Tag: #fish

NASI KUNING JAWA

main meal

NASI KUNING JAWA

Nasi kuning(or yellow rice) comes from the regions of jawa. Traditionally made during festivals and especially birthdays.
In case it is made for a birthday, rice cooked with turmeric, herbs and coconut milk will be packed into a cone shaped mould and then inverted onto a base of rice in the form of a circle . The rice is then surrounded by various other food items, such as tempe( fermented soya cake), chicken, fish, fresh basil and cucumber. The person whose birthday it is slices off the top of the cone onto a plate without the rice disintegrating.. I  have done a miniature nasi kunning plate to show you all.

Normally at home, we just put the  rice, sprinkle some fried peanuts and fried onions, and surround with tempe, chicken in red sauce or tofu potato in red sauce, and sayur acar.( pronounced achaar) Fresh sweet basil is a must along with cucumber slices. Best eaten with hand.
We can call this an Indonesian thali. Recipe is slightly long, but fairly easy to make. Do try it and enjoy.

YELLOW RICE
Soak 2 cups of jasmine rice for 30 mins.
Drain.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add 1 stick cinnamon, 2 fresh bay leaves, 4 kaffir lime leaves, 1 stalk of lemon grass( only bottom white part, bashed)
.
#( incase you don’t gave fresh herbs, use star anise, tej pata and cinnamon)

Saute for a few mins and add drained rice.
Add 100 ml thick coconut milk
And  100ml of water
Mix well, add 2 tbsps grated fresh turmeric and salt to taste.
When liquid dries up, transfer rice to a steamer and steam for 15 to 20 mins. Done. Keep warm.

AYAM MERAH( RED CHICKEN)
300 gms of boneless chicken..cubed
2 tomatoes .. cut into quarters
12 shallots
4 garlic pods..do not cut
4 garlic pods cut fine.
4 red chillies.
2 kaffir lime leaves
Lime juice
Salt and sugar to taste.

Take a pan, add chicken, tomatoes, whole shallots, whole garlic, and red chillies. Add 1/4 cup of water, cover and cook till everything is soft.
Remove chicken and keep aside.
Coarsely grind the cooked tomatoes, onions, garlic and red chillies.

Heat 2 tbsps of oil
Add chopped garlic and 2 kaffir lime leaves. Saute for few mins
Add the red paste and cook till oil seperates.
Add the chicken back, season with salt and a little sugar.
Lastly add  a tbsp  of lime juice.
Keep aside.

TEMPE ORIK
300 gms tempe, cut into small batons
( can use potato or paneer)
Deep fry and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan
Add 6 sliced garlic pods( slice, do not chop)
10 sliced shallots
1 inch bashed ginger
2 green chillies, cut at a slant
2 red chillies cut at a slant
Saute for few mins, till onions turn golden brown.
Add the fried tempe( or potato or paneer)
Stir fry
Add 2 tbsp of kecap manis( or honey)
1 tbsp tamarind paste.
Salt to taste
Stir quickly and shut flame.
Keep aside.

SAYUR ACAR( VEGETABLE ACHAR)
1 carrot.
5 french beans
1 cucumber, unpeeled and seeds removed
( cut all 3 above mentioned vegetables into medium batons)
10 shallots cut into 2

Grind together with little water
3 roasted candlenuts or 4 cashews
1 inch pc  fresh turmeric
1 inch ginger
4 garlic pods
4 shallots.

Heat oil in a pan, add paste and saute well.
Add carrots, french beans, shallots, and cucumber…saute well, add 1/4 cup water and cook till vegs are done,and no water remains. Vegs should retain  a bite. Shut fire and add salt, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 tbsp of vinegar.  mix well.
Done. Keep aside..

OTHER INGREDIENTS
sliced cucumbers
Thai basil leaves
Dried or roasted peanuts
Fried onions.

Assembling
Take a plater, line with a  banana leaf.
Pile rice in the center.
Surround with tempe orik, cucumber slices, red chicken,  sayur acar, basil leaves, sprinkle peanuts and fried onions . And serve.
Can serve red chillie sambal too with some fryums.

