This is one dish which is made at least twice a month at home. The creaminess of ground candle nuts, the caramalisation of kecap manis, The Heat of the Sambal it’s served with, balance with herbed rice so well. A very easy dish to make and eat. 😊. Make a side dish of TUMISAN. ( Indonesian stir fry vegetables) and you are sorted for a comfort meal. Try and use thigh pieces of chicken, with or without the skin.
Now.. In a bowl, take about 8 medium size chicken thigh on bone. Add.. 1/2 tbsp lime juice 1 tsp salt 1 tsp mushroom powder or msg(1/2 tsp) 1 tsp of black pepper powder. 1 tbsp oyster sauce. Paste of candle nuts…( A) Rub the chicken well, cover and keep aside for an hour.
Now take a non stick pan, Put the chicken pieces along with the marinate and cook till 80 percent done, while flipping periodically. Add about half cup water, mix and cover for few mins, till the water is almost finished, and chicken is cooked. Now add 4 tbsps of kecap manis, 1 heaped tbsp of margarine. Mix and cook till gravy is thick and coats the chicken. Serve with fresh chillie Sambal, some cucumber, and white rice. Finger licking good.
** in lieu of candle nuts maybe cashewnuts will do. ** if you don’t have kecap manis, try mixing soya sauce and honey together. **This recipe is adapted from a local Indonesian you tube channel.. Mrs Devina. I have just tweaked it a little.
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.
Sate, or satay, is a beloved dish in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Every province will have Thier own versions of it. Sate are loved by one and all, easily available and almost all food stalls will serve these. Meat is normally skewered, Roasted and served with a peanut sauce.
Todays recipe is a Balinese version of Sate. Sate lilit means wrapped around, not skewered, much like our desi kebabs, only difference is, the meat is wrapped around slightly bashed lemon grass stalks, so you can imagine the intense fresh flavours. These Sate are not served with any peanut sauce. But served with a raw chiliie onion Sambal called Sambal matah. Do try this simple and tasty recipe
**Instructions:** 1. Grind the red chillies, candle nuts, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, and chicken seasoning powder into a paste without using water. 2. Cook the paste in a pan with oil over low heat until the oil separates and the paste is dry. 3. Mix the cooked paste with minced chicken, chopped kaffir lime leaves, grated coconut, coconut milk, and salt. 4. Take small portions of the chicken mixture and wrap them around the bashed lemongrass stalks. 5. Grill the wrapped chicken on a lightly oiled non-stick pan.
**SAMBAL MATAH**
**Ingredients:** – 4 red chillies, finely chopped – 5 shallots, minced – 3 kaffir lime leaves, minced – 1 lemongrass stalk (bottom only), minced – Salt to taste – 1/2 tsp sugar – 2 tbsp very hot oil – Lime (for finishing)
**Instructions:** 1. Combine all the finely chopped ingredients in a bowl. 2. Mix in salt and sugar. 3. Pour hot oil over the mixture and mix well. 4. Finish with a squeeze of lime.
This very simple starter is a popular street food In Indonesia. Made with just 4 ingredients, comes together very quickly. Easy to make and eat. The sweetness of corn, condensed milk , and saltiness of Cheese are a good balance for each other..surprisingly a very tasty dish.
When I was growing up in Pune, India, corn was something we associated with the rainy season, where corn sellers would roast the corn on a coal fire, fanning it to cook quickly, and at the same time sending the fragrance of roasting corn into the air, thereby drawing more people to come buy their wares.😊. Then the roasted corn was rubbed with half a lime which was dipped in red chilli and salt…oh mouthwatering, can literally taste the tangy spicy corn. Much later came the association of corn to the very popular sweet corn soup.😊
1 sweet corn.( boil and remove the kernels)… I got about 225gms of corn.
While still hot add 1 tbsp of butter( I used salted butter.) 1/4 tsp salt And about 1/4 cup of condensed milk. Mix well and arrange in shot glasses. Top generously with grated cheese. And a dollop of chilli sauce. Can serve chilled or at room temperature.
Bangkit…feast, Salju..snow. Both names go. Normally served at feasts or festivals, Salju or snow because these are normally white.But recently saw a local you tube channel and was drawn to these pretty colours. These absolutely melt in the mouth, light airy cookies are a must try. Very very popular here in Indonesia. The origin is from malaysia and some parts of Indonesia. Ramadhan is a very popular time for these cookies. Biscuits or kue kering are a very very popular constant in Indonesian culture. Hampers of prettily packed biscuits are a sight to see. Back to the recipe, these biscuits are gluten free. Very very light. While baking, once slightly golden on the bottom, and very light to hold . Remove and cool. Baking time 30 minutes to 40 mins . Depending on your oven. As you first take a bite, you will the powdery texture, next you will feel the smoothness and the sweetness. Unique textured biscuits.. Happy Ramadhan.
INGREDIENTS 500 gms tapioka flour 90 gms margarine. 150 gms powdered sugar 4 pandan leaves .( optional, but these do give a very subtle flavour) 1 tsp vanila essence or 1/4 tsp vanila powder. 40 gms milk powder. 100 ml of coconut milk.( I used a tetra pack) add few drops of food colouring, and mix.
