Month: February 2022

Kue Bolu Sakura

snacks

KUE BOLU SAKURA
These cute little steamed cakes are a pleasure to see and eat. A no hassle recipe , which comes together quickly. These cute cakes are named after the sakura flower, because of the moulds they are made in.The texture of kue sakura  is very light and airy.
These  sweet cakes are  Included in the vast KUE  varieties available all over Indonesia.
KUE MANIS  to an Indonesian is what MITHAI  is to an Indian. Kue are small bite sized sweetmeats usually  made of rice flour, coconut milk, sugar etc and are mostly steamed. Milk is rarely used.
In todays recipe, I have also added a spice mix called SPEKUK. This spice mix has its origins from the Dutch colonial Era, and is used in some traditional cakes and biscuits here.
Familiar to the Indian taste buds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamon, cloves and aniseed are blended together,  with cinnamon and cloves being the dominant flavour. 
Use this mix to flavour your biscuits and cakes instead of vanila for a change.
Do try these little treats, use any tiny moulds if you can’t find the same. Any will do.

KUE BOLU SAKURA.

1st step..
Heat 125 gms of sugar with one tbsp of water to make a rich caramel.
Slowly add 250ml of hot water, and boil till caramel dissolves.
Remove from heat and cool completely.

2nd step.
Mix together dry ingredients
200 gms of  flour
25 gms cornflour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp spekuk spice mix
Sift and  keep aside.

Melt 75 gms margarine and keep aside.

3rd step.
In a mixing bowl add
2 eggs
125gms sugar

Beat till  sugar dissolves, and soft peaks form.
Add the caramel water slowly and whisk till mixed.
Now add  the sifted flour, beat once more till mixed.
Finally fold in the melted margarine.or butter.
Pour into lightly greased moulds and steam for 15 mins. Make sure the steamer is already hot.
( to prevent steam from dripping onto the kue, we normally tie a napkin on the lid)
The fragrance of spekuk will waft thru your kitchen, as the kue are being steamed.
As you open the lid, the kue looks quite puffed up, they will shrink within mins.

Cool for a few mins and remove from moulds.
Done. Enjoy with a cup of hot coffee .

Spekuk spice mix.
2 tbsps ground cinnamon
2 tbsps ground nutmeg( I grated it)
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground aniseed
Blend everything together and use.
Store the remaining in the refrigerator.

Nasi Hainan aka Chicken Rice

main meal

Nasi Hainan aka Chicken rice
(Home made  Modified version)
Mostly everyone is familiar with hainan chicken rice, more so those who travel to Singapore have surely eaten this. Singapore is famous for its Chicken Rice.

On my first visit to Singapore in the early 80’s , it was one of the dishes we had had at a foodcourt.😊
Smooth tender chicken, seasoned rice, a tasty broth to go with it, and the tasty    sauces  with it, make for a balanced flavourful dish.
Here in Jakarta also its quite popular with a slight change in recipes.
But the actual original version calls for a long procedure of making the chicken.
A whole chicken along with the skin is poached in boiling water, then taken out after a while and put into a big pot full of cold water and ice.  This is repeated quote a few times. This shock treatment is what results in a totally tender and smooth chicken.  At home long ago we used to make this, but lately since few years I prefer the modified version. As no one wants the chicken with the skin on. We normally make it out of boneless breast  fillet or boneless thigh fillet.
Easier and faster. For the vegetarian version I used plant based veg chicken fillet.  Do try it . The recipe is a little long but totally worth the trouble.

1st step.
400 gms of boneless chicken
( or you can take  half of a full chicken, with bones and skin)
Rub 2 tsps of salt and 2 tsps of sugar into the chicken and add about 1/4th cup of water.
Let the chicken soak in this brine solution for a minimum of 4 hours.
Wash and Soak 2 cups of jasmine rice.

Spring onion oil
In a bowl add
5 stalks of chopped spring onion
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped.
1 inch piece of ginger.. grated.
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp oyster sauce( I used the vegetarian version)
1 tsp sugar ,  1 tsp salt and 1 tsp white pepper.

To this bowl add 80 ml of hot oil, and mix. Keep aside.

Garlic oil
Heat 100ml of oil in a pan and add
12 cloves of finely chopped garlic
2 inches of grated ginger.

Saute till golden brown.
Keep aside.

Chillie sauce.
Blend together
8 curly red chillies
8 birds eye chillies
6 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
100ml water.

Put this blended paste in a pan and cook for 5 mins. Add 1.5 tbsp of vinegar.
Keep aside.

All 3 sauces done. Onto the rice, chicken and soup.
Pls use either version.
Put drained rice in the rice cooker
Add the following.
1 tbsp normal oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce.
2 tsps salt
1 tsp pepper
2 stalks of  spring onion cut into big pieces.
Now add water according to the rice cooker instructions( normally  2 fingers above rice)
Stir well and place the chicken on the rice.
Cover and cook.  Remove chicken, chop and keep aside.