Mini Sushi Cakes

snacks

MINI SUSHI CAKES.
Trending now on social media is the sushi bundt cake. Inspired  from that I made single serving mini sushi cakes.

Good startrs at a party , tasty and pretty .

2 cups cooked jasmine  rice.
2  tsp vinegar
2 tsp black sesame seeds.
2 tsp powdered sugar
Salt to taste.
Mix the rice, vinegar, sugar and sesame seeds
Keep aside.
( make sure you don’t add any oil while cooking the rice) we want the rice to be a bit sticky.


I small can of tuna flakes in brine.( got about 110 gms of tuna flakes)
Strain off liquid.
2 tbsps japanese  Mayonaise( I used kwepee, Which is slightly more sweet than normal mayo.)
Otherwise add 1 tsp honey to the mayo.
2 tbspChilli sauce,
2 tbsps finely chopped spring onions.
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1 tbsp chopped cilantro.
2 tsps lime juice.
Salt to taste.
Mix the above and keep aside.


Very finely sliced cucumbers.
Nori flakes, and togarashi for topping.
Additional mayo and chillie sauce for drizzling over.
Nori sheets cut into squares for the base of the sushi cake , while plating.

To assemble.
Take some of the rice and pack firmly into a greased mold.( I used silicone molds)
Top with cucumber slices, then the tuna mixture,
Put more rice and press firmly, using a small spatula.
Demold onto a nori square and garnish with nori flakes and togarashi.
Drizzle some mayonaise and chillie sauce.
Best served chilled

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Sindhi fish kok

main meal
Sindhi style machi/fish kok

Maachi kok or fish kok, is a sindhi style of cooking fish. Normally only HILSA/ ILISH fish is cooked in this way… we sindhis call Hilsa as PALLO. Here in jakarta its difficult to get pallo aka hilsa. And frankly I prefer using boneless fish fillets with skin on. . As pallo has too many fine  bones. But its a easy recipe. .Do try this and have it with khichdi rice or sindhi phulko( chapati). Its a tangy and spicy dish which does not take long to make. I  have also made Paneer using the same recipe. KOK over here means uncooked onion tomato marination. Cooked while pan steaming.
Long before Partition,  buying Pallo fish was an elaborate affair, and the River Indus in Sindh gave a huge bounty of  these fish , especially during the monsoons. Our men  ancestors would buy pallo on sundays and this was cooked by the womenfolk , mostly for lunch only, to be enjoyed leisurely.
I have seen my mom preparing this kok pallo on many a sundays, for my grandparents or when we had special guests. She would cook this on a special tawa we had ( before the advent of  non stick pans).
On a sigdi( coal flame).
Just before serving she would heat up some brandy in a deep  hot metal  spoon,  flambe it, and pour over the fish..😊( mind you, this was for special guests).
My mom cooked andaz se, is a vegetarian but she could cook super tasty non veg.

200 gms Carp fillet ( Gurame)with skin or any other river fish. Gurame is a fresh water fish.
( I tried using red snapper, which is a salt water fish, but sadly it became too dry.)
Lightly salt it and keep aside for few mins, rinse and pat dry.

In a bowl, add
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 red tomato finely chopped
1 or 2 chopped green chillies
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger.
1 tsp corriander seed powder
1/4 tsp Amchoor
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chillie powder
Salt to taste…I used 1 tsp.
2 tbsps yogurt.

Mix this together using your hand, giving the ingredients a good massage. ( can use gloves)
Lastly add about 1/4 cup finely chopped corriander leaves.
Keep aside.

Back to the fish.
Heat 2 to 3 tbsps of oil in a non stick pan.
Slip in the fish, skin side down
Cook on both sides till 50 percent done.
Remove in a plate and apply the masala generously on the white part.

Slip the fish back in, skin side down.
Cover and cook on low heat for 10 mins.
The steam will cook the masala and fish.

Done. Sprinkle corriander leaves.

Serve hot.

