Acar Bendi (Ladies Finger Acar)

Do you like ladies fingers (okra)? I know that some people do not like it because it is slimy. But me? I have always loved ladies fingers. My mum and my grandma usually boil the ladies fingers and then we eat them with sambal belacan.

There are many ways to enjoy ladies fingers - stir fried with sambal, made into kerabu, added into asam pedas and fish head curry. And until recently, I learnt a new recipe - Acar Bendi.

I just realised Teacher Azimah did not slice it like this. Sorry teacher.

Well, that's thanks to my new friend, Teacher Azimah who kindly shared her recipe with me in this post.  Azimah is our resident intrepid kindergarten teacher. Reading her posts on the kindergarten and her cheeky wards always brings me back to my own kindie days.

I was enrolled at St Theresa Kindergarten in Kuala Terengganu and I am sorry to say that I was one of those kids who don't like to go to school hah..hah... I would cry when I had to go to school and I believe Teacher Azimah would have had a lot of headache with me.

Subsequently I became a bully (with only one victim) and gave the nuns a lot of stress. But all in all, eventually I turned out to be a well behaved citizen. Perhaps I should tell you more about my kindie days in another post, eh?

Now back to the recipe. As with most Malay cooking, you need to do some blending or pounding first. Nothing too difficult especially if you have a blender.

The blended ingredients are sauteed in hot oil until aromatic and slightly dry. Then you add sugar. Add some water and all the ingredients in the tray above.

Cook briefly till they soften and then add the ladies fingers. Add some water, salt and vinegar and let simmer until ladies fingers are tender. Lastly add fried ikan bilis.

I cooked the ladies fingers to tender but still retaining a bit of crisp and this acar bendi is aromatic, salty, sweet and sour. I think it is a lovely dish which I have cooked twice already.

Thank you again, Teacher Azimah! Please let me have your comments if my cooking needs improvement 😉

Acar Bendi 

Recipe source : Adapted from Asam Garam Kehidupan

Ingredients :

- 300g ladies fingers, sliced

- 1 tomato, cut into wedges

- 1 big onion, sliced

- 1/2 a small carrot, julienned 

- 1 red chlli, sliced into strips

- 4 thin slices ginger, julienned

-  A handful of ikan bilis, fried till crispy

- 2 tbsp distilled vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

- 3 tsp sugar or to taste

- 1 tsp salt or to taste 

Pounded/blended ingredients :

- 4 dried chilies, soaked to soften

- 4 cloves garlic

- 1 big onion

Method :

1. Heat oil in wok and saute the pounded ingredients until aromatic and dryish (sampai garing ler).

2. Add sugar and some water. 

3. Add tomato, sliced onions, carrot, chilli and ginger. Fry until softened.

4. Add ladies fingers and some water. Bring to a boil and add salt and vinegar.

5. Stir to mix and simmer until ladies fingers are cooked.

6. Turn off the flame and add fried ikan bilis.

7. Enjoy!