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.

SAMOR DAGING -- INDONESIAN MEAT STEW

SAMOR DAGING

One pound of chunked or sliced meat.
Four TBS soy sauce.
Three or four shallots, sliced thin.
Two or Three TBS sugar.
A very hefty squeeze of lime juice.
Dash vinegar.
Chilipaste.
Pinches of clove and cinnamon.
Garlic and ginger; sliced, smashed, or slivered.


Brown the shallots, garlic, and ginger. Put the meat in the pan to colour, add the soy sauce and sugar and a splash of water. Simmer till sticky and fragrant, on the cusp of scorching. Add the lime juice, vinegar, and chilipaste, stir to incorporate, and add a splash more water.
Simmer a little longer.
The total cooking time for the meat should be about an hour or so; less for tender white, more for dark and robust. Pork doesn't take too much time, but goat might be a while.
Lamb requires extra garlic, beef more ginger.
Make it moist enough to wet the rice.



Originally posted here: http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2014/04/distraction-terminating-in-stew-samor.html.

SARUNDENG BAWANG -- COCONUT GARNISH WITH ONION

SARUNDENG BAWANG
Crispy coconut and onion garnish

One cup grated coconut.
One finely slivered shallot.
Two TBS. lime juice
One TBS. amber fish sauce.
One Tsp. sugar.
A few drops Louisiana hotsauce.
Pinches ground coriander and turmeric.

Mix it all together well. Let stand an hour or two. Spread thinly on an oiled baking tray, and toast it for two hours at slightly below 300 degrees Fahrenheit. If necessary, decant it to a skillet and toast it golden brown afterwards by hand. Keeps for a few weeks.
Use it to add textural excitement on top of curries.


Originally here: http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2013/11/feeling-pleasantly-antique.html.

RUDJAK -- SOUR HOT SALAD

RUDJAK
Sour and hot salad.

Two TBS. each: lime juice, tamarind liquid, amber fish sauce, smooth peanut butter.
One TBS. each: brown sugar, Louisiana hot sauce, sambal ulek.
Hot water as needed for diluting, and a few drops of oil for smoothness.

Whisk together till smooth.
Serve as a dip, or use as dressing, for raw and blanched vegetables and sour fruits, with shrimp chips, fried tofu squares (tauhu pong), and slices of hard-boiled egg.


originally here: http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2013/11/feeling-pleasantly-antique.html.

PATJOKAN LIMO -- LEMON PICKLE RELISH

PATJOKAN LIMO
Lemon pickle-relish

One cup white vinegar.
Half cup water.
Quarter cup sugar.
Two TBS. salt.
Half Tsp. turmeric.
Pinch paprika (for colour).
Three large lemons.
Three small green chilies.

Blanch lemons and chilies. Remove seeds, and chop.
Mix everything in a large jar.
Age a week, shake regularly.
Use a little for a startling condimental addition.


Originally here: http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2013/11/feeling-pleasantly-antique.html.

BABUI MAKETJAP -- SOY SAUCE PORK

BABUI MAKETJAP
Soy-sauce pork

One pound pork loin, chunked.
One or two stalks scallion, cut into small lengths.
A thumb-length ginger, coarse slivered.
One Tsp. sambal ulek
One or two star anise.
Quarter cup soy sauce.
Two TBS. sugar.
Half cup water.
Jigger sherry.

Salt and pepper the pork lightly. Stirfry the scallion and ginger in oil till fragrant, add the meat and sauté to colour. Add everything else and simmer for half and hour or so. The sauce should be velvety, but not treacly.


Originally here: http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2013/11/feeling-pleasantly-antique.html.

EBERE -- MEAT AND BAMBOO SHOOT COCONUT STEW

EBERE
Meat and bamboo shoots in rich sauce

Pound and a half of chunked goat.
Cup and a half of julienned bamboo shoots.
One carrot, also julienned.
A small onion, minced.
Some minced garlic and chili.
One or two TBS. sambal ulek.
One Tsp. ground coriander.
Half Tsp. each turmeric, dry ginger, ground cumin.
Cup and a half coconut milk.
Cup of stock or water.
Dash soy sauce.
Squeeze of lime juice.

Frazzle the onion garlic and ginger with a little of the coconut milk until the oil comes out and the mixture gilds. Add the powdered spices, sambal, and goat, plus a splash more coconut milk. When the oil comes out again, add the remaining coconut milk and the water. Simmer for an hour. Then add the bamboo shoot, carrot, soy sauce, and the squeeze of lime juice, cook half an hour more.


Originally here: http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2013/11/feeling-pleasantly-antique.html.

