Rujak (Pungent Fruit Salad)

Rujak is Indonesia’s answer to a fruit bowl, except this one bites back. Crisp jicama and cucumber get tumbled with cubes of just-ripe mango, papaya, pineapple, and tart Granny Smith apple, then dressed in a rough peanut sauce loaded with chile, brown sugar, and tamarind. The pulse of the food processor matters here. You want crunchy bits of peanut, not paste, so the sauce clings to the fruit instead of sliding off.

Scraping the seeds from the cucumber keeps the salad from going watery once the sugar pulls juice out of the fruit. Tamarind dissolved in water and strained gives that sour backbone you can’t fake with lime. Serve it cold or at room temperature with grilled fish, satay, or rice.

Chef Tips

• Use almost-ripe mango and firm papaya. Soft fruit turns to mush once the salty-sweet sauce hits.
• Pulse the peanuts in short bursts. The sauce should look craggy, not smooth.
• Toss right before serving. Sitting too long draws out liquid and dulls the crunch.
• Wear gloves when seeding the chile, or stick to a milder pepper if feeding kids.

Variations

• Swap papaya for green mango or starfruit for a more traditional Sumatran take.
• Add a splash of fish sauce or shrimp paste (terasi) for the savory funk found in street-cart versions.
• Skip the peanuts and finish with toasted sesame seeds for a nut-free version.