2nd way using steamer. ( I used this method)
Put drained rice in a pan
Add the following.
1 tbsp normal oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce.
2 tsps salt
1 tsp pepper
2 stalks of  spring onion cut into big pieces.
Now add  about 1 cup of water .
Stir well and cook till no water is left.
Transfer to steamer. And cook till done.

Next I just put the chicken on a steel plate and steam for about 12..15 mins.
Chicken will let out water, reserve the water for adding to soup.
Chop the chicken and keep aside.
Finally the soup.
If you have good chicken stock pls do use it.
In a pan, add 1.5 liters of water.
Add
1 pc bashed ginger
4 cloves garlic bashed
150 gms of sliced cabbage.
Chopped cubed  spring onions.
Salt, pepper, sugar and stock cube.
Boil for about 15 mins.
Test  the seasoning and ready to serve.

I also sauted some pok choi in garlic to serve with the rice.

Martabak Manis aka Sweet Indonesian Pancake.

dessert

MARTABAK MANIS
Indonesian sweet Pancake.

This is a very very popular street food, loved by one and all. Available in 2 forms, one sweet and one savoury, .
The savoury nartabak is more like the baida roti we get in India.
Using eggs, and spices, in a square paratha.
Today, I will share the sweet Martabak recipe.
Through evenings and way past midnight, one can stop by and get martabak to round off the night.
It is made on order, as its best eaten warm. Fillings such as grated cheese, condensed milk, nutella, chocolate rice, groundnuts etc go into it, in combinations as you want or all in one.
Normally the vendor will cut the martabak into squares and put some toothpicks into the squares.
Cheese and chocolate is a very popular combination on most bakery products here in Indonesia. Try it and love it😊
This homemade version is as delicious as the street ones, and more controlable where calories are concerned. The vendors are truly generous with lashings of butter etc.😊

This is a decadant dessert. Easy to make. Just a little tricky. The texture will be spongy and with visible strands.
But satisfaction is guaranteed 😊
Be generous with the fillings.
The trade mark strandy texture, comes from cooking at right temperature.
Hope you all will like it and try making Martabak Manis.

Ps..Ignore the calories and try it.

Ingredients for 3 Pancakes ( I used a 18 cm NONSTICK PAN)

225gms flour
20 gms cornflour
30 gms sugar
250 ml water
1 egg
3/4 tsp baking powder.
2 tsps vanilla essence or paste.

Mix together flour, sugar, cornflour and water. Mix well for 5 mins using a hand held whisk . Once mixed well, add an egg and baking powder, and the vanilla essence.. Mix gently and keep aside covered for 1to 2 hours

Just before making the martabak, , add 3/4 tsp of baking soda to 50 ml water, mix and add to the martabak mix. Mix gently.

(Note.. I poured one cup of batter for each martabak.
I added green colour in one and yellow colour to another.
Its flexible. Can omit colours too.)

Method.
Heat a medium 18 cms size thick nonstick pan.
Once Pan is hot, test by sprinkling a few drops of water. If water sizzles, its ready.
IMPORTANT..PAN SHOULD BE HOT, on medium to high heat.
DO NOT GREASE THE PAN AT ALL.
Pour one cup of batter and swirl once to get a edge of batter on the sides. The heat will push bubbles to the surface.
Bubbles will start appearing, once the surface is full of bubbles, lower the heat.
Sprinkle about one tsp of sugar all over the surface. By now it will appear to be all most cooked, NOW cover the pan for a few mins.
Remove cover, and start loosening the pancake gently.
Remove onto a cutting board
Immediately apply butter all over.
Sprinkle chocolate rice generously AND or cheese . Drizzle condensed milk and top with roasted chopped groundnuts.
Cut into 2 and stack with both the inside parts facing one another. The shape will be like a half moon

Cut into wedges. And enjoy.

Toppings..choose any or mix and match
Nutella
Jam
Chocolate rice
Grated cheese
Crushed roasted peanuts
Biscoff…
Anything goes😊
I have used cheese and condensed milk with chocolate rice and crushed peanuts
Nutella.

EGGLESS VERSION OF MARTABAK

170 gms flour
2 tbsps milk powder
3 tbsps sugar
1/4 tsp salt
250 ml water
1 tsp vanilla or pandan essence.

Mix together flour, milk powder, sugar, salt, water and essence. Keep aside for 1 hour.

Now take 3 tbsps water and add 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp baking powder.

Add to the batter.

Immediately start making the martabak.

Heat a medium 18 cms size thick nonstick pan.
Once Pan is hot, test by sprinkling a few drops of water. If water sizzles, its ready.
IMPORTANT..PAN SHOULD BE HOT, on medium to high heat.
DO NOT GREASE THE PAN AT ALL.
Pour one cup of batter and swirl once to get a edge of batter on the sides. The heat will push bubbles to the surface.
Bubbles will start appearing, once the surface is full of bubbles, lower the heat.
Sprinkle about one tbsp of sugar all over the surface. By now it will appear to be all most cooked, NOW cover the pan for a few mins.
Remove cover, and start loosening the pancake gently.
Remove onto a cutting board