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Urap (Javanese vegetables with spiced coconut)
Blanched greens, beans and sprouts tossed with chilli-scented grated coconut
Urap is a Javanese and Balinese side dish served at everyday meals and at slametan gatherings, and it is just as common heaped next to rice and tempeh on a weeknight. Freshly blanched long beans, spinach, cabbage and bean sprouts are tossed with grated coconut that has been steamed with shallot, garlic, chilli and lime leaf, so the vegetables taste bright and the coconut sweet, warm and fragrant. Many cooks add terasi (shrimp paste) to the coconut; this version leaves it out so it stays vegan. The common mistake is mixing the coconut into the vegetables hours ahead, when it turns sour and soggy; toss just before eating. Chef's tip: plunge the vegetables into cold water straight after blanching and squeeze the greens dry, or the dressing will be watery.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the vegetables
- 5 ½ oz long beans or green beanscut into 4 cm lengths
- 5 ½ oz white cabbageshredded
- 7 oz spinach or water spinachthick stems removed
- 5 ½ oz bean sprouts
For the spiced coconut
- 5 ½ oz grated coconutfresh or frozen and thawed; or 100 g desiccated soaked in 4 tbsp warm water
- 3 shallotsroughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 red chilliesdeseeded for a milder version
- ¾ in kencur or galangal (optional)peeled
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 makrut lime leavesvery finely shredded
- 1 tbsp lime juice
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (8)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Pound or blend 3 shallots, 2 cloves garlic, 2 red chillies, ¾ in kencur or galangal, 2 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar and 1 tsp salt to a rough paste.
3 minStep 2: Mix the paste and 3 makrut lime leaves into 5 ½ oz grated coconut. Steam in a heatproof bowl over boiling water for 8 minutes (or stir in a dry pan over a low heat for 5 minutes), until the coconut smells toasty and the raw shallot edge has gone. Stir in 1 tbsp lime juice.
8 minStep 3: Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Blanch 5 ½ oz long beans or green beans for 3 minutes, then 5 ½ oz white cabbage for 1 minute, 7 oz spinach or water spinach for 30 seconds and 5 ½ oz bean sprouts for 20 seconds, lifting each out into cold water as it turns bright and just tender.
5 minStep 4: Drain everything well and squeeze the spinach firmly to remove water.
Step 5: Just before serving, toss the vegetables with the spiced coconut until everything is coated. Taste for salt and serve at room temperature.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does urap (Javanese vegetables with spiced coconut) take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 12 minutes to prepare and 13 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of white cabbage?
- Savoy or spring greens, same weight.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
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