KETOPRAK

Like a lot of Indonesian salads, this is more of a meal than an excursion into healthful living. Vegans do not live in Indonesia.
At least not with any confidence.

Street vendors sell this, with extra sauce and sambal on the side.
Have some grilled meat with it to balance the digestive benefits.


SALAD INGREDIENTS:

Two Eggs, beaten with a tablespoon of water.
One onion, sliced thinly.
Chopped celery leaves from the end of the head.
One container of tofu; pressed, drained, cubed.
A handful of rice-stick noodles (the narrow kind).
Two cups of beansprouts, icky parts removed.
One cucumber, peeled, pipped, and chopped.
Optional: cold boiled string beans.

PEANUT SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

One cup peanut butter.
Four TBS brown sugar.
Three TBS lime juice.
Three TBS soy sauce.
One TBS sambal ulek.
One clove of garlic, smashed and minced.
Dash of amber fish sauce.
A few drops of Chinese sesame oil.


FOR THE SALAD:

Make a thin omelette of the eggs. Roll it loosely and let it cool. Slice it across into strips.
With plenty of oil fry the onion crispy-crisp. Heat, and lots of oil. No half measures.
Drain on a paper towel.
Fry the tofu golden brown, drain.
Boil the rice-stick noodles till soft, drain under running water.
Blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water, immediately rinse under cold.

FOR THE SAUCE:

Whisk all ingredients together with enough water to make it soupy, and cook while stirring till it has achieved the consistency you like. Let it cool slightly before use, lest you burn yourself on the retained heat.

FOR THE COMBINATION OF THE TWO:

Arrange the salad ingredients on a plate. Drizzle the sauce generously over.
Serve with sliced compressed rice (lontong), or if that is not an option, thick slices of boiled potato, as is often done in Holland.

We often add shrimp chips (krupuk) to this, by the way.
Also lovely with deep-fried dry shrimp added.


NOTE REGARDING LONTONG:

Compressed rice is made by compressing slightly overcooked white rice in a form, or packing it into a sleeve made of bamboo leaves (to be discarded after use), and steaming it.
If using a form of some sort, line the form with cheese cloth, and press the rice in firmly, then tie it up well. Only a little more steaming is needed, use your own judgment.
The objective is a dense cake of rice, which you will chill overnight before cutting into large cubes.

Lontong is often also served with satay or sayor lodeh.


Sanak mantep (selamat makan).