SOUR INDONESIAN VEGETABLE SOUP -- SOP SAYOG ASEM

SOP SAYOG ASEM

Half a pound each chunked chicken and pork. Or all chicken.
One onion, chopped.
One thumb of ginger, minced.
Two or three cloves of garlic, ditto.
Three or four green chilies, ditto.
Two or three tomatoes, peeled seeded chopped.
Two cups of chopped spinach.
Two cups of chopped long beans.
Two TBS. tamarind paste.
One TBS. shrimp paste.
Four cups of water.
Pinch sugar.
Pinch cinnamon.
Pinch cumin.
Minced scallion to garnish.

In one pot bring the water to a boil with the tamarind paste, stirring to dissolve. Set aside.

In another pot, saute the onion and ginger, add the garlic and chilies when the onion is golden. When the garlic colours, add the shrimp paste, followed shortly thereafter by the tomato and the pinches sugar, cinnamon, and cumin. Put the meat chunks in the pot, and turn to coat and colour. Then strain the tamarind water into the pot, raise to boil, and turn low to simmer for about forty minutes. Add the spinach and long beans ten minutes before the end of cooking. Taste the broth when done, and adjust if necessary with a squeeze of lime juice. It should be tangy, but not too sour. Just tangy. Garnish with the minced scallion, and serve as a side with dinner, or pour it over rice if it's just you.



Originally posted here: http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2014/05/channeling-my-inner-velociraptor.html.