This same masala can be used for making Paneer kok.
Shared some photos in comments section.

Paneer kok

Sai Thoom mein Machi, cassava je dhode saan.( Green garlic fish with cassava bhakri)

main meal

SAI THOOM MEIN MACHI.
( Fish in green garlic, Sindhi style).
Served with CASSAVA BHAKRI.

This is a very simple sindhi recipe, especially made during winter months when fresh garlic stalks are available in India. Here in jakarta we  don’t get them very easily. We happened to get some yesterday and I happily made this with fresh fish. Made the exact same with Paneer also for my daughter😊 so vegetarians can also make this using any vegetable.

300 gms of chunky fish ( I used  red snapper)
Wash fish well, cut into chunks, rub some salt and keep aside.

1/2 cup  finely chopped fresh garlic heads.
1/2 cup  finely chopped fresh garlic stalks.
1/2  cup finely chopped corriander leaves
2 tbsps kasoori methi.
3 finely chopped green chillies.
1/2 tsp mustard seeds.
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chillie powder
1 tsps corriander powder
1 tsp cummin powder.
1 tsp garam masala.
2 tbsps wheat flour made into a slurry, use as required.
Salt to taste.

Wash the salted fish
Heat about 4 to 5 tbs of oil in a pan.
Flash pan fry the fish, till 80 percent done.
Keep aside.
In the same hot oil,  add mustard seeds, add turmeric, corriander powder, cummin powder, red chillie powder, garam masala and salt. Stir .
Next add kasoori methi and green chillies.
Stir fry for a minute
Add the remaining greens, stir fry well.
Add the fish pieces and mix.
Add about 2 cups water.
Boil for few minutes, add the slurry, just enough to thicken the gravy. Cook for another 5 mins. And serve hot.

CASSAVA BHAKRI.( gluten free)
200 gms finely grated cassava / singkong.
1/2 tsp salt.
2 tbsps finely chopped corriander leaves.

Mix and form into 4 balls. PLEASE DO NOT ADD ANY WATER.

Take each ball and pat onto a lightly greased banana leaf/ foil.
Form into a thin roti.

Overturn onto a hot non stick pan.

Cook on both sides. Slightly brush with oil on both sides.

Note… this has to be served immediately, or else can keep in a hot case.

We even make this bhakri adding chopped onions, green chillies, cummin seeds, and corriander leaves…like a sindhi koki/loli.

MACKEREL IN SPICY CHILLI SAUCE WITH STINK BEANS( Ikan kembung samal pete).

main meal

IKAN KEMBUNG SAMBAL PETE.
( MACKEREL IN SPICY CHILLI SAUCE WITH STINK BEANS)
Stink beans, bitter beans , twisted cluster beansthe names are  enough to put people off. BUT, wait, these beans are so called bcoz of their distinct taste and odour,( A bit strong, but similar to raw asparagus which I admit is an acquired taste.) The bean it self has a buttery bite to it. And the beans healing properties are many. They are very good in cleansing the kidneys., so don’t shy away…do try them Very very popular here in Indonesia. Petai( pronounced  Ptai) is mostly added to sambals or served as a side dish with rice, fish, chicken etc. Its truely delicious. Its normally just added in the last stage of cooking or eaten fried.
In India Its called YONGCHAK, ( I googled this, and saw its found in MANIPUR.) Pls do enlighten me if you know more about this in India.
Normally a single stalk will have about 10 to 12 beans, the outer covering is disposed and the beans are used.Every vegetable vendor who passes around will surely have many petai hanging on his cart.
These bright green beans surely brighten up a dish.
Ikan kembung is a distant cousin of the mackerel. Its not very fleshy, and has many tiny bones. But it fries very well and tasty to eat. Use any other fish if you want. Its the sambal which is so tasty..spicy, a little sweet and slightly tangy. Do try this recipe. Photo was a bit difficult to take..pls excuse the photography.

