Indonesian Coleslaw (Lotek)

Indonesian Coleslaw (Lotek)

• 1/2 sweetheart cabbage
• 1 large carrot

For the Peanut Sauce

• 1 pot crunchy peanut butter
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic 
• 2 red chillies (or 1 tbsp sambal oelek)
• 2 lime leaves (djeroek poeroet)
• 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar or soft brown sugar 
• 1 shallot or small onion
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp tamarind paste
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• To serve- crispy fried onions, prawn crackers or fresh coriander

1 Make the Peanut Sauce first by making a spice paste using the onions, garlic, chillies, dried spices and lime leaves. You can use a pestle and mortar or if you have a hand blender with mixer attachment, use that.

2 Cook this paste with 1 tbsp of oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat till fragrant and softened.

3 Add the tamarind paste and the peanut butter.

4 Add the lemon juice and 1 cup of water and stir until the sauce is smooth.

6 Add the sugar and salt (adding more to taste) and the sambal oelek if using. Note: sambal oelek is quite salty, so use sparingly if salt has been added already.

7 Finely chop or grate the white cabbage and carrot and place in a mixing bowl large enough.

8 Mix 1/2 of the sauce in with the vegetables, spooning more on top if required.

9 Serve as pictured with sriracha sauce and coriander or with crispy fried onions and prawn crackers. The leftover sauce freezes well, otherwise use for grilled meats, fish or blanched vegetables.