot ............4 or 5 (Australian type NOT those from China!)
4. Long beans ........300 gm.
5. Groundnuts .........1 kg. or 1 1/2 kg.
6. Sesame seeds.......300 gm.
7. Small onions........1 kg. - 1 1/2 kg.
8. Lengkuas...........300 gm. (Or one big piece)
9. Yellow ginger ......One piece about 2 inches long.
10. Lemon grass........6 stalks
11. Vinegar............one big bottle (Yuen Chuan..local co.)
12. Sugar .............1 kg.
13. Salt ..............2 tablespoon (taste and see)
14. Oil................half a litre. (about 2-3 cups)
15. Chilli.............half cup (depending on the hotness of the chilli)
16. Candle nuts........half a cup
Method:
Some of the ingredients must be prepared earlier and set aside before you start the whole process of cooking the achar. Mummy will do the following things first before she starts her work.
The groundnuts must be roasted first and the skin removed. You can also fried the groundnuts in a kuali or in the microwave oven. Mummy chose the microwave for an even cook. She then skined the groundnuts and kept them in a container to be ground into a fine paste on the day she wanted to cook the achar. As for the sesame seeds, she just cook them in a microwave oven and set aside.
Next she'll peel the small onions and kept them in the fridge. The chilli is made from dry chilli. Mummy normally would buy 300 gm. cut them into smaller pieces and soak them in warm water, until they were quite soft. Then she would puree it, divide it into two or three small packets and then keep them in the freezer, to be used on the day she cooked her achar. Get ready the vinegar, sugar, and all the other spices.
Then on the day of cooking.... this will require a few people to help to dice or cut the vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, chinese radish, long beans, cabbage) into small mouth-sized pieces. The cucumbers will normally be cut into strips of one inch long and half a cm. thick. Remember to remove the seeds and the pulp as this will add to much moisture to the achar.
After all the vegetables had been cut into the required sizes all the vegetables are then placed into boiling water for a short time (blanch) and then removed and dripped dry in a percolater or anything that allows the water to drip out. Then put the vegetables aside. Next, prepare the spices. The onions, yellow ginger, candle nuts, lengkuas, lemon grass must be blended together until it becomes a fine mush. Put in some oil to cook the spices. Then add in the chilli. The amount of chilli to be used will depend on how hot you want your achar. Must cook until the chilli oil can be seen. Then add in the vinegar, and salt to taste. Next put in the sugar. It is not necessary to put in all the stuff in that order. But all the spices must be cooked first before you put in all the vegetables. After you have put in the vegetables, turn down the flame to low. Next you mix all the vegetables until they are well mixed. Then add in the blended groundnuts and the sesame seeds. Mix again until completely mixed ....ta .. da. You have Jenny's achar!!
Enjoy with mummy's prawn crackers. (see recipe )
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