Take a wok or frying pan, add the tapioka flour, and chopped pandan leaves. Saute this flour on low heat till the flour is really hot and feels lighter. At this point the pandan leaves should be crisp and easy to snap. Cool the tapioka flour completely. Sift in a strainer to remove any lumps. Cool. In a mixing bowl, add margarine and sifted sugar, mix with a spatula untill its a smooth paste, add milk powder and mix and fold once more.
Add sifted tapioka in batches Alternately with coconut milk.
Go in with your hands and mix with your finger tips…untill the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.
This will not be moist. It will be dry mix.
Take a mold( picture in comments) add the mix and press in , scrap off excess.. Remove gently onto a baking mat or tray.
Bake in a pre heated oven, at a very low mark.. I used the 150 mark. This kue or biscuit is very different in taste, its powdery, melt in your mouth, and yummy.
I have been wanting to share this amazing recipe for sometime now. PEPES refers to food, mainly chicken, fish or tofu, marinated in spices and steam cooked in banana leaves.( something like the parsi patra ni machi) The marinade will include fresh herbs, and mostly lemon basil, which is the star here. Some tart flavours like green tomatoes or BLIMBING WULUH( Also known as bilimbi, tree sorrel . This is an edible sour fruit.) , truely bring out the freshness of this dish. So these pepes are normally eaten hot with steamed rice. . You can either wrap them in rectangles and seal the edges with a toothpick, or pack them like pyramids. Will add a video in comments section.
Fun facts.. Kemangi or lemon basil is a very close cousin of our tulsi. Its mostly served in a lalapan, which is a raw salad consisting of torn cabbage leaves, green or red tomato wedges and Daun kemangi..these are eaten raw with any cooked chicken or meat dish.
Today I have used both..green tomato as well as Blimbing wuluh. Just for your idea. The main idea is to add tartness to the pepes.
Ingredients
1 chicken with bones cut into small pcs ( about 700 gms) I cut the chicken into 12 pieces…
Marinate with juice of 1 lime, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp of black pepper.
Keep aside for 15 mins.
CHOP AND GRIND TOGETHER
10 pods garlic 12 shallots 8 candlenuts or about 10 cashewnuts 6 red chillies 1 inch piece of fresh turmeric 1 inch piece of galangal. 1/4 cup oil. Blend untill its a fine paste.
Now take a wok, add this paste and another 1 to 2 tbsps of oil, saute on a low heat till cooked, fragnant and colour changes from yellow to reddish brown. Cool this paste. Which will now look dry. Once cool, mix in the chicken along with the marinade. Add some salt, msg( if using) and coat the chicken pieces nicely. Add the spring onions and all the basil leaves, mix properly . Ready to pack.
OTHER INGREDIENTS .. Big squares of banana leaves 2 to 3 stalks of spring onions cut into chunks Some lemon grass, bashed and cut slantingly. Some fresh bay leaves. And lots of Daun kemangi aka lemon basil or thai basil . These basil leaves are small and very fragrant. About 50 gms of leaves and tender stem. 2 or 3 green tomatoes cut into wedges. ( or use blimbing wuluh aka blimbi fruit) Bird eye chillies as needed.
To assemble.
Take 2 sheets of banana leaves one on top of the other( check comments section for photos). Put one or 2 fresh bay leaf Add sliced lemon grass, top with chicken pieces, along with spring onions, basil leaves. Again top with green tomato wedges and some bird eye chillies. Pack the banana leaf in such a way that there should be no leakage of juices.
Steam these packets for about 30 to 40 mins.
Have hot with steamed jasmine rice.
You can make indivual packets with one or 2 pieces of chicken inside.
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.
This is an Indonesian snack made with cassava and oncom( pronounced onchom) . Oncom is made using by products used in the making of tofu and tempeh. Typically sold in wet markets, its trademake orange top is actually mold . This is a staple in javanese cuisine. On its own its rather bland. But cooked with spices its delicious. It has a very sponge like texture and its very light weight.
Today’s recipe is a crocket made with cassava stuffed with a oncom filling. This is a popular sundanese snack from west java.
Oncom can be replaced with tofu, tempeh or our own soya nutri flakes. I have made these crockets with a veg keema / nutri flakes many times with delicious results
Do try
I kg Singkong ( CASSAVA) Peeled , washed and grated very finely. We use a special very unique grater for this purpose.( photos in comments) It is a wooden board with tiny pins all over the surface. You can use any grater. After grating the cassava, add salt to taste and 2 heaped tbsps of Tapioca flour or cornflour, and mix well. Make about 15 balls, stuff each ball with some filling, and shape into oval crockets. Deep fry and serve with bird eye chillie.
Filling. 200 gms of oncom crumbled, OR 200 gms of nutri flakes( weight after rinsing or boiling and water completely squeezed out)
Grind to a paste 4 garlic pods 10 shallots 7 to 8 red chillies.
