Pasembur is a Malaysian salad consisting of cucumber (shredded), potatoes, beancurd, turnip, bean sprouts, prawn fritters, spicy fried crab (optional), fried octopus(optional) or other seafoods and served with a sweet and spicy nut sauce.This sauce is thick and tasty reddish-brown, is a sweet dressing which literally drenches the salad, making it a uniquely South Asian dish. Made from sweet potatoes, crushed peanuts and chillies, the combination is cooked together to perfection, and is what makes the dish stand out from other competitors. If taking out, the sauce is usually packed separately so that the ingredients do not become soggy when you eat it.
This sauce is slightly different than the peanut sauce used for satay!
This sauce is slightly different than the peanut sauce used for satay!
The term Pasembur is peculiar to Northern Peninsular Malaysia. It is especially associated with Penang where Pasembur can be had along Gurney Drive.In other parts of Malaysia, the term Rojak Mamak is commonly used.
1 cucumber, cut into 4 parts and cut lengthwise thinly
1 medium size turnip(sengkuang), cut thinly
1 cup beansprout,blanched in hot water,drain
3 fried beancurd, cut into slices
2-3 eggs , boiled and halved
2 large potatoes, boiled and cut into 6 parts, then deep fried in oil
Fritters (see recipes below)
Fritters
750gm plain flour (3 cups, standard measuring cup)
1 tbsp rice flour
1 tbsp cornflour
1/2 packet of 11g instant dried yeast (Mauripan)
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp sugar
2 cups(used standard measuring cup) lukewarm water
Method: In a large bowl, mix together plain flour, rice flour ,cornflour and bicarbonate of soda..In a measuring jug, pour 2 cups (500ml) lukewarm water. To it stir sugar and then add in dried yeast and mix again. Leave the liquid to turn frosty around 30min. Slowly pour in the yeast liquid into the dried ingredients. Stir well. Cover with a plastic wrapper and leave the mixture to double in size. This will take about 3 to 4 hours. Then separate the fermented dough into three parts.
Plain Fritter
1/3 of the fermented dough
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp sugar
a pinch of orange colouring
Take one third of the dough, and mix plain flour,sugar and colouring. Stir well to mix. Drop a spoonful of batter into medium heat oil. Fry until golden brown. Refer clip below. Dish out on a paper towel.
Coconut Fritter
1/3 of the fermented dough
1 cup grated white coconut
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp sugar
Take one third of the dough, to it mix in grated coconut,sugar and plain flour. Mix well.Drop a spoonful of batter into medium heat oil. Fry until brownish colour. Refer clip below. Dish out on a paper towel.
Prawn Fritter
1/3 of the fermented dough
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp rice flour
1/2 cup beansprout
2 tbsp chopped spring onions or chives
salt to taste
10 prawns (pat dry on a paper towel)
Take one third of the dough, mix in turmeric powder, rice flour and mix well.Then add in beansprout and spring onions, add salt to taste. Mix well. Heat oil, Take a flat ladle spoon and leave in n he hot oil for about one minute. Then take the ladle out from oil. Spread a spoonful of batter on the ladle, lace a prawn in the center, and slowly place the ladle full of batter in medium heat oil. Leave the ladle in the oil for about a minute, then slowly take out the fritter from the ladle. It will come out , leave to fry until golden brown. Do the same with the rest of the dough.Dish out the fritters on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Gravy/Kuah Rojak
350gm orange sweet potato,boiled until soft
150gm groundnuts, roasted and de-skinned
4 tbsp sugar
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp seedless tamarind paste
1 lemon grass,bruised
salt to taste
Grind into a paste
15 dried red chilies,boiled and drained
2 in shrimp paste or 2 tbsp dried shrimp(soaked in water 15mins and drained)
4 cloves garlic
2in ginger
1 lemon grass
3in galangal
1 medium size bombay onion
5 shallots
Steps for making gravy:
In a mixer or grinder, make sweet potato into a fine paste with some water. Keep aside.
Pound coarsely the groundnuts in a pestle and mortar. Keep aside.
Heat oil, saute the grounded paste with lemon grass until oil floats on top. Once aromatic, add sugar and turmeric powder and stir for a minute. Add in tamarind paste as well and mix well. Mix in sweet potato paste, stir and add in about 2 to 3 cups of water. Stir, add salt to taste. Leave to simmer Finally add in coarsely grounded groundnuts. Stir. Close fire.
To assemble the Pasembor:
In a bowl, place all the salad ingredients as needed, and cut fritters and pour the gravy on top.
Mee Rojak/Rojak Noodle
Blanche some noodle and keep aside. Take a bit of noodle in a bowl, top with required ingredients, then pour the rojak gravy on top. Garnish with crisp shallots and sliced green chillies.
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