Rujak--What to Serve with Hot (Spicy) Entrees

What kind of salad works best with Thai food, curries, Indonesian Reistafel  and all those fiery-to-the-taste-buds, sinus clearing dishes?  Years and years ago, when I made curry often (the kids loved it!) I came across a recipe that was absolutely perfect for my spicy concoctions.  I've never seen it before or since.  The  page where I typed (yes, typed) it is even yellow and curry-spattered, with the holes fortified with reinforcements.  The salad is a tart fruit salad.  Here is the recipe.
You will note that the ingredients are common and therefore relatively cheap.  I think a kiwi would work well.  The recipe predates kiwi's availability in the stores.  The recipe predates almost everything, except the Cheeseparer.  

Note:  the "sour salt" is citric acid which many grocery store will sell, but you can also find it at the drug store and if that doesn't work crush a vitamin C tablet if the ingredient is citric acid.  It keeps the apple and banana from turning that yukky brown. 


Rujak--Tart Fruit Salad


4 cups water 
3/4 cup  dark brown sugar  (light brown in a pinch)
1/2 t. crushed chili peppers (hot pepper flakes)
1/2 t. sour salt
1 T. lemon juice
1 lemon cut into eighths 
sliced banana (not overly ripe)
orange sections (canned mandarin in a pinch)
peeled apple wedges
thinly sliced unpeeled cucumber 


Boil sugar and water until it makes a clear syrup--about 4 minutes; remove from heat.  Add hot pepper flakes and sour salt; stir until salt dissolves.  Stir in lemon juice after syrup has cooled slightly.  
About 2 hours before serving, mix syrup with the cut up fruit and cucumber.  Chill in coldest part of refrigerator and serve ice-cold.
This is  served as a side dish and eaten as a "refresher" between mouthfuls of hot food.  
 No idea where this recipe originated.

The Cheeseparer.