Heat 3 tbsps oil in a pan, and add 1 lemongrass pc and an inch of galangal ( bashed to release flavours, ) Plus few fresh bay leaves. Saute for a minute and add the red paste. Saute till oil seperates, add crumbled oncom or soya flakes. Add salt to taste. 1 tsp white pepper 1 tsp mushroom seasoning or 1 tsp sugar. Cook on low heat till all ingredients come together and dry up. Cool and use as stuffing.
The holy month of Ramadhan all over the world, has different traditions for breaking the fast, one thing common will be sweetmeats, whether its dates or a glass of sharbat. Here in Indonesia, people will mostly drink hot sweet black tea to be followed by various KOLAKS. Kolaks are mostly soupy, palm sugar and coconut milk based. Various things are added, like jack fruit or banana, or sweet potato etc. Mostly served warm as the people here believe that breaking a fast with something cold will surely harm the stomach.😊 Kolaks are made with many twists. Here at home during Ramadhan helpers make different types of sweets. Will share some more recipes soon. Today I will share kolak made with sweet potato dumplings. CANDIL ( pronounced Chandil) is balls of sweet potato. Hence the name. Easy to make and light on the stomach. No oil goes in the preparation.
Step 1 Peel and chop 500 gms of sweet potato ( I have used orange sweet potato) Heat a steamer and steam cook the sweet potatoes. Avoid boiling them . Once cooked, ( it took about 15 mins in my steamer) remove into a plate and mash using a fork. Put in a big bowl along with 150 gms TAPIOKA flour. Add a pinch of salt and mix the warm mashed pototes with the flour. Knead into a smooth ball. Divide and roll into small balls. Work quickly, I had help doing these, so it took about 10 mins for 2 of us .😊 I got about 75 small balls( good enough for a nice big bowl of kolak) keep aside.
2nd step. In a sauce pan, add 200 ml of coconut milk( I used a tetra Pack) and 100 ml of water. Put in a knotted pandan leaf. ( or use 1/2 tsp of vanilla powder) 1/2 tsp of salt Simmer, stirring continuously for 10 mins…keep aside.
3rd step. Heat 600ml water in a saucepan Add 200 gms of chopped palm sugar ( jaggery) 1 tbsps of sugar 1/2 tsp of salt 1 knotted pandan leaf Or you can add a little vanila essence at the end. Boil till palm sugar dissolves, strain the water into another pan to get rid of impurities. Boil once again and add a slurry of 2 tbsps tapioka flour mixed with 50 ml of water. Bring to a boil and keep aside.
Final step. Take a big pot, put about 1.5 liters of water, bring to a rolling boil and add the sweet potato balls. They will sink and rise within 5 mins. Keep on boil for another few mins, strain off the water, and add the balls to the palm sugar syrup. Give one boil and done.
AASSEMBLING. Put few balls and palmsugar syrup in a bowl, drizzle few spoons of coconut milk on top…and enjoy warm.
Tip… to get things done faster, I put the sweet potato to steam on one stove, made the palmsugar syrup on another, and the coconut milk on another. 😊so I was done within 45 mins.
**The bland coconut milk balances the sweet palmsugar syrup.
Sup Oyong Bakso Ayam ( Turaiya/Ridgegourd chicken noodle soup) This is one of the best ways to eat this lovely vegetable. Adding Ridgegourd to soup gives it a silken texture and surprisingly it enhances the taste. One of our favourite soups at home. Especially on a Rainy night. Indonesians are not familiar with cooking Turaiya in a sabji form. Its mostly made this way in a soup. Do try this soup, which is very very easy to make and a delight to have. A meal in a bowl I love Turaiya in any form, be it the aisi turiyuoon ji bhaji which my mother made often when we were young or even the phota bhuga turi which my mother in law gave me during child birth.😊
For the bakso ayam Chicken dumplings Blend 200 gms of boneless chicken with 2 pods garlic 2 egg whites 1 tsp white pepper powder 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp cornflour. 2 tbsp spring onion..finely chopped 1 tbsp celery …finely chopped.
Make tiny balls with the help of 1 tsp. Keep dipping the spoon in a small bowl of water. Keep the chicken balls ready.
Soak about 70 gms of glass noodles in hot water. For 10 mins..drain and keep ready.
Take 2 Ridgegourds ..try to take the ones without seeds . Peel and cut into round chunks. Not too thin, and not too thick…keep ready. Blanch 1 bowl of moong bean sprouts in hot water , strain and keep ready( I used toge)
For the soup. Grind 6 shallots, 3 garlic pods with a mortar and pestle. Make a paste.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil, add onion garlic paste, and 1 tsp of white pepper powder. Saute till fragrant. Ad 5 cups of hot water( better if you have chicken stock) I used stock. and bring to a boil. Add the chicken balls . Add 1 tbsp chicken sesoning or 2 cubes of knorr . I used royco. Let the soup come to a rolling boil. Add 1 tbsp of sesame oil. Add the ridgegourd / turai/ oyong. Give a final simmer for 5 mins and take off the fire.
To assemble.. Put some glass noodles in a bowl, add blanched bean sprouts, and laddle the soup into the bowl. Top with fried onion and chopped spring onion. And a healthy squirt of lime juice. Serve with chilli sauce. I used fresh home made sambal..
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