Ketoprak (pronounced ket-o-praak) is a dish that’s a sibling of the more famous Indonesian gado-gado. You could call it a filling salad which can be had hot, cold, or at room temperature — we prefer it at room temperature. Unlike gado-gado, which is mostly all steamed vegetables, ketoprak consists of potato, tofu, rice vermicelli, bean sprouts, cucumber, and sometimes lontong (rice cake).
Today I’ll share the recipe for lontong, aka rice cake — easy to make, very satisfying, and a complete meal on its own. We make the lontong first since it needs a good hour-long boil on the fire, and while that’s being done, we prep the other ingredients. Here in Jakarta we sometimes buy lontong from the wet markets — readily available — and sometimes, when time permits, we make it at home. Lontong keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 days. Do try the recipe.
For the lontong
- Wash and soak 1–2 cups of starchy jasmine rice for 2 hours, then drain (we don’t add salt or oil).
- Cut softened banana leaves into squares — take 2 squares, one on top of the other, and form a cylinder. Secure one end with a toothpick.
- Fill the drained rice into the banana leaf rolls with a spoon, about half way, and secure with a toothpick.
- Fill a good-sized pan with plenty of water and submerge the rolls in it — the water should fully cover the rolls. Depending on the size of the rolls and the pot, you can boil them upright or lying flat.
- Cover and cook on medium heat for a good hour, until the rolls are cooked. Remove and keep aside to cool. (The size of the banana leaf roll can be adjusted.)
Preparation
- 2 big squares of tofu, soaked in salted water, drained and deep-fried whole
- 2–3 boiled potatoes, peeled and deep-fried whole
- 2 cucumbers, peeled
- 1 big bowl of beansprouts, blanched and drained
- 1 big bowl of boiled rice vermicelli
- Some fried onions
- Kaffir lime or normal lime, halved
Peanut sauce
- 100 gms fried peanuts, with skin or without
- 4 kaffir lime leaves (middle stem removed)
- ½ tsp white pepper
- Salt to taste
- ¼ tsp veg stock powder or msg
- 3 bird’s eye chillies, 3 red chillies
- 3 pods of garlic
- 30 gms palm sugar (I boiled the palm sugar with a little water and strained it to remove impurities)
- 3 tbsp tamarind pulp
- Sauté the red chillies, bird’s eye chillies and garlic in 2 tbsp oil.
- In a mixer jar, add the fried peanuts, chillies and garlic. Add salt, pepper, veg stock powder, and the kaffir lime leaves. Add some water and blend to a thick paste.
- Heat 2–3 tbsp oil and add the peanut paste. Sauté for a while, then add the palm sugar and tamarind water. Also add about 1 cup water and let it cook till the oil starts separating. Keep aside.
To serve
On a platter, arrange the rice vermicelli and sprouts, and cut the tofu, potatoes, and cucumbers (at an angle), along with lontong cut into thick discs. Top with peanut sauce and lime juice. Sprinkle some fried onions (please don’t omit). Enjoy.
