Cucumber, Pineapple and Peanut Rojak (Salad) with Tamarind Dressing

This fabulous salad from Agak Agak: Everyday Recipes from Singapore is inspired by Singaporean rojak, an eclectic mix of crunchy fruit and vegetables in a punchy dressing. Author Shu Han Lee has kept all the elements she loves from that dish – crisp cucumber, soft and juicy pineapple and crunchy, salty roasted peanuts – and dressed them in a flavourful combination of tamarind, lime, sugar and chilli.

This makes a fantastic side dish for both Singaporean and other heavily spiced dishes (we had it with Lee’s Lime Leaf Chicken Curry) but we also loved the leftovers as a salad alongside a juicy, grilled steak. And you’ll be pleased to know that it retains its textures very well in the fridge overnight!

Read more about the book in our full review of Agak Agak: Everyday Recipes from Singapore by Shu Han Lee.

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Cucumber, Pineapple and Peanut Rojak (Salad) with Tamarind Dressing

This is a salad very loosely inspired by the Singaporean ‘rojak’, an eclectic salad of crunchy fruit and vegetables, drenched in a dressing made of hei ko, a dark and gooey sweet shrimp paste. I’ve kept all the elements I love about it here: crisp cucumber, juicy pineapple, aromatic roasted peanuts and a sweet fruity dressing. The tamarind, lime and chilli dressing is key to bringing this salad together. It’s fresh and zesty, with just enough heat for it to tingle on your tongue. It’s also versatikept alle enough to work with all sorts of vegetables, so feel free to double it and use it to liven up any boring salad.

Author Shu Han Lee

Ingredients

• 1 large cucumber
• 250 g (9 oz) pineapple, peeled, seeds and eyes removed
• ½ small red onion, very finely chopped
• 50 g (1¾ oz) freshly roasted peanuts, crushed
• handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped

For the dressing

• 4 tbsp tamarind paste
• 4 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• ¾ tsp fine sea salt
• 1 bird’s eye chilli, finely chopped

Instructions

• Combine the ingredients for the dressing, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt.
• Quarter the cucumber lengthwise, cut off the seedy middle, then cut into 1 cm (½ in) pieces. Cut the pineapple into similar-sized pieces.
• Mix the cucumber, pineapple and red onion together with the dressing. Set aside for 5 minutes.
• When ready to serve, add the peanuts and mint and toss to combine.

The combination of cucumbers, pineapple, peanuts, red onion and mint is not one I’d ever have imagined together but it’s an absolute revelation. Each ingredient brings something significant to the whole and the contrast of textures and tastes is revelatory!

Let us know if you make this. What did you think?

Find more Southeast Asian recipes, here.

This recipe is extracted from Shu Han Lee’s Agak Agak: Everyday Recipes from Singapore cookbook and republished with permission from Hardie Grant. Book photography by Ola O. Smit. Home photography by Kavita Favelle.