Saloma’s pineapple salad

The pineapples grown in Sarawak, on the island of Borneo, are wonderfully sweet, and the Sarawakians use pineapples in so many ways: to eat as it is, dried with no sugar added, to make jams, and in salads and curries.

Saloma’s pineapple salad. Credit: Audra's Eat, Roam, Relish

• serves

  4-6

• prep

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 large, sweet ripe pineapple, skin and eyes removed, woody core removed, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 fresh ginger torch bud, halved, finely chopped
• 1 medium red onion, peeled, halved, finely sliced
• 1 lemongrass stem, white part only, very finely chopped
• 1-2 spring onions, finely chopped
• Zest of one lime
• Juice of 1-2 limes
• Sugar to taste (if pineapple is not exceptionally sweet)

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients together in a large bowl, toss and serve immediately.

Note

I’ve had my fair share of pineapples and those from Sarawak are the sweetest I’ve ever tasted in my life. The varieties are naturally sweet and do not give you that terribly frustrating prickly feeling on your tongue. Even if it looks a little green, don’t be fooled, they are so sweet. Saloma, who I met during my visit, showed me how to pick a ripe pineapple, it’s all about what it looks like at the stem. As soon as the layers of leaves are a little dryer and wilted, the pineapple is ripe and ready for picking.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.