MANOK KUNIT -- YELLOW CURRY CHICKEN

MANOK KUNIT
Yellow curry chicken

Half a chicken, in four pieces.
One onion, minced.
One or two cloves garlic, minced.
A little ginger, ditto.
Three kemiri (candlenuts); lightly toasted, ground smooth.
One TBS. sambal ulek.
One Tsp. tamarind paste.
One Tsp. each: ground coriander, turmeric, dry ginger.
Half Tsp. each: sugar, shrimp paste.
Generous pinch ground cumin.
A stalk of lemon grass.
One cup coconut milk.
Dash of amber fish sauce.

Gild the onion, garlic, and ginger. Add the kemiri, sambal, shrimp paste, and spices, stirfry till fragrant. Then add the chicken, lemon grass, and coconut milk. Cook till the chicken is tender and the oil starts coming out, about forty minutes. Add the sugar and fish sauce, and cook a few minutes more.


Originally here; http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2013/11/feeling-pleasantly-antique.html.

GULE KAMBING -- LAMB CURRY

GULE KAMBING
Curry lamb

One and a half pounds lamb, cut into chunks.
One onion, chopped.
Thumb-length ginger, minced.
Two or three cloves garlic, ditto.
Half TBS. ground coriander.
Half Tsp. each: paprika, turmeric, dry ginger.
Quarter Tsp. each: cayenne, ground pepper, mace.
A stalk of lemon grass.
A stick of cinnamon.
A bay leaf.
Three cups coconut milk.
One and a half cups water.
Quarter cup broken cashews.
Squeeze of lime juice.
Jigger of Louisiana hot sauce.

Grind powdered spices with the cashews to a paste, add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and mix - mash - grind till smooth.
Fry the spice paste till the oil separates, add the meat and stir to coat. Braise a bit, and keep stirring, to prevent burning at the bottom of the pan. Loosen the crusty bits as needed.
Add the remaining flavourings and about a third of the liquids (except the lime juice and hot sauce), cook into the oil comes out, then add the rest. Simmer for about half and hour to forty five minutes.
Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.
Squeeze the lime and jigger the hot sauce over before serving.


Originally here: http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2013/11/feeling-pleasantly-antique.html.

MANOK MAPUOG -- CHICKEN IN COCONUT MILK

MANOK MAPUOG
Coconut milk white chicken

One chicken cut into 6 or 8 pieces.
One onion, minced.
Six kemiri (candlenuts), lightly toasted.
Six cloves garlic, slivered.
A slice or two ginger.
One TBS. ground coriander.
Half Tsp. each: ground cumin, white pepper.
Small piece of cinnamon.
Two stalks lemon grass; bruised, folded, tied.
Whole green chilies.
Three cups coconut milk.
Three cups clear stock.
Pinches of salt and sugar.

Fry onion limp-translucent, add the garlic, ginger, and powdered spices. Gild very lightly. Now add everything except the chicken and whole chilies and simmer for an hour.
After this add the chicken and cook on low heat for about forty five minutes, then add the whole chilies and leave on the flame fifteen minutes more.

Remove the chicken to a dish, take out the whole chilies and piece of cinnamon, and reduce the liquid to a velvety consistency. Pour it over the chicken, and garnish with a few fresh basil leaves.


Orignally here: http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2013/11/feeling-pleasantly-antique.html.

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).

PEANUT SAUCE - BUMBU KACANG - SOS KATJANG

Used by Indonesians and Dutch people in a variety of ways.
First posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2012/07/do-you-really-want-fries-with-that.html.


PEANUT SAUCE - VERSION ONE

One cup peanut butter.
Four TBS brown sugar.
Three TBS lemon or lime juice.
Two TBS soy sauce.
Half TBS chilipaste.
Two or three cloves garlic, minced.
Dash fish sauce.
A few drops of Chinese sesame oil.

Whisk all ingredients together with enough water to make it soupy (about two cups), and cook while stirring till it has achieved the consistency you like.
Let it cool a little before use, as it retains heat much better than you think.


PEANUT SAUCE - VERSION TWO

One small onion, minced.
Three cups coconut milk.
Two cups water.
One cup peanut butter.
Four TBS olive oil.
Two TBS each: sugar, fish sauce, lime juice.
Half TBS each: shrimp paste, chili paste, soy sauce.
Two Tsp ground coriander.
One Tsp each: paprika, turmeric, dry ginger.
Three to five cloves garlic, minced.
Small piece fresh ginger, minced.
Dash or jigger of Tabasco.

Gently fry the onion brown, then put in the shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, chilipaste, and dry spices. When good and fragrant, add the coconut milk and fish sauce, and cook till the oil comes out. Mix in the peanut butter, and while stirring, pour in the water. Cook for a few minutes more, and adjust pourability with water. Because you are using low heat, the whole process can take the better part of an hour.


