Fruit Salad

One ingredient in this salad that you will not likely find in U.S. grocery stores is the zalak, a fruit which grows on a spiny palm in Indonesia and Malaysia. You may substitute lychees or use a pear or apple for an approximate texture.

1 medium fresh or 1 large can papaya
1 wedge watermelon
1 zalak or 4 lychees or 1 apple or pear
juice of 1 lime or lemon
thick coconut milk* or dairy cream
2 bananas
1 ripe mango
4 slices pineapple
1 tablespoon brown sugar

• Cut the papaya unto 2 halves, remove the seeds and carefully scoop the fruit with a teaspoon to curl fruit into balls.
• Slice and cube the other fruit and then arrange the fruit either in the papaya skins or in a bowl. Sprinkle with lemon or lime juice and sugar. Serve with cream or thick coconut milk.

* You can make thick coconut milk by combining the meat from one fresh coconut, cut into chunks, with 1 ½ cups hot but not quite boiling water in a blender. Blend two to three minutes. Let stand for twenty minutes. Strain in a cloth, squeezing all the liquid from the coconut. Use immediately or keep in the refrigerator for up to four days. If you do not have a blender, you can grate the coconut by hand and pour the boiling water over it.