Making pickles

The price of acar or Peranakan pickles was so expensive at Rm 17 a jar.I decided to make the mixed vegetable pickles myself as Jun says my home made acar tasted better than the commercially made pickles. I learned a lot of Baba Nyonya cooking from the cookery teacher where i was teaching in secondary school.She was of Penang nyonya heritage and used to treat us to perut ikan or pickled fish bladder with vegetable,her ulam kerabu bok nee is a fusion of Malay Chinese of wood ear fungus,shredded chicken,raw shallots in a sambal chilli and fresh coconut milk dressing with dried fried dessicated coconut or kerisik,pounded dried prawns,some keffir lime leaves and coriander n cut red chilli.a squeeze of lime juice is added.My best friend loved this bok nee salad that i cooked for her Juns friend who raved about my Nyonya cooking says i cooked just like her grandma.i cooked top hats ,prawns in pineapple curry,chicken pong teh,deep fried chicken spiced roll or ngee hiong and steam fish otak otak with daun kaduk or betel leaves.i cooked blue pea flower rice and a lemon grass drink. i gifted a jar of my acar pickles to her. Frying the sesame seeds was easy but the roasted crushed peanuts and pounding them was time consuming.I cut and julienned the carrot and cucumber and marinated with salt to remove moisture n make them crunchy.had to use paper kitchen towel to squeeze out the moisture.Then cut cabbage n cubes of pineapple n red chilli.i omitted long beans s

ometimes as i hate them. then fry ground garlic,onion,galangal ginger,lemon grass and fresh tumeric.added sugar,salt n rice vinegar.Commercial acar uses artificial vinegar that is unhealthy chemical laden.put in all cut vefetable .stir fry in low heat and then bottle them in glass jars. lunch i ate toasted wholemeal bread,ayam pong

teh chicken braised with 5 spice,cinnamom n star anise and acar and a glass of chinese tea. i like japanese food like deep fried cabbage,carrot and baby shrimp in shells kakiage shrimp tempura fritter or tempura shrimp n green teas.Japanese food are like spanish tapas that i eat for variety