Pasembur (Malaysian Indian Rojak)
Pasembur is a Malaysian Indian rojak salad featuring a vibrant mix of shredded vegetables, fried fritters, and sometimes seafood, all generously coated in a sweet and spicy peanut sauce. This recipe focuses on a vegetarian version, highlighting the fresh crunch of vegetables and the satisfying bite of the fritters.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 1 hr 10 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Per serving
- 864 kcal
Allergen information: may contain eggs, gluten, nuts, and peanuts. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.
Mise en place
Ingredients
Converted for display; the recipe amounts stay equivalent.
salad
- 1 pcscucumber, julienned
- 0.5 pcsjicama, julienned
- 100 gbean sprout, blanched
- 8 pcsfried tofu puff, halved
- 1 pcspotato, boiled and cubed
- 2 pcsegg, hard-boiled and quartered
sauce
- 150 gpeanut, roasted and ground
- 10 gdried chili, soaked and deseeded
- 3 clovegarlic, minced
- 2 pcsshallot, chopped
- 10 gginger, grated
- 100 gsweet potato, boiled and mashed
- 50 gpalm sugar, grated
- 2 tbsptamarind paste, mixed with 60ml water
- 0.5 tspsalt
- 250 mlwater
- 3 tbspvegetable oil
fritters
- 150 gall-purpose flour
- 50 grice flour
- 0.5 tspbaking powder
- 0.25 tspturmeric powder
- 180 mlwater
- 0.25 tspsalt
- 500 mlvegetable oil, for deep frying
- 0.5 pcsyellow onion, finely sliced
garnish
- 1 pcsgreen chili, sliced(optional)
- 2 tbspfried shallot(optional)
Equipment
saucepan · slotted spoon · deep pot · wok · blender · large bowl · whisk · serving plate
The method
Step by step
- 1
Prepare the pasembur sauce: Blend the soaked dried chili, garlic, shallot, and ginger into a smooth paste.
About 10 min
Cook’s note: Add a tablespoon of water if needed to help the blending process.
- 2
Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, then sauté the blended chili paste until fragrant, about 5-7 minutes.
About 7 min
Cook’s note: Stir frequently to prevent burning.
- 3
Add water, ground peanut, mashed sweet potato, palm sugar, tamarind paste, and salt to the saucepan.
- 4
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
About 20 min
Cook’s note: The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon.
- 5
Remove the pasembur sauce from heat and set aside to cool.
- 6
Prepare the fritter batter: In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, rice flour, baking powder, turmeric powder, and salt.
About 3 min
Cook’s note: Ensure there are no lumps in the dry ingredients.
- 7
Gradually add water to the dry ingredients, mixing until a smooth, thick batter is formed.
About 2 min
Cook’s note: The batter should be thick enough to coat the sliced yellow onion.
- 8
Stir in the finely sliced yellow onion into the batter.
About 1 min
- 9
Heat vegetable oil for deep frying in a deep pot or wok to 170°C (340°F).
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Use a thermometer to ensure the oil is at the correct temperature for even frying.
- 10
Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil, frying in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes per batch.
About 15 min
Cook’s note: Do not overcrowd the pot, as this will lower the oil temperature and make the fritters soggy.
- 11
Remove the fritters with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- 12
To assemble, arrange the julienned cucumber, julienned jicama, blanched bean sprout, halved fried tofu puff, cubed potato, and quartered hard-boiled egg on a serving plate.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Arrange ingredients aesthetically for a more appealing presentation.
- 13
Top generously with the freshly fried fritters.
- 14
Ladle a generous amount of the pasembur peanut sauce over the entire salad.
Cook’s note: Serve extra sauce on the side for those who like more.
- 15
Garnish with sliced green chili and fried shallot, if desired, and serve immediately.
Per serving
Nutrition
- Calories
- 864kcal
- Protein
- 22.3g
- Carbs
- 91.2g
- Fat
- 48.5g
- Fibre
- 10.6g
- Sugar
- 22.5g
Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.
Keep it good
Store leftover sauce and individual components separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
The sauce can be gently reheated on the stovetop; fritters are best re-crisped in an oven or air fryer. Vegetables are best eaten fresh.
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