Blanched vegetables tossed with a spiced, toasted grated coconut mixture, a fresh and fragrant Indonesian salad served at room temperature.
Urap sayur relies on kelapa urap, grated coconut seasoned with a paste of chile, garlic, galangal and kaffir lime leaf, then briefly steamed or toasted to release its aroma before being tossed with blanched vegetables. Green beans, cabbage, bean sprouts and spinach are each blanched separately and only briefly, keeping their individual textures and bright color intact before they're combined with the fragrant coconut mixture. Served at room temperature, urap sayur is a refreshing, textural salad that appears alongside rice and other Indonesian dishes, its combination of steamed vegetables and spiced coconut offering both freshness and real depth of flavor.
Serves 4
Blanch the green beans, cabbage, bean sprouts and spinach separately in boiling water until just tender-crisp; drain and cool.
Blend chiles, garlic and galangal into a smooth paste.
Mix the grated coconut with the spice paste, sliced kaffir lime leaves, salt and sugar.
Steam the seasoned coconut for 5-8 minutes until fragrant and slightly dried out.
Steaming the seasoned coconut briefly releases its aroma and softens the raw edge of the spice paste.
Toss the blanched vegetables with the steamed spiced coconut until well combined.
Serve at room temperature.
Blanch each vegetable separately and only briefly, since they have different cooking times and should stay tender-crisp rather than mushy.
Steam the seasoned coconut briefly before combining it with the vegetables, which helps mellow the raw spice paste and develop more aroma.
Use freshly grated coconut if possible; desiccated coconut can work but won't have quite the same moisture and flavor.
Adding cooked long beans or winged beans gives extra variety and crunch.
A version with tempeh crumbles mixed in makes for a heartier, more substantial salad.
Some regions add a bit of shrimp paste (terasi) to the spice paste for extra umami depth.
Refrigerate up to 2 days in an airtight container; the coconut can dry out somewhat, so add a splash of water if reheating or refreshing leftovers.
Urap sayur is a traditional Javanese dish, part of a broader Indonesian tradition of pairing blanched vegetables with seasoned grated coconut, reflecting the widespread use of coconut in nearly every aspect of Indonesian home cooking.
Yes, though rehydrate it slightly with a bit of warm water first, since fresh grated coconut has more natural moisture.
Fresh ginger is the closest substitute, though galangal's distinct citrusy, piney flavor is part of the traditional taste.
It likely wasn't steamed long enough — steam the seasoned coconut for the full time to mellow the spice paste and develop more rounded flavor.
Per serving (200g / 7.1 oz) · 4 servings total
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