Urab timun (cucumber and burnt coconut salad)

In Bali, we can make an urab out of just about anything – roots, shoots, fern tips, tree leaves, you name it. If it sings with coconut, it’s a go. This cucumber number normally comes out on special occasions. It’s bright, refreshing and full of contrasting flavours. You can reduce or even leave out the chillies for less heat if you prefer.

Urab timun cucumber and burnt coconut salad Credit: Martin Westlake

• serves

  2

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 220 g (1½ cups) finely grated roasted coconut
• 4 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthways and sliced
• 4 makrut lime leaves, finely sliced, to serve
• ½ lime, juice only
• sea salt, to taste

Sambal

• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 4–5 red (Asian) shallots, finely sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, finely sliced           
• 6 red bird’s eye chillies, finely sliced (optional)
• 1 tsp shrimp paste, rolled into a ball
• thumbnail-sized piece of lesser galangal, finely chopped
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. To make the sambal, heat the oil in a small wok over medium heat. Add the shallots and fry for 2 minutes, or until they become translucent. Add the garlic and fry, stirring constantly to make sure nothing sticks or burns, for 4 minutes, or until the garlic and shallots have gently caramelised.
2. Add the chilli, shrimp paste and lesser galangal and cook, stirring, until the shrimp paste is completely dissolved, the chilli is wilted and the lesser galangal becomes fragrant. Add the salt and stir again, then take off the heat.
3. Pour most of the sambal into a bowl, setting about a handful aside for seasoning, and combine it with the coconut using your fingers.
4. Add the cucumber and some of the coconut mixture to a large bowl and toss together using your hands. Massage it well but be careful not to bruise the cucumber too much, adding more coconut mixture until you’re happy with the cucumber to coconut ratio. The cucumber should be nicely coated but not too soggy.
5. Season with salt to taste and more sambal for an extra kick, if you like. Top with the lime leaves and a squeeze of lime juice and enjoy immediately.

This is a recipe from Paon: Real Balinese Cooking by Tjok Maya Kerthyasa, I Wayan Kresna Yasa. Published by Hardie Grant (RRP $50).

Photography credit: Martin Westlake.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.