Pasembur – Malaysian Indian Muslim Salad or ”Rojak”
Pasembur or some call it ‘Rojak Mamak’ is a Malaysian Indian Muslim salad, consisting of vegetables and seafood, served with sweet and spicy nut gravy or sauce. It derived mainly from Northern Peninsular Malaysia in Penang, which has a large Indian Muslim population.
Ingredients
SALAD
- 2 pieces tofu or beancurd fried and sliced thinly.
- 1 turnip (yam bean/sengkuang) shredded finely.
- 1 cup beansprouts blanched.
- 1 small potato boiled, peeled and cubed, medium sizes.
- 1 small cucumber shredded finely.
SEAFOOD (deep fried)
- 250 grams fresh prawns (shelled and cleaned).
- 250 grams squids
- 2 crabs (soft shell) or 200 grams crab sticks.
GARNISH
- 4 boiled eggs halved or quartered.
- 1 cup shallots fried crisply.
- 1 cup peanuts roasted & grounded coarsely.
- 4 tbsp roasted sesame seeds (optional).
SAUCE (sweet & spicy peanut sauce)
- 500 grams sweet potatoes boiled, peeled, & mashed with 2 cups water.
- 10 shallots sliced thinly.
- ½ pod chopped garlic
- 1 ½ tbsp chilli paste (soak dry chillies in boiling water, remove seeds & grind).
- ½-1 cup coarsely ground peanuts – roast peanuts in advance.
- 4 tbsp cooking oil
- 5 cups water according to preference.
- 3 tbsp brown or white sugar (as needed).
- 1 tbsp tamarind juice (as needed).
PRAWN FRITTERS
- ½ kg fresh prawns (marinate with salt and ½ tsp of turmeric and ½ tsp of chilli powder).
- 2 cups plain flour
- 4 chive stalks ("kucai")
- 2 tsp crushed dry chillies (according to preference).
- 1 large onion sliced thinly.
- Salt as needed
- Water for the batter (as needed, to make a thick batter).
- 1 tsp baking powder
Instructions
METHOD 1
- In a deep pan or “kuali”, add the oil and when it’s hot enough, add in the chopped garlic and shallots.
- When it’s golden brown, add in the chilli paste and when its fragrant and cooked, add in the mashed sweet potatoes.
- Add in the water, a little at a time and 1 tablespoon tamarind juice.
- Then, season with salt, 3 tablespoon brown sugar ( according to taste).
- Add in the coarsely ground peanuts. Simmer for about 2-3 minutes and taste.
- When the consistency is right, and oil splits at the sides, switch off the flame.
- The sauce should not be too thick or too runny but smooth enough to pour over the salad.
- Optional: You can add a little black soy sauce for colour
PRAWN FRITTERS (the same batter for squids and crabs excl. the chives and onions)
- Mix all the ingredients to make a very thick batter.
- Saute the chives and onions for about a minute, until they become soft and onions become translucent.
- Add them and the marinated fresh prawns to the batter.
- Deep fry each prawn, on medium flame – one by one, in hot oil until crispy.
- Place the prawns onto a kitchen towel and set aside. when cooled, slice them into a few pieces, if using large prawns like Tiger prawns.
ASSEMBLING
- Arrange all the shredded vegetables, cubed potatoes, beansprouts, fried seafood and boiled eggs on a plate.
- Pour the peanut sauce on them and garnish with fried shallot, roasted white sesame seeds, and finely chopped spring onions (optional).
- You can also garnish with sliced fresh red chillies, for those who likes it extra hot!
Notes
NB: You can slice the seafood into smaller pieces before serving.