The Leon series of cookbooks seeks to offer wonderful tasted in healthy packages. In the newest book in the series, Happy Salads, authors Jane Baxter and John Vincent roam the entire planet coming up with those very different ideas you’ve been craving. But could not find.
The title of this recipe in the book is Malaysian Salad with Ikan Bilis. Those are salt-cured anchovies and I’ve put that in the title here so you don’t have to grab for your English-Malaysian dictionary. I have one, you know. Somewhere. I think.
The Leon team love recipes from across Asia and the Middle East. The ingredients here will remind you of your last visit to Malaysia or inspire you to finally take that trip there. Coconut, dried prawns, mint, and chili are employed alongside cucumber, onions, and beans.
Ah, this recipe does call for kecap manis. I could not find that dictionary, but Wikipedia explains this is Malaysian soy sauce, thick, dark and sweetened with palm sugar. Yes, you can purchase it on Amazon.
Malaysian Salad with Salt-Cured Anchovies
Yield: serves 1
Ingredients:
For the salad:
- 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut, toasted
- 2 teaspoons dried prawns, soaked in hot water
- ½ a cucumber, peeled, deseeded and I cut into strips
- 1 ¾ ounces beansprouts
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- 4 ounces mixed veggies [sugar snaps, French or runner beans] all cut to strips
- 5 fresh mint leaves, shredded
- 1 red chili, chopped
- Juice of ½ lime
- 1 teaspoon kecap manis
- ½ teaspoon palm sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
- Fresh chives
- 25 ikan bilis or salt-cured anchovies
Preparation:
Grind the toasted coconut in a pestle and mortar with the dried prawns.
In a bowl, mix all the prepared veg with the mint and chili. Mix together the remaining ingredients and toss with the salad. Fold through the coconut prawn paste and season well.
Add the chives and ikan bilis and serve.
Source: Leon Happy Salads by Jane Baxter and John Vincent [Conran Octopus, 2016]