500 gms of ikan Kembung( chubb mackerel)..Make slits over the fish.
Wash well, rub lime juice and salt over it and let sit for half an hour.
Next rub some corriander powder and turmeric into the fish
Heat some oil in a pan and deep fry the fish till crispy…( you can cover while frying to avoid spluttering.
Keep the fish in a serving dish.

Sambal.( 1st step grinding)
7 red chillies
5 bird eye chillies
6 shallots
3 garlic pods
1 tsp salt
50 ml or 3 tbsps water.
Blend all this .keep asaide.

Step 2.
Heat 6 tbsps oil in a pan
Add the blended paste, 1 stalk of  lemongrass( slit and bashed), 3 torn kaffir lime leaves
Cook this till oil seperates.
Now add
10 whole bird eye chillies
1 big tomato sliced
1 tbsp jaggery or brown sugar
1/2 tsp sugar
50 ml or 3 tbsps water.
Also add the Petai( remove from stalk, and remove the white membrane, slit the green beans into 2)

Now cook all this for 10 mins till the beans lose thier rawness.
To assemble.
Put the fish in a platter, and pour the sambal on top of the fish, garnish with cucumber and thai basil.
Eat with hot white rice and some stirfry vegetables.
Have shared some photos in the comment section.

Siomai

main meal

Siomai
Siomay, is an Indonesian steamed fish dumpling made  with tofu, potatoes etc served with peanut sauce.
This dish is a meal on its own.Here in Indonesia ikan tengiri( surmai  fish) mixed with cornflour or tapioka flour is used as a filling . Served with peanut sauce, sweet soya sauce( kecap manis)  and lime juice . 
The chinese version of siomai is usally made with wonton wrappers, shaped to look like small cylendicals cones. That is normally made from pork and served with chillie sauce and comes under the catagory of dimsums.
The indonesian version is much more heartier and filling.
Pork is not used for halal reasons, fish is subsitituted.
Vegetarians may omit the fish . In that case add 2 tbsps more  of cornstarch .
Today I am sharing the  homemade version of siomai which we try to make at least once a month. Pls do try it.

Ingredients
8 small potatoes
8 squares of tofu ( each tofu square can be 6 cms ×6cms)
8 leaves of cabbage ( discard thick stem)
1 big bittergourd( if you like it)
Boiled eggs divided into 2 ( optional)

1/3rd cup finely chopped spring onion and celery
3 to 4 tbsps of cornflour.
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup grated carrot.
250 gms of boneless and skinless ikan tenggiri( surmai fish)( mackerel)

About 1/4th cup grated carrot for garnishing.

Peel the potatoes, and scoop out , leaving a shell behind. ( picture in comments section)
Scoop out the tofu also, leaving a shell.
Cut the bittergourd into 3 and discard the seeds and flesh. Soak the bittergourd in salt water.
Reserve the scooped out potato  bits and tofu .
Blanch the cabbage leaves and keep.

For filling..
Heat 1 tbsp of oil and pour on chopped spring onions and celery( this will help release flavours)
Finely blend the fish to get a paste.
Finely chop the  scooped out reserved
Potato and tofu( I used a food processor)
Mix fish paste, potato, tofu, and 1/4th cup grated cartot in a bowl.
Add finely chopped spring onions and celery, season with salt, pepper and msg( optional).
Add the cornflour and mix well.
You shoud get a very thick paste.
Put some of this filling, into each potato, tofu,and bittergourd shell. ..level it out
Put about 1 tbsp filling on a cabbage leaf and roll tightly. Put a little grated carrot on top of each potato and tofu.

Arrange tofu, potato, bittergourd and cabbage in a steamer and steam for about 15 mins. Reserve.

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 assemble
Put the siomai pcs on a plater, and roughly give them cuts on the platter itself ( for eg, give 2 cuts to potato to get 4 chunks)
Pour the peanut sauce on top of the siomai, dot with kecap manis or tomato ketchup ( I used both)

Ps.. if you dont have sweet soy sauce,
Mix 2 tbsps of normal soy with 2 tbsps of honey. And use.

Squeese lime juice and some fried onions, . Serve hot.