Recipe : Famous Maluku Ulak - Ulak
Ulak - ulak is signature dish from Ternate, Maluku. With its melange of raw vegetables and peanut sauce, ulak - ulak bears uncanny resemblance with sundanese karedok. The main difference, however is in the use of kenari ( a kind of walnut), an edible seed Ternate and Tidore are well known for. Another difference lies in the spices. Karedok relies heavily on sand ginger for taste and aroma, whereseas ulak - ulak present a combination of sourness ( from tamarind and lime juice) and spiciness. A hint of garlic can also be detected in the background. The name ulak - ulak may well have been derived from the word ulek ( grind), which refer to how the sauce is made.
Main Ingredient :
- 1/4 cabbage ( thinly sliced)
- 1 cucumber ( cut into small dices)
- 5 long beans ( cut into 1/2 cm lengths)
- 1 handful lemon basil leaves
- 150 gr fresh kenari ( or fried peanuts/ walnuts)
Spices :
- 2 red chillies
- 5 birds eye chillies
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp sugar
- Shrimp paste, Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp tamarind juice
- 2 kaffir limes ( squeezed for juice)
How To Make :
- Wash all the raw vegetables, then drain.
- In a food processor or mortar and pestle grind coarsely grind the chillies along with garlic and walnuts. Add sugar, tamarind and kaffir lime juice. Add a little water. Blend well until it forms a thick dough.
- Prepare the vegetables on a serving plate. Pour the walnut sauce on the top. Garnish with few slices fresh tomatoes.