Either version keeps for quite a while in the freezer - double or triple the quantities, cook till thick and let it cool down completely, then roll it as a sausage in plastic wrap, so that you can cut off the quantity you wish to use later.

You can use it in Pinda Brafoe (chicken and peanut soup served with tongtong fu bana), over crisped vegetables, on top of cooked string beans or asparagus, alongside grilled meat, as a dip, or even as a component of noodle dishes.

SU-ONG BA

Simmered fatty pork with mushrooms and tomato.

Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2009/01/treif-in-four-plates-palakpak-panggarap.html


SU-ONG BA

One pound ng-fa naam (五花 腩 five flower fatty pork stomach), chunked.
A dozen black mushrooms (冬菇), soaked.
Three large tomatoes - peeled, seeded, chopped.
Coarsely chopped ginger and scallion.
Lemon grass stalk, cut in three lengths and bruised.
One cup water.
Heavy jigger sherry.
Dash soy sauce.
Generous pinch sugar.
A little black vinegar.

Brown the pork, decant the excess grease. Add everything else and simmer for an hour on low heat.


NOTES
Su-ong: tangy stewed meat. Ba: Hokkien term for meat in general, but usually pork in particular. Probably a distant cognate of 'babui' (pig).
Ng-fa naam: 五花 腩 - five flower fatty abdominal meat, also called ng-faa yiuk (五花肉). A cut consisting of alternating white fat and pink lean meat. Available on Stockton Street.
Black mushrooms: Shiitake, Lentinula edodes:冬菇 winter mushroom, also called 香菇 fragrant mushroom. Usually available dried, they need to be soaked in warm water to soften. Discard the stem after soaking.
Lemon grass: Cymbopogon citratus, also called Sere or Sae - a stalkgras with a pleasing lemon-like aroma used in South-East Asian cooking.

MANOK TJEAP KARE / KUI TJEAP KARE

Scant-sauced curried chicken chunks.

Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2009/01/treif-in-four-plates-palakpak-panggarap.html


MANOK TJEAP KARE / KUI TJEAP KARE

Four chicken parts (about one to 1½ pound).
Two chopped shallots.
Garlic and ginger, minced.
One TBS ground coriander.
One Tsp each: ground cumin, turmeric, cayenne, sugar.
Pinches cinnamon powder, dry ginger, ground pepper.
TBS each: chili paste, Louisiana hotsauce, amber fish sauce.
Four or five Kamiri nuts, ground up.
One cup water or stock.
Jigger sherry.

Gild chicken, shallots, garlic, ginger. Add spices, stir till the fragrance rises, seethe with the sherry. Add the chili paste, hotsauce, and fish sauce; stir over low heat till it starts sticking. Now add the water or stock, stir the crusty bits to loosen, and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes more. Finish with some minced scallion and a squeeze of lime juice.


NOTES
Manok: Tamarao term for chicken, which is called 'ayam' in Indonesian.
Tjeap: sauced, prepared with sauce.
Kare: hot and dry spices, as used in South Indian, Ceylonese, and Indonesian dishes.
Kui: Lumps, such as the butchered parts of food animals.
Kamiri: Kemiri nuts, candlenuts. Aleurites moluccanus, called kukui in Hawaii. They are used to add body to sauces. If unavailable, a tablespoon of peanut butter or mashed walnut makes an admirable replacement.

PANGGARAP

Mixed vegetables cooked soupy and tangy.

Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2009/01/treif-in-four-plates-palakpak-panggarap.html


PANGGARAP

Half a bunch of leaf greens, one long Asian eggplant, half a bunch of long beans; all chopped.
One stalk celery, one shallot, thumblength ginger; slivered.
One Tsp each: shrimp paste, tamarind pulp, dark vinegar, Louisiana hotsauce, chili paste.
Two or three strips bacon, chopped.
One Tsp ground coriander, half Tsp turmeric.
Jigger of sherry or rice wine, pinch of sugar.
Two cups water or stock.


Put everything in a pot; raise to boil, turn low and simmer for half an hour. Wilt chopped fresh green herbs on top, then serve.


