Urban Urab: Balinese style coconut and vegetables

Urab Sayur is a green vegetable and coconut salad that we often enjoy in Bali.

Whilst we can’t get the ingredients for our favourite fern tip “Urab” in Sydney, my so-called Urban Urab comes close to replicating the fresh and delicious flavours using local ingredients.

Bubu’s famous Fern Urab in Ubud

It goes well alongside Zuchinni in Coconut Milk Curry Sauce and Balinese Pork or any grilled or roast seafood or meat.

Ingredients:

  • 250g green beans, finely sliced
  • 2 cups of baby spinach sliced finely into shreds
  • 1/2 cup dessicated coconut
  • 2 small red chillis
  • 4 eschallots or a small red onion
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon shrimp paste (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • juice of one lime
  • 1/4 cup Asian fried shallots
  • 2 tablespoons oil

Method:

  1. Pound garlic and chillies together in a mortar and pestle to create a paste
  2. Finely slice eschallots or red onion and the green beans….as finely as you can. Keep them in seperate bowls.
  3. Heat oil, add onion and cook slowly until caramelised and brown, then add garlic chilli paste and shrimp paste (if using) and cook for 1-2 minutes. (The shrimp paste will be smelly but adds depth and authenticity)
  4. Add green beans, fish sauce and water and cook until beans are tender but still have some crunch …about 2-3 minutes (I don’t use extra salt as the shrimp paste and fish sauce are salty but you can add salt to your taste)
  5. Remove from heat, add shredded spinach, dessicated coconut, drizzle with lime juice and scatter over the Asian fried shallots

Caramelised Brussel Sprout and Spinach Salad

Crunchy, caramelised Brussel sprouts roasted with tangy pomegranate molasses, chilli and garlic and then tossed with crispy baby spinach and twist of lemon. Will change any non-Brussel sprout lover’s mind!

Prep time: 5 minutes  Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients:

250g Brussel sprouts
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 red chilli finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
150g baby spinach (or enough to toss with your sprouts)
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celcius

Line baking tray with grease proof/baking paper

Chop  hard end off sprouts and split in half or leave whole if very small

Place sprouts cut side up in baking tray, sprinkle over chilli, garlic, olive oil. Use rubber glove to carefully smear each sprout with olive oil, then sprinkle pomegranate molasses over the sprouts.

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Bake in oven until sprouts are tender and crisp and caramelised to your liking. (I like them almost burnt)

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Add to spinach along with lemon juice, salt and pepper, toss and serve!

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