300g cucumber
1 tsp salt for cucumber
100g carrots
2 tbsp oil
4 slices ginger
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1. Halve cucumber lengthwise and remove soft core. Cut into 3.5 cm sticks (the usual shape of cucumber found in acar).
2. Mix the 1 tsp salt with the cucumber, set aside for about 15mins, then squeeze to extract as much juice as possible (to prevent end product from getting soggy).
3. Cut carrot into 3.5 cm sticks as well.
4. Heat oil in wok and saute ginger and mustard seeds until the seeds pop. Stir in tumeric and chilli powder, then add the veges, sugar, salt and saute further (about 2 mins). Take care not to overcook (I prefer my veges to be crunchy, so tend to let it be quite raw!). Turn off heat, add vinegar and mix well.
5. Cool in wok, then put the acar in clean dry bottles.
6. Keep overnight before serving, preferably chilled.
Hope you'll enjoy this.
If you like it spicier, you could add a bit more chilli powder. Also you can sprinkle with lightly toasted sesame seeds and/or ground peanuts just before serving.