Acar is a well-known Indonesian pickle eaten as a side dish. The fresh taste of acar perfectly complements spicy dishes and this pickle is a staple of a traditional Indonesian meal. Adding turmeric gives the acar its distinctive colour.
Peel the turmeric and the ginger and cut in large pieces. Halve the rawit pepper and remove the seeds. Finely chop the pepper. Thinly slice the garlic.
Heat the sunflower oil in a pan and stir-fry the turmeric, ginger, rawit and garlic for approx. 4 minutes. Add 600 ml of water, vinegar and the sugar. Bring to the boil then leave the mixture to simmer gently for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, slice the cauliflower into small florets. Slice the cucumber into strips. Peel the carrot and slice into thin strips. Slice the sweet pepper in half and remove the seeds. Slice the flesh into thin strips. Slice the white cabbage into thin strips.
Pour the simmered pickling liquid through a sieve and put it back into the pan. Add the sliced vegetables and bring back to the boil. Place a lid on the pan and leave to simmer gently for 7 minutes on a low heat. Remove from the heat and cool covered for 1 hour. Transfer to a spotlessly clean preserve jar and store in the fridge.
Tip: The acar can be kept for about 3-4 weeks. Store in the fridge.
