Peranakan Mini Gem Prawn Kerabu
Crisp Aeroveg Mini Gem tossed in a punchy Peranakan belacan-lime dressing with tiger prawns and toasted coconut — a bold, aromatic kerabu that comes together in 20 minutes.
Kerabu is the kind of salad that doesn't ask permission — bold, aromatic and unapologetically fragrant. In this Peranakan-inspired version, Aeroveg Mini Gem provides the cool, crisp counterpoint to a punchy belacan-lime dressing, its natural sweetness playing against the heat of chilli and the earthiness of toasted coconut. It's the salad you make when you want something that actually tastes like something.
Method
- Make the dressing. Crumble the toasted belacan into a small bowl. Add lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar and minced shallot. Stir until the sugar dissolves. It should taste salty, sour and faintly sweet — adjust to balance.
- Toast the coconut. If making kerisik from scratch, dry-toast 3 tablespoons of grated coconut in a small pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3–4 minutes until deep golden and fragrant. Watch it closely — it burns fast. Set aside to cool.
- Slice the aromatics. Finely slice the kaffir lime leaves into thin threads and slice the lemongrass as finely as you can. These go in raw and provide the characteristic Peranakan perfume.
- Toss the salad. In a large bowl, combine the Mini Gem leaves, tiger prawns, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and half the crispy shallots. Pour over the dressing and toss gently but thoroughly.
- Plate and finish. Arrange on a serving plate. Scatter over the kerisik, remaining crispy shallots, sliced chilli and fresh herbs. Serve immediately — kerabu waits for no one.
Aeroveg Mini Gem has a natural sweetness and tender crunch that holds up beautifully against bold Peranakan dressings. Separate the leaves just before dressing — the inner leaves are the most tender and sweet, worth keeping whole as cups for scooping up every last bit of dressing.