Pecal (Asian Salad with Peanut Sauce)

These are very hot little firecrackers from the orient. They can be used to add spice to almost any oriental dish. They dry very easily and can be stored and used this way for a long time.

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Ingredients:

1/2 pound spinach, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 bunch of watercress, coarse stems discarded
1/4 pound chinese long beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 pound shredded cabbage
1/2 pound bean sprouts
3 garlic cloves, sliced
3 or 4 Thai chiles, stemmed, seeded and sliced thin
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 stalk of lemongrass or a 1-inch piece of lemon rind
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup dry roasted peanuts, crushed

Instructions:

Blanch the vegetables, separately, in boiling water for about 2 minutes each, then drain. Let the blanched vegetables cool in separate bowls.

In a food processor, blend the garlic and chiles to form a paste. Heat the oil in a skillet or wok and stir-fry the paste over moderate heat for about 1 minute, then add the water, lemongrass, sugar and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the peanuts and cook the sauce for an additional 5 minutes, or until it has thickened slightly.

Using a serving platter, arrange the water spinach and cover it with the watercress, then the long beans. Arrange the cabbage and the bean sprouts on top, then drizzle with the warm sauce and serve at room temperature.