Get your greens in with this delicious Balinese coconut vegetable salad. I learned how to make this urab (or urap) from our host during a trip to Bali. Fresh coconut, aromatic spices, and a medley of vegetables are tossed together to create a delicious side dish. Get creative and make some swaps as needed to get as close to the taste of Bali as you can!
Toast coconut in aromatic spices
Blanch the veggies
Toss it altogether
And enjoy!
Ingredients
TasteAtlas has a quick description for urab (or urap). A traditional Indonesian salad of blanched vegetables, coconut, and aromatic herbs and spices. The fresh coconut in Bali, not to mention all of the fresh herbs, pack this simple salad with a ton of flavour!
I am happy that I have got quite close to recreating the flavour I remember now that I am back in my own kitchen in Canada. I was even able to find fresh (frozen) coconut at my local Asian market! If you can't find fresh however, I have made this with unsweetened desiccated coconut as well.
My version of this Balinese coconut vegetable salad is made with:
- Dehydrated coconut (use fresh if you can!)
- My Basa Bali spice paste (keep reading for alternatives)
- A kaffir lime leaf for the aroma
And then the veggies:
- Yu Choy (or use a similar leafy green)
- Green beans
- Mung bean sprouts
- Snow peas
- Carrot
The Basa Bali spice paste brings in all of the aromatic herbs and spices. It is a combination of galangal, lemongrass, ginger, turmeric, shallot, garlic, candlenuts, and chillies. If you don't have the time to make the Basa Bali - don't despair! Try to add in as many of those flavours as you have on hand.
Feel free to be creative and make swaps with the vegetables as you need. Likewise, the kaffir lime leaf lends so much amazing aroma to this salad but if you don't have any, consider adding just a splash of lime juice to achieve a similar feeling.
Method For Balinese Coconut Vegetable Salad
This Balinese coconut vegetable salad is quite simple to make!
- First, toast the coconut with the basa bali spice paste.
- Meanwhile, chop the veggies.
- Then, blanch the veggies for a few minutes.
- Immediately plunge them in ice water to stop the cooking process and preserve their bright colour.
- Toss the drained veggies with the coconut mixture.
- And serve cold or reheat the mixture to serve it warmed.
Recipe Cost
This urab or Balinese coconut vegetable salad serves 4 as a side dish and costs us just under $7 Canadian.
Some of the ingredients in the Basa Bali spice paste are a little pricier for me in Canada and can only be found in Asian markets. When I'm craving the flavours of Bali though, I make a batch of Basa Bali paste and divide it between this urab, my tofu pepes and Balinese tempeh! Add in these perkedels and you have a delicious Balinese inspired platter to enjoy.
Let me know in the comments below if you make this Balinese coconut vegetable salad. Make sure to tell me if you enjoy it alongside my other Balinese inspired recipes!
Print
Urab - Balinese Coconut & Vegetable Salad
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Toasted coconut, aromatic spices, and fresh vegetables. This urab or Balinese coconut vegetable salad is packed with flavour!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp fried basa bali (see notes for alternatives)*
- 1 kaffir lime leaf, torn in half for fragrance*
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (use fresh coconut if possible)
- 175 g yu choy, chopped*
- 100 g green beans, chopped*
- 100 g mung bean sprouts*
- 60 g snow peas, chopped*
- 95 g carrot julienned (about 1 medium carrot)
- Salt to taste
*Fresh ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium low heat. Add fried basa bali, torn lime leaf, shredded coconut, and water. Stir frequently until the coconut is lightly toasted and fragrant.
- Meanwhile, wash and chop all of the vegetables other than the bean sprouts. You ideally want smaller thin slices.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil (salting the water will help bring out the flavour of the vegetables). Add the vegetables to the boiling water and blanch for 2-3 minutes. Immediately drain the water or remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and plunge the vegetables into ice water to stop the cooking process (I fill my salad spinner with ice water and add the vegetables. Then I can lift the strainer basket to drain the ice water and even give the vegetables a spin to dry them off).
- Toss the cooked vegetables with the coconut mixture, add any salt as desired and serve cold or reheat before serving. (I actually prefer this salad warm).
- Leftovers will keep refrigerated for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
Notes
Approximate Cost: $5.98 without the basa bali ($6.65 with basa bali).
If you do not have the ingredients to make my basa bali recipe you can still make a tasty salad without it. Add any of the following ingredients you have on hand to get closer to the flavour the basa bali imparts: 1-2 teaspoons of each: fresh grated ginger, fresh grated turmeric (sub with ¼ - ½ teaspoon ground), minced lemongrass, chopped candlenuts or macadamia nuts, garlic, shallot, and red chillies. These additions will get you closer to the flavour imparted by the basa bali.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: salad
- Method: Various
- Cuisine: Indonesian
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