acar!!

Today, I helped guama make her famous acar which is a family favourite. XD After doing this, it makes me wonder why I didn't stay in the kitchen more. It's trade secrets here, so if you can piece together what's happening, all well and good. =D

*aaahhhh* XD the smell of crushed sesame seeds are really nice..especially after frying them.


well, okay, so not completely crushed. The smell is still nice though, can't wait to eat it -with- the masterpiece itself.


And here's guama sifting out the peanut shells =D she can't stand them, and coincidentally, neither does my dad. But the way she does it is waaay more systematic. The shells are at least neatly gathered in the sink XP Might show you what I mean by this later XD


These...I don't know what's in it. Looks like...hmm..onions, garlic, ginger, and I still don't know what the orange things are. And no, they're not carrots.


Asam water. Looks like tomato sauce.


The vegs *before* they're cooked.


I got to crush them XD It's peanuts~ and I was thinking of eating mua chi while I was doing this. Swweet~


Whee~ here's where the fun part starts. It's alot of chilli paste and asam water, which makes it....what it is.


Now here's the carrots and cucumbers. Essential in acar, at least this one if not any other.


The vegs *after* cooking. They look really really shrunken. I prefer the fresh ones though. XD


Dunking! Start off with the carrots..


More aimless stirring ensues.. Not really aimless since this is what cooking is all about anyway XD


A sudden wave of green drowns the carrots.. Poor carrots. But yet more life, evolving it into acar! XD Fiesta! XD


In the making (I remember, while she's cooking, she kind of reminds me of a fencer, especially the left hand... I don't have a pic though)


Can you smell it? XD I want to eat it. Maybe when it's cooler, since this one is still in the wok.


Sprinkly winkly nuts go in.


Finally *drumroll* The masterpiece by a genius cook XD The pot isn't shallow either...

And so guama's acar is revealed to the world. Pretty lousy for a photo log involving cooking, but I've got to start somewhere.