This kerabu combines tender spinach with nutty toasted coconut and a punchy dressing of lime, shallot and belacan. Serve the salad at room temperature as a small starter.
Kerabu is a Malaysian term for a group of salads that bring together a variety of vegetables, herbs and other ingredients with a boldly flavoured dressing. The exact combination varies by dish and region, so there’s no single, definitive kerabu. In this version, spinach takes centre stage. The leaves are briefly blanched: they wilt, but keep enough structure to hold the dressing. After blanching, it’s important to drain them well, as any excess water will dull the flavour and dilute the lime.
Toast the desiccated coconut in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat. Stir regularly until evenly light golden brown, about 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool.
Toast the belacan in the same dry pan for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Turn on the extractor fan; shrimp paste has a strong smell. Leave to cool slightly.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Blanch the spinach in batches for 30–45 seconds, until the leaves have just wilted. Cool immediately under cold running water, drain well and gently squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Roughly chop.
Finely chop the shallot and chilli. Pound the belacan and palm sugar to a paste in a mortar. Mix with the lime juice, shallot and chilli.
Toss the spinach and toasted coconut with the dressing. Taste and add a little more lime juice if needed. Leave the flavours to mingle for 5 minutes and serve at room temperature, with prawn crackers if you like.
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