Last Updated on December 3, 2023
This easy Spicy vegan rojak salad recipe is refreshing and perfect for a summer lunch. The spicy Asian flavors combined with fruit, turnip, tofu, calamansi limes, and tamarind are so satisfying!
What is Rojak?
Rojak salad is a fresh fruit and vegetable salad often sold in Singapore’s restaurants and Hawker centers (food centers). This salad has many variants, as it is prevalent in Malaysia and Indonesia. Rojak means eclectic mix in Malay, which is a delicious and fresh mix!
Most versions include Belacan, a shrimp paste made from crushed shrimp and salt and then fermented for several weeks, but I decided to create a vegan version, which is also lighter in taste.
I am using seedless guava, and it is great for this salad. It is one of my favorite salads, especially for a summer lunch, as it is fresh and spicy! Adding local turnips gives it a fresh flavor, and since it is neutral, it brings out the sauce’s character.
Changes I Made to the Original Recipe:
- The original recipe is made with tau pok (fried beancurd), but for a lighter taste, I decided to use firm Tofu, and instead of frying it, I baked the tofu chunks in the oven with no oil. First, I macerate the tofu chunks with soy sauce cornstarch for five minutes; then, I bake them in the oven over a piece of parchment paper at a high temperature for a short time. The Tofu will be crunchy!
- Another ingredient I should be using in this recipe is the Char Kuay (Chinese dough fritters); I omit this ingredient because I find it too heavy and oily.
- In this vegan recipe, I am not using Belacan, a fermented prawn paste commonly used in Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cuisines.
- Besides the deseeded fresh chili pepper, I use some Shichimi tōgarashi, a Japanese mix of chili and spices, to add some umami! You can replace it with chili powder if you don’t have it.
Tips for making this vegan Rojak Salad:
- Cut all the ingredients into medium size chunks — If you cut them too small, they will absorb too much sauce and become bland. Also, store them in the refrigerator while preparing the salad to avoid oxidation.
- Don’t chop the peanuts too small — small pieces will lose their crunchiness as they become too soft with the sauce.
- Remove the seeds and veins of the red chili pepper — this part of the chili pepper can be too spicy and ruin your sauce. If you want it to be spicier, add some chili flakes or Shichimi tōgarashi to the sauce.
More about the ingredients for the Rojak Salad:
- Calamansi limes — This Southeast Asia citrus variety is small and contains many tiny seeds. However, despite being so small, they have a lot of juice and, compared to limes, are less acidic. Its color is greenish orange, and it has a delicious orange perfume.
- Molasses —A paste obtained from sugar cane; it is dark in color and has a dense consistency like syrup. In this recipe, I use (Blackstrap molasses) its taste is not so sweet, and it is a little bit bitter.
- Tamarind sauce — I prefer to use diluted and seedless tamarind sauce; check the percentage of tamarind in the container; the higher the rate of tamarind, the better.
- Ensure it does not contain additives other than salt and water; sometimes, they put in a lot of sugar; I have seen some sauces that contain even garlic! And we don’t want that in our salad.
- Firm Tofu — I think it is perfect for this recipe; drain all the liquid before using it to obtain crunchy pieces of baked Tofu.
- Guava — Guava contains a lot of seeds, but fortunately, you can find seedless Guava in the supermarkets!
- Peanuts — It can be challenging to find unsalted roasted peanuts, but don’t worry; you can also use salted roasted peanuts and rinse them with water to remove the salt.
I hope you love it as much as we do, and who knows, this can become one of your favorite exotic salads!
VEGAN ROJAK SALAD
After making this recipe several times, I’ve come up with a vegan, spicy and refreshing version of the traditional Rojak Salad.
Ingredients
- 200 gr Japanese cucumber (substitute – any type of cucumber).
- 200 gr Red apple
- 200 gr Pineapple
- 200 gr Guava
- 200 gr Firm tofu
- 200 gr Turnip (substitute – radish).
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch.
- 1 tablespoon Soy sauce.
For the crunchy touch:
- 20 gr Peanuts (unsalted and roasted).
- Sesame seeds
For the sauce:
- 6 Calamansi limes (substitute – 2 limes).
- 1 Red chili pepper (remove the seeds).
- 30 gr Tamarind paste or tamarind sauce.
- 20 ml Molasses (substitute – brown sugar).
- 1 tablespoon Brown sugar (if you are already using brown sugar instead of molasses, you don’t need to add this).
- 3 tablespoon Water.
- Shichimi tōgarashi (substitue – powder).
Instructions
- Cut all the fruit and vegetables into cubes and store them in the refrigerator.
- Soak the tofu chunks with a little bit of soy sauce and add some corn starch; place the tofu chunks over an oven tray with a piece of parchment paper and bake them for 20 minutes at 200 celcius degrees, it is not necessary to add oil.
- Chop the peanuts.
- Let’s start making the sauce: Use a food grinder or blender. Pour the Calamansi limes juice (without the seeds), fresh chili pepper, molasses, tamarind, water, and sugar. Blend all the ingredients well until you get a smooth paste. Check the spiciness and add Shichimi tōgarashi to taste. Blend again.
- Mix the salad with the sauce: Add the sauce to the fruit and the tofu chunks and add half of the chopped peanuts. Mix well with a spoon to incorporate the sauce. Serve the salad immediately, adding the rest of the peanuts and some sesame seeds on top of it.
