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1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Blanch the vegetables in sequence — long beans first (2 minutes), cabbage next (1 minute), spinach last (30 seconds) — and refresh each batch immediately in cold water. Drain the bean sprouts in the boiling water for 20 seconds only, then refresh likewise. Each vegetable is done when it yields slightly to the bite but retains its colour and structure.
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2
Combine the freshly grated coconut with the chilli, shallot, garlic, kencur, lime juice, and palm sugar. Work the mixture together by hand or with a pestle until the aromatics are fully distributed and the coconut is uniformly coloured and fragrant. This is the decision point of the dish: if the coconut is desiccated rather than fresh, or if the bumbu is not worked in thoroughly, the dressing will be dry and flat — here the dish either lives in aromatic brightness or dies in dullness.
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3
For urap mentah (raw dressing): proceed directly to assembly. For urap matang (cooked dressing): place the seasoned coconut mixture in a steamer basket and steam over simmering water until the coconut is dry and the fragrance has deepened and concentrated. The dressing is ready when it no longer smells raw and the coconut grains feel dry and separate to the touch.
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4
Press excess water from the blanched vegetables with clean hands. Combine all vegetables in a wide bowl. Add the bumbu and fold through until every strand and leaf is coated. The finished salad should appear glossy with coconut and flecked throughout with chilli and shallot.