Kerabu Bok Kwa
This fresh, zesty salad cuts through the richness of the heavier main courses. Sambal belacan is a classic Nonya dressing. We've reduced the amount from what would traditionally be used because belacan (shrimp paste) can be rather strong for those who aren't used to it. The paste has a salty fish taste and pungent smell (the odor dissipates once it's added to the dish), but it lends a dimension of flavor very characteristic of Nonya cuisine — were you to eliminate it, you wouldn't really be eating Nonya food. For a more authentic version, use 2 tablespoons belacan and 4 tablespoons lime juice.
Sambal belacan keeps, covered and chilled, 3 months.
Recipe information
Total Time
45 min
Yield
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
For sambal belacan
For salad
Special Equipment
Preparation
Make sambal belacan:
Step 1
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 2
Wrap belacan tightly in foil and bake 10 minutes. Open foil carefully and cool belacan to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Crumble belacan into mini food processor and finely purée with chiles and sugar.
Make salad:
Step 3
Soak shrimp in 1 cup hot water in a bowl until soft, about 10 minutes.
Step 4
While shrimp soak, stir together salt and 1 cup cold water until salt is dissolved, then add shallot and soak 5 minutes. Drain shallot in a sieve and pat dry.
Step 5
Drain shrimp in a colander and pat dry. Pulse shrimp in cleaned mini processor until finely ground.
Step 6
Peel, halve, and seed papaya (or cucumber). Cut into large pieces, then cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks with slicer.
Step 7
Stir together lime juice, sugar, and 1 tablespoon sambal belacan in a large serving bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add shrimp, shallot, and papaya, tossing to combine well.
Step 8
*Available at Southeast Asian markets and templeofthai.com.
