Name: Yellow Turmeric Pickles (Acar Kuning)
Yield: Makes about 4 cups (950 ml)
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: ¼ cup (35 g) chopped red bell pepper; 2 (½-inch/12-mm) slices galangal; 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar; ½ teaspoon ground turmeric; 2 salam leaves; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided; 1 cup (60 g) cauliflower florets; 3 candlenuts or unsalted macadamias; 3 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks; 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, divided; 8 Asian shallots or 4 European shallots, coarsely chopped; 2 tablespoons sugar; ¼ cup (35 g) chopped green bell pepper; 4 cloves garlic; 5 seedless cucumbers, such as Kirby or Persian, peeled and cut into matchsticks; 1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed, bruised, and chopped; 2–4 red bird’s eye chilies or Thai chilies, stemmed (optional); ½ cup (120 ml) water, plus more as needed

Preparation info

Makes about
4 cups

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Mortar and Pestle

By Patricia Tanumihardja

Published 2024

About

This yellow-tinged, flavor-packed, sweet and sour pickle is delicious on its own, as a condiment, or as a topping for fried fish. In the spirit of Julia’s no-waste policy, you can use leftover spice paste from making Ayam Goreng Kuning to make these pickles, too.

Ingredients

5 seedless cucumbers, such as Kirby or Persian, peeled and cut into matchsticks
3 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks

Method

Place the cucumbers and carrots in a colander and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow to sit in the sink for 30 minutes to remove excess water. Rinse with cold running water, drain, and set aside.

To make the spice paste, toast the candlenuts in a small, dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and browned, 5–6 minutes. Crush with the flat part of a knife’s blade.

In a sm