Sweet and Sour Salad
Acar bening makes a perfect accompaniment to a variety of spicy dishes and curries, with its clean taste and bright, jewel-like colours, and pomegranate seeds, though not traditional, make a beautiful garnish. This is an essential dish for a buffet party.
Ingredients
- 1 small cucumber
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small, ripe pineapple or 425g / 15oz can pineapple rings
- 1 green pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 3 firm tomatoes, chopped
- 30ml / 2 tbsp golden granulated sugar
- 45-60ml / 3-4 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 120ml / 4fl oz / ½ cup water
- salt
- seeds of 1-2 pomegranates, to garnish
Preparation
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- Halve the cucumber lengthways, remove the seeds, slice and spread on a plate with the onion. Sprinkle with salt. After 10 minutes, rinse and dry.
- If using a fresh pineapple, peel and core it, removing all the eyes, then cut it into bite-size pieces. If using canned pineapple, drain the rings and cut them into small wedges. Place the pineapple in a bowl with the cucumber, onion, green pepper and tomatoes.
- Heat the sugar, vinegar and measured water in a pan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool. When cold, add a little salt to taste and pour over the fruit and vegetables. Cover and chill until required. Serve in small bowls, garnished with pomegranate seeds.
VARIATION
To make an Indonesian-style cucumber salad, salt a salad cucumber as described in the recipe. Make half the dressing and pour it over the cucumber. Add a few chopped spring onions. Cover and chill. Serve scattered with toasted sesame seeds.
Serves 8.