NOTES
Panggarap: Usually greens, eggplant, and long beans simmered with shrimp paste, pork fat, ginger, and vinegar. Tomato and turmeric can be added, or a fish cooked on top (ika panggarap). The term derives from 'garap'= shrunk by cooking, exuding moisture. Not to be confused with a similar sounding word, 'panggarak', which means the mob of angry Muslims erupting from the local mosque after the Friday sermon, whipped into a righteous homicidal rage by the local imam. Leaf greens: collard, chard, spinach, etcetera.
Shrimp paste: Haahm haa jeung (鹹蝦醬), a wet odoriferous glop available in jars on Stockton Street. Not the same as Malaysian Belacan, which is also an excellent product, or Philippino Bago'ong, which is chemically unstable and may explode in your larder.
Tamarind pulp: Available in Chinese and Indonesian food stores - look for asam, asem.
Chili paste: generically, a sambal. You could use the jar-sambal available from Huy Fong (who are famous for their SiriRacha hotsauce), such as their Vietnamese chili and garlic sauce, sambal oelek, or sambal badjak. Dutch brands of sambal are also available. But it is best to make your own by pounding ripe chilies to a pulp. Use Thai chilies or lantaka, and add a little liquid to facilitate grinding.

PALAKPAK

Mixed vegetables cooked soupy with shrimp-paste.

Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2009/01/treif-in-four-plates-palakpak-panggarap.html


PALAKPAK

Two Asian eggplants, two large green bell peppers; chopped coarsely.
Three to five roma tomatoes - peeled, seeded, and chopped.
Quarter to half pound chunked fatty pork.
Garlic, ginger, and Jalapeno, chopped.
1½ TBS shrimp paste.
1½ Tsp chili paste.
One Tsp each: paprika, sugar.
Half Tsp each: dry ginger, ground pepper.
Dashes dark vinegar and Louisiana hotsauce.
A squeeze of lime.
Half a cup rice wine or sherry.
Half a cup water or stock.

Layer in a claypot. Meat and eggplants first, then the bell peppers, with the tomato on top. Mix all other ingredients, pour over. Raise to boil, turn low and simmer half an hour with the lid on. Let sit briefly ere serving.


NOTES
Palakpak: Handclap. Also soft-cooked vegetables with fish sauce. Palakpak is also slang for what Lesbians do to each other. That, too, is derived from the original meaning.
Jalapeno: Mild Mexican chili often used green for a crisp and peppy taste.
Shrimp paste: Haahm haa jeung (鹹蝦醬), a wet odoriferous glop available in jars on Stockton Street. Not the same as Malaysian Belacan, which is also an excellent product, or Philippino Bago'ong, which is chemically unstable and may explode in your larder.
Chili paste: generically, a sambal. You could use the jar-sambal available from Huy Fong (who are famous for their SiriRacha hotsauce), such as their Vietnamese chili and garlic sauce, sambal oelek, or sambal badjak. Dutch brands of sambal are also available. But it is best to make your own by pounding ripe chilies to a pulp. Use Thai chilies or lantaka, and add a little liquid to facilitate grinding.

HEAD-HUNTING CHICKEN - BULELITJA

A whole chicken, pale-cooked for presentation; a ritual dish. The coconut broth is barely tinged with turmeric, to the faintest of yellow; necessary, because it would otherwise have a slight greyish hue. Traditional. A dish to calm the spirits of heads taken in war.

Originally published here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2008/10/head-hunting-chicken.html


BULELITJA

One whole chicken.
Two to three each: bruised stalks of lemongras, whole shallots, whole green chilies, thick slices of ginger.
One Tsp each: salt, sugar.
Half Tsp each: white peppercorns, coriander seeds.
Quarter to half Tsp turmeric.
Generous pinches tamo kuntji, langkwang.
Two whole cloves, a bay leaf, and a piece of dried orange peel.
Eight cups water.
Four cups coconut milk.
Quarter cup white liquor (either Dutch gin, or Vodka).
A jigger of vinegar.


Bring all save chicken to a boil, simmer for five to ten minutes. Inundate the bird and bring the pot back to boil. Turn off heat. Weigh the bird down - a large ceramic bowl partially filled with water will do so nicely. Do not use a metal object as it will affect taste and appearance. Let the pot sit for an hour. Then remove the chicken to a broad basin.
With a slotted spoon remove all solids from the broth. Bring the broth back to a roiling boil and pour slowly over the chicken, making sure all of it is touched by the hot liquid. Drain chicken, reserve broth to a pot and bring back to boiling, then simmer for ten minutes.

Serve the chicken and broth separately; chicken cool, broth hot.
Eat with compressed rice, chili and fishpaste strifried longbeans, and ripped vegetables.


Lemongrass: Sere or Sae - a stalkgras with a pleasing lemon-like aroma used in South-East Asian cooking. Tamo kuntji: Kaempferia Pandurata (Boesenbergia Rotunda) - a root related to ginger and galangal, with minor antibacterial and anticancerous qualities. It has a perfumy bitter taste. In the west it can be found in Thai, Indonesian, and some Chinese stores - temo kunci (Indonesian), krachai (Thai), fingerroot, Chinese Keys (Singaporean English), 凹脣姜 (Cantonese: au-syun-