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.
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.
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.
The name KUE PUTU AYU, loosely translated means pretty putu cake.( I also call these snow cakes) These pretty little cakes are very easy to make and come in the category of kue manis( sweet cakes) The distinct topping of slightly salted grated coconut is the trade mark, and balances the sweetness of the kue perfectly. Serve these at anytime of the day..people love them . But traditionaly these are teatime treats. No oil or butter is added, and steaming these takes hardly 15 mins. Even after 38 years of living in Indonesia, I am still facinated with the way sweetmeats are created here like works of art. Delicate, pretty and oh so tasty.
Serve these warm, and if you have any leftovers, keep in the fridge, in an airtight container and consume within 24 hrs. After reheating in the steamer .
Since this is the holi season, I have made these in pretty multi coloured hues.
Holi is the festival of colours and celebrated with great gusto by indians by playing with water spray guns, vibrant colour powders rubbed into each other faces, and water balloons. The streets of India on the day of Holi look colourful , with people having fun.
Kue Putu Ayu..recipe with egg
STEPÂ 1. Mix 400 gms peeled grated coconut with 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tbsps cornflour. Steam the coconut in a bowl for 15 mins. Next, Take about 20 small moulds, grease them very lightly and press grated coconut tightly into the grooves., keep aside.( pictures given below) Pre heat the steamer, and cover the lid with a kitchen napkin, to prevent steam droplets from dropping onto the cakes. . STEP 2 In a mixing bowl add:- 2 whole eggs 175gms sugar 1/2 tsp emulsifier ( optional) Whisk the above till sugar dissolves and eggs are fluffy and stiff.( I used an electric beater, it took me about 10 mins) Add 2 tsps of vanilla essence. Beat once more.
STEP 3 Sift together 200 gms of flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder. ( add 1/4 tsp baking soda incase you are not adding the emulsifier)
STEP 4 Mix together 75ml of thick coconut milk with 125 ml of water. ( I used coconut milk from a tetra pack.)
Step 5 Add flour and coconut milk alternately to the beaten eggs and sugar. Mix at a very low speed.
Divide the mixture into as many colours of cakes you want. I divided into 4 bowls and added 4 different colours, blue, pink, purple and green. Now spoon the mixture into the prepared moulds.( I used plastic moulds ) And steam for 15 mins.
Done, they come out very easily. Serve with a hot cup of coffee. Very pleasing eye candy, and very light to eat too. Do try these.
EGGLESS KUE PUTU AYU
STEP 1. Mix 200 gms peeled grated coconut with 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tbsps cornflour. Steam the coconut in a bowl for 15 mins. Next, Take about 10 small moulds, grease them very lightly and press grated coconut tightly into the grooves., keep aside.( pictures in comments) Pre heat the steamer, and cover the lid with a kitchen napkin .
This is a very very popular street food, loved by one and all. Available in 2 forms, one sweet and one savoury, . The savoury nartabak is more like the baida roti we get in India. Using eggs, and spices, in a square paratha. Today, I will share the sweet Martabak recipe. Through evenings and way past midnight, one can stop by and get martabak to round off the night. It is made on order, as its best eaten warm. Fillings such as grated cheese, condensed milk, nutella, chocolate rice, groundnuts etc go into it, in combinations as you want or all in one. Normally the vendor will cut the martabak into squares and put some toothpicks into the squares. Cheese and chocolate is a very popular combination on most bakery products here in Indonesia. Try it and love it😊 This homemade version is as delicious as the street ones, and more controlable where calories are concerned. The vendors are truly generous with lashings of butter etc.😊
This is a decadant dessert. Easy to make. Just a little tricky. The texture will be spongy and with visible strands. But satisfaction is guaranteed 😊 Be generous with the fillings. The trade mark strandy texture, comes from cooking at right temperature. Hope you all will like it and try making Martabak Manis.
Ps..Ignore the calories and try it.
Ingredients for 3 Pancakes ( I used a 18 cm NONSTICK PAN)
225gms flour 20 gms cornflour 30 gms sugar 250 ml water 1 egg 3/4 tsp baking powder. 2 tsps vanilla essence or paste.
Mix together flour, sugar, cornflour and water. Mix well for 5 mins using a hand held whisk . Once mixed well, add an egg and baking powder, and the vanilla essence.. Mix gently and keep aside covered for 1to 2 hours
Just before making the martabak, , add 3/4 tsp of baking soda to 50 ml water, mix and add to the martabak mix. Mix gently.
(Note.. I poured one cup of batter for each martabak. I added green colour in one and yellow colour to another. Its flexible. Can omit colours too.)
Method. Heat a medium 18 cms size thick nonstick pan. Once Pan is hot, test by sprinkling a few drops of water. If water sizzles, its ready. IMPORTANT..PAN SHOULD BE HOT, on medium to high heat. DO NOT GREASE THE PAN AT ALL. Pour one cup of batter and swirl once to get a edge of batter on the sides. The heat will push bubbles to the surface. Bubbles will start appearing, once the surface is full of bubbles, lower the heat. Sprinkle about one tsp of sugar all over the surface. By now it will appear to be all most cooked, NOW cover the pan for a few mins. Remove cover, and start loosening the pancake gently. Remove onto a cutting board Immediately apply butter all over. Sprinkle chocolate rice generously AND or cheese . Drizzle condensed milk and top with roasted chopped groundnuts. Cut into 2 and stack with both the inside parts facing one another. The shape will be like a half moon
Cut into wedges. And enjoy.
Toppings..choose any or mix and match Nutella Jam Chocolate rice Grated cheese Crushed roasted peanuts Biscoff… Anything goes😊 I have used cheese and condensed milk with chocolate rice and crushed peanuts Nutella.
EGGLESS VERSION OF MARTABAK
170 gms flour 2 tbsps milk powder 3 tbsps sugar 1/4 tsp salt 250 ml water 1 tsp vanilla or pandan essence.
Mix together flour, milk powder, sugar, salt, water and essence. Keep aside for 1 hour.
Now take 3 tbsps water and add 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp baking powder.
Add to the batter.
Immediately start making the martabak.
Heat a medium 18 cms size thick nonstick pan. Once Pan is hot, test by sprinkling a few drops of water. If water sizzles, its ready. IMPORTANT..PAN SHOULD BE HOT, on medium to high heat. DO NOT GREASE THE PAN AT ALL. Pour one cup of batter and swirl once to get a edge of batter on the sides. The heat will push bubbles to the surface. Bubbles will start appearing, once the surface is full of bubbles, lower the heat. Sprinkle about one tbsp of sugar all over the surface. By now it will appear to be all most cooked, NOW cover the pan for a few mins. Remove cover, and start loosening the pancake gently. Remove onto a cutting board
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