Potato Salad with Water Apple (Jambu Air)

If you go to a local market in Malaysia, the tropical fruits are there as much as the omnipresent apples and oranges. No offense to apples and oranges, they’re fantastic and we grow up on them. But we grow up singing ‘A is for Apple’ when A is also for Ambarella (or better known to Malaysians as Kedongdong). The familiarity we have with western fruits through pop culture influence makes them more appealing to us since childhood, and stays prevalent in our kitchen exploits.

My aspiration as a plant-based lifestyle advocate is to not only encourage healthy eating to my community, but to also renew an appreciation for local produce. Our tropical climate has given birth to weird and wonderful fruits and vegetables worth trying… from the fibrous tendrils of Wild Fern (Paku Pakis) to the slippery, slimy flesh of Soursop.

For the uninitiated, the Water Apple is a favourable fruit to start with. It is not overpoweringly sweet, but with its crisp, water-rich texture, subtle hints of rose petals and guava, and blushed pink skin, I find the Water Apple to add a pleasant exotic touch to any dish, without being invasive in taste and mouthfeel.

I was so close to calling this recipe ‘SUPER LEGIT POTATO SALAD’ because that was my first impression of it. I don’t know anything else that comes close. It tastes just like normal potato salad with normal mayonnaise, and maybe even a smidgen reminiscent of egg potato salad.

My husband asked me what recipe is being uploaded this week, and I just answered, “Potato Salad”. He asked, “The nice one?” And that’s why I’m married to him.

I’ve tried it with both fresh dill and fresh Thai basil, and either variation is amazing. If you love potato salad as much as I do, I’m almost certain that you’ll make this enough times to try both.

Perfect to make with kids and to bring to house parties… And so vegans will, from this day henceforth, be the default bringer of MORE than just Hummus.

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Potato Salad with Water Apple (Jambu Air)

January 19, 2018

Servings: 3-4

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 30 min

Total: 35 min

Difficulty: Easy

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The classic potato salad with the juicy crispness of Water Apple. Perfect for kids to help make and eat, and to also bring to picnics and potlucks!

By: Davina Da Vegan

Ingredients

• 2 jumbo water apples
• 3 large potatoes
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup roasted walnuts
• 2 sprigs of fresh dill OR 2 sprigs Thai basil
• Salad Mayonnaise:
• 1/3 cup cashews, soaked in water for 3 hours
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 pinch of black pepper
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

• Step 1 Chop potatoes into bite-sized pieces and boil for 30 minutes until cooked.
• Step 2 In the meantime, blend all mayonnaise ingredients in a blender until smooth, chop water apples into bite-sized pieces, finely dice the onions and roughly chop the walnuts and dill / basil.
• Step 3 Once potatoes are cooked, remove from heat and drain.
• Step 4 Mix potatoes with salt, mayonnaise, water apple and dill / basil.
• Step 5 Top with walnuts and serve immediately, or keep in fridge for 30-45 minutes to eat chilled or to bring later to a get-together.