Month: August 2022

KETAN SERUNDENG aka sticky rice cakes with coconut flakes

snacks

KETAN SERUNDENG..
( STICKY RICE CAKES WITH SAVOURY COCONUT FLAKES)

Ketan is a hearty snack quite popular in Indonesia.Ketan is usually made from glutinous rice. Rice is soaked and steamed  in steps, usually with an addition of coconut milk. The steamed sticky rice is then quickly formed into balls and rolled in either plain or flavoured coconut flakes, and served with a spicy peanut sauce.
Coconut which is grated and cooked with a spice paste, is called SERUNDENG, this has a long shelf life if stored in the fridge.
Serundeng is used as a topping on yellow rice, served on the side with other dishes and usually a staple at many homes. You can actually call it the podi powder of Indonesia..
Ketan is usually served as a starter or snack.
Glutinous rice or beras ketan can be used to make a sticky sweet porridge also.

Today I have made it in 2 colours, one white and one blue. The blue ketan is made using butterfly pea flower. Soaking these dried flowers in hot water gave it a lovely indigo colour.  Do try this recipe if you can source GLUTINOUS RICE.

250 gms beras ketan( glutinous rice)
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
1/2 cup water.
1 tsp salt
10 gms of dried butterfly pea flowers, soaked in half cup hot water.( about 1/4 cup) strain when water cools down.

Wash and soak the ketan for 4 hours.
Drain the ketan and put in a hot steamer.
Steam for 15 mins.
Remove into 2 bowls.
To one bowl add 1/4 cup coconut milk, 1/4 cup water and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix and keep aside for 15 mins…the liquid will be absorbed by then..
To the other bowl of ketan, add 1/4 cup coconut milk, 1/2 tsp  salt and 1/4 cup blue liquid from the strained flowers. Keep aside for 15 mins.

After 15 mins put both the soaked rice back into the steamer and steam for 20 mins.
Remove into 2 bowls, make balls while still warm.
Roll the blue ketan balls in plain grated coconut.
Roll the white ketan balls in serundeng.
Serve with peanut sauce.

To make serundeng.
Grind together..
3 garlic pods
5 shallots
4 to 5 red chillies
1 tsp corriander powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
6 shredded kaffir lime leaves.
1 tbsps grated gur.
Small pc of fresh turmeric.

Take a pan, add 2 tbsps oil
Add ground paste and saute till cooked.
Add 1 cup grated and steamed coconut.
Saute till well mixed.
Cool and pulse in mixer to get semi powdered mix.

For white coconut..
Grated and steam coconut for 10 mins.

Tip…we normally grate and steam coconut. To keep handy in the fridge.
It does not go sour , using this method.

Peanut sauce..

100 gms fried peanuts with skin or without
1/2 tsp white pepper
Salt to taste
Veg stock powder, or msg 1/4 tsp
6 bird chillies, 6 red chillies
3 pods of garlic
30 gms palm sugar( I have boiled the palm sugar with little water , and strained to get rid of impurities.)
3 tbsps tamarind pulp or juice of 1 lime.

. Saute the red chillies, bird eye chillies and garlic in 2 tbsps oil.
2. In a mixer jar, add fried peanuts, chillies and garlic. Add salt, pepper and veg stock powder. Add some water and blend to a thick paste.

MARTABAK/AKA BAIDA ROTI/ AKA ASIAN PARATHA

main meal

MARTABAK aka ASIAN PARATHA aka BAIDA ROTI

This stuffed Pancake or paratha is probably known to many of us. Arabs, Indians, south asian, chinese etc each nation has its own way of making it. Here in Jakarta its very common to see martabak carts on most streets. They sell the sweet version( shared the recipe earlier) and the savoury version.
But the street version uses a lot of MINYAK SAMIN( a local ghee) and also mostly uses duck eggs which are bigger than hen eggs. They also keep dough balls dunked in oil( maybe to give the dough more elasticity) and use bigger skillets than our home tawas.
I prefer making a healthier  fusion version at home using eggs and stirfried vegetables . This on its own is a complete meal.
Most nights when I don’t know what to cook…we make martabaks.
Please do try out this simple martabak recipe.

2 cups flour
2 tbsps oil
1/2 tsp salt
Cold water.
Mix the oil and salt  into the flour, and add some cold water to make a medium soft dough..cover with a wet cloth and keep aside.

1/2 cup carrots.. julienned
1/2 cup french beans cut diagonally
1/2 cup cabbage ..thinly sliced
1/2 cup beansprouts. Or young corn( cut into small strips)
1/2 cup spring onions finely chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1  tsp white pepper
1 tsp sesame oil.
Salt to taste

Heat a wok and add 1 tbsp oil, add the garlic, white pepper and salt.
Saute for a minute, and add all the prepared vegetables… saute on a high flame and cook just for few mins. Add sesame oil and remove the vegetables in a bowl. The vegetables should still have a crunch… keep aside.

For this recipe you will need 8 medium eggs.
I normally make 8 small size martabaks from this quantity.

Divide the dough into 8.
Preheat the tawa or skillet on very very low.

Take one part of the dough, roll into a very thin chappati…as thin as you can ,
Gently place the chappati on the tawa, pour the filling, and spread it a bit, now fold 3 parts of the chappati to form a triangle, try not to leave any space, and let grill on one side, gently flip over, apply butter or oil..and let cook.
Once both sides have brown spots , remove and cut into smaller triangles. Serve with a chillie sauce.

Filling..
For each martabak beat one egg in a bowl, season very lightly with salt and pepper. Add about 1/4th cup of stir fried vegetables, and mix.,,( can add 1 tbsps grated cheese at this point)

Options for vegetarians..
Just spread the stir fried vegetables on the chappati ( on the tawa,) sprinkle grated paneer or cheese.