Ketoprak..

Ketoprak..
( pronounced KAT..O..PRAAK)

This dish is a sibling of the more famous INDONESIAN GADO GADO.
You can say its a filling salad which can be had hot, cold or at room temperature.
We prefer it at room temprature.
Unlike the gado gado, which is mostly all steamed vegetables, KETOPRAK consists of potato, tofu, rice vermicilli, bean sprouts , cucumber and sometimes  LONTONG( rice cake) .
Today I will share the recipe of  LONTONG,  Aka rice cake. Easy to make and very satisfying. A complete meal on its own and delicious. So basically we make the lontong first as it needs a good one hour boil on the fire.  And while thats being done we prep the other ingredients. Here in Jakarta we sometimes buy the lontong from the wet markets. Readily available. And sometimes when time permits, we make them at home. Lontong keep well in the fridge for upto 2 days. Do try the recipe.
Have included the photos in the comment section.

For lontong
1 or 2 cups of starchy jasmine rice.
Wash and soak for 2 hours.
Drain.
( we dont 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 toothpick.
Fill  the drained rice with a spoon in the banana leaf rolls., half way. And secure with a toothpick.
Now fill a good sized pan with a lot of water, and submerge the rolls in it.
Water should fully cover the rolls. Depending on the size of the rolls, and the size of the pot, you can boil them in upright or horizontal position.
Cover and cook on medium heat for a good one hour. The rolls will be cooked by then. Remove and keep aside to cool.
The size of banana leaf roll can be adjusted.
( picture in comments section)
(Apologies for one photo which got deleted by mistake, the one with the rolls in the pan)

Preparation..
2 big squares of tofu..soak in salted water, drain and deep fry whole.
2 to 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 vermicilli.
Some fried onions
Khaffir lime or normal lime halves.

Peanut sauce..

100 gms fried peanuts with skin or without
4 kaffir lime leaves ( middle stock removed)
1/2 tsp white pepper
Salt to taste
Veg stock powder, or msg 1/4 tsp
3 bird chillies, 3 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

. 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., the kaffir lime leaves. Add some water and blend to a thick paste.
3. Heat 2 or 3 tbsps oil, and put the peanut paste. Saute for a while, and add palm sugar and tamarind water. Also add about one cup water and let it cook till oil starts seperating.
Keep aside.

To serve..
In a platter, arrange the rice vermicilli, sprouts,  cut the tofu , potatoes, and cucumbers ( at an angle)  and lontong cut into thick discs.
Top with  peanut sauce and lime juice.
Sprinkle some fried onions.( pls do not omit).
Enjoy.

Soaked and drained rice
Make the roll

Fusion deviled eggs.

FUSION  DEVILED EGGS

A very easy simple recipe, which I just happened to see on a instagram reel.
Saw and liked the concept. Ingredients were not mentioned, but sort of guessed. And the outcome was pretty good.  A good chinese twist to our simple hard boiled eggs. Here I have not used the egg yolks. Used them  for another recipe, and gave some to my pet african grey  parrot who enjoys eating eggs.  I have used minced chicken to fill up the hard boiled shells. Do try this simple side dish…

5 eggs boiled, peeled and halved.
( we will not use the yolks)
To enable the halved eggs to sit without wobbling, I took off a silver from the bottom.

To make the filling
125 gms finely chopped underside of chicken breast.
1 red chilie.. chopped
1 spring onion…use only the white part
1/2 tsp white pepper powder
1 tbsp chopped corriander leaves
1 tbsp chopped garlic
Salt to taste
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp ajinomoto…optional.
1 egg white..lightly beaten.
Put all the above in a food processor and blitz till mixed well.

Make 10 ball with wet hands..

Put each ball into the boiled egg shells and put in a slightly greased frying pan.

Pour over the sauce, cover and cook for 10 mins. Done.
Serve hot or cold.

Sauce..
1 tbsp chillie oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp vinegar
1 sprig minced curry leaves.
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
1 tsp sugar.
1 spring onion..finely minced.
1 tbsp chillie sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce.
1 tbsp chopped corriander leaves
1 green chillie..cut into thin rings
1 red chillie cut into thin rings
A pinch of salt.

In a bowl, add..chillie oil,  vinegar, chillie sauce, soy sauce,  garlic, sugar, salt,  spring onion, corriander leaves, green and red chillies….mix well. Pour hot sesame oil on top, and 1/4 cup hot water. Mix.

Heat sesame oil, plus 1 tbsp normal oil in a small tadka pan..add minced curry leaves.. and pour into the bowl  with rest of ingredients.

CHICKEN BOXING/CHICKEN LOLLYPOP WITH SALTED EGG CREAM SAUCE

Chicken boxing/lollypop  with salted egg cream sauce.

Salted eggs are also know as TELUR ASIN in Indonesia, and are found in most south Asian countries. We can say pickled eggs.
Usually Duck eggs  are soaked in brine for  about 15 days ,sometimes the eggs are covered with a damp charcoal paste. But mostly they are soaked in brine. The salt thus penetrates the shell to give a salty flavour to the eggs, the whites have a gelatinous texture, while the yolks normally get a rich umami flavour. Once out of the brine,
, they need to be boiled or steamed. When using the eggs, they just need to be cut in the middle, and the egg scooped out.
Todays recipe uses the yolks of the eggs, to give us a delicious creamy sauce.
Do try this out if you can.
Salted eggs are also sometimes made with normal brown hen  eggs.

These egg yolks have a rich umami flavour and taste amazing.

6 boiled salted duck eggs, cut into half and yolks removed.
( whites can be added to any other dish..maybe fried rice).

4 cloves garlic..finely chopped.
5 bird eyed chillies finely chopped.
2 sprigs of curry leaves , most chopped finely..some left whole.
1/3rd  to 1/2 cup of  milk.
1 tsps sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ajinomoto.
3 tbsps butter.
1 tbsp oil.
1/4 tsp turmeric powder.

In a bowl, add the egg yolks and mash with the back of  a spoon, untill its a fine paste.
In a pan add the  oil and butter and  the garlic, chopped chillies, curry leaves, salt, pepper, sugar, ajinomoto. Mix for a minute. Now add the mashed egg yolks, and mix. The mixture will start foaming.
Add the  milk , mix well and  once heated through
. Pour into a bowl . Sauce is ready.

For boxing chicken aka chicken lollypop.
About 10  chicken wings, the ends discarded, cut into 2 at the joint, , here I have used only the front drumettes.   Give a cut the bottom of the drumette and pull back the meat  and form sort of a ball. .( pictures in comments)

Grind 4 cloves garlic, and a little ginger with salt and pepper to taste., add a squirt of lime juice., mix this paste with one egg and whisk. Tip in the chicken, after few mins remove chicken from egg mixture, shake off excess, and roll in corn flour.  Deep fry.
Serve these wings with salted egg sauce.

☆.you can also serve this sauce with  small pieces of fried chicken. Or even french fries

☆Salted egg chips are really trending now.
Have shared some pictures in comment section.
☆.. to those who cannot find salted eggs easily,,please do try with normal boiled egg yolks.
☆ using cornflour to dust the chicken makes  it crispy as there will be no formation of gluten.