Nyonya Acar Awak (Malaysian Spicy Vegetable Pickle)

Visually vibrant to the eye and refreshingly piquant to the taste, acar awak is a traditional cold Malaysian pickle bursting with a lip-smacking blend of sweetness, tang and spice as well as a spectrum of textures and crunch levels. A joyride for your tongue, if you will, especially when served alongside hot rice and as an accompaniment to cut through heavier curries.

Some recipes omit the pineapple; I personally find it adds a juicy, succulent sweetness that really elevates this dish. The blending of the paste takes a bit of work, so feel free to double or triple the quantities and make a large batch at one go. Be sure to top liberally with more chopped peanuts and roasted sesame seeds just before serving.

Nyonya Acar Awak (Spicy Mixed Vegetable Pickle)

Serves 12 as a small side

Chop the following into 2” sticks:

1 medium-large cucumber (about 300g), pulp removed

1 medium carrot (100g), peeled

A handful long green beans/French beans (100g)

¼ of a white cabbage (150g)

*You can also use cauliflower or other crunchy vegetables. Measurements are approximate, adjust to taste

Stir in 1 tbsp salt.

Slice 200g pineapple into small chunks.

Line a baking sheet with paper towels and spread everything except the pineapple onto it. Bake on very low heat (about 100C) for about 25 mins to dry out (or if you live in Malaysia/somewhere very hot, feel free to lay it out in the sun for a few hours!)

• Spice paste:

Grind the following together and fry in oil over medium heat for 10 mins until fragrant:

5 shallots/1 large cooking onion

5 cloves garlic

5 dried chillies, deseeded and soaked

2 candlenuts

1 tsp turmeric powder (or 1” fresh turmeric )- if you are multiplying this recipe, do not increase turmeric quantity too much as it can taste bitter. Just add a bit more than 1 tsp.

1 stick lemongrass, white part only

1” galangal

Optional for non-vegetarians: a bit of belacan, dried shrimp

Stir in and bring to a boil:

¼ cup rice vinegar

2 tbsp sugar

Stir in and immediately turn off heat:

Prepared vegetables

2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

1/4 cup (about 50g) roasted ground peanuts

Allow to cool completely and refrigerate in a glass jar overnight (or for up to 4 weeks) so flavours can intensify. 

Before serving, leave at room temperature for a short while (so it's not stone cold) and top with extra ground peanuts and sesame seeds. 

Devour with hot steamed rice!

Lemon Courgette Cake

If the idea of using any vegetable other than carrots in desserts is alien to you, trust me: this fresh and summery lemon courgette cake is the best excuse to start, and no one (not even picky children) would ever guess unless you told them. Light and zesty, the recipe below produces a moist sponge that is delicious on its own but can be coated with a crunchy lemon sugar crust or cream cheese frosting if desired. I have provided the recipes for both down below.


To top it all off, it's also dead easy. Step 1: Stir everything and bake. Step 2: Surprise everyone!


Lemon Courgette Cake
Makes one 12 x 9 inch rectangular pan

Stir all together in a large bowl until just combined:
1 large (approx 400g) courgette/zucchini, grated
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable oil
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Handful of sultanas
1 3/4 cup (225g) self-raising flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
A dash of ground cinnamon and nutmeg (or mixed spice)
Optional: A handful of chopped nuts


Line a 12 x 9 rectangular pan with greaseproof paper. Pour batter in and spread evenly. Bake 30 mins at 160C fan assisted (180 C without).


If coating with sugar crust, immediately pour topping over when cake is still hot. If using cream cheese frosting, let cool completely before coating.

Above: with the lemon cream cheese frosting

• Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

*It is crucial that your cheese and butter (the butter especially!) is at room temperature so that your frosting isn't lumpy. If you forget to take them out of the fridge in advance to soften, just zap for 5-10 seconds in the microwave before beating.


Beat together with an electric mixer until creamy:
100g icing sugar
200g cream cheese, softened to room temperature
50g butter, softened to room temperature
Juice of 1/2 a lemon


Lift the cake out of the pan onto a large chopping board or flat surface, and peel the greaseproof paper off the sides of the cake (leave the bottom). Spread the frosting over the cooled cake evenly with a spatula. Slice into squares and eat!


To store, keep refrigerated.

• Crunchy Lemon Sugar Crust

Stir together in a small bowl:
1/2 cup (100g) granulated or caster sugar
Juice of 1 lemon


Pour and spread evenly over the cake immediately once it is out of the oven (so the juice soaks through and the sugar stays on top). Leave in the pan until completely cold, then slide out quickly onto a large chopping board or flat surface. Slice into squares.


Store at room temperature.

Choy Sum (Chinese Flowering Cabbage) with Garlic Oil and Oyster Sauce

Healthy instant fast-food: that's what this is.

So simple and quick that I think it barely qualifies as a recipe, this classic Chinese method of preparing leafy greens not only takes all of two minutes (20 seconds if you already have garlic oil on hand!) but provides pure unadulterated deliciousness in a prettily-coloured package bursting with nutrition, all with only three ingredients. Here, less is really much more :)

To non-Chinese speakers, choy sum is also known as "Chinese flowering cabbage" and typically features crunchy green stalks, thick green leaves and little yellow flowers. You may freely use pak choi/bok choy (similar to choy sum but with fatter whiter stalks), kai lan (Chinese broccoli/kale with thicker stems) or any other variety of leafy Chinese greens if preferred. My little Paint image below might help you distinguish them better than I can explain (pictures compiled from Google-no copyright infringement intended, sorry if they belong to anyone!):

Come to think of it, garlic oil and oyster sauce taste good on most vegetables so I wouldn't hesitate to drizzle them on Western broccoli or beans too. Who says instant meals can't be good for you!

Choy Sum with Garlic Oil & Oyster Sauce

Serves... well, about 2 I think? Quantities provided totally not set in stone :)

Finely mince 2 cloves garlic and stir-fry over medium heat in about 1 tbsp oil until golden brown and crisp. Dish out and set aside.

*If desired you can make a huge batch of this at one go, and store in a jar for future use. It's fragrant and so delicious as a simple drizzle on vegetables!

Trim the stems of 3-4 large bunches of choy sum, slice into two (for easier eating) and wash thoroughly. Bring a pot of water to boil and chuck your vegetables in to blanch for about 20 seconds (not minutes)- DO NOT OVERCOOK! The leaves should only be wilted ever so slightly, with their strong bright green hue still intact.

Drain completely, arrange on a plate and drizzle with oyster sauce (if you're vegetarian, you can find varieties made with mushroom extract) and garlic oil.

TA-DAA, DONE! :) Serve immediately with hot steamed rice.

*If preferred, feel free to steam for a few minutes instead of blanching- it takes a tad longer but preserves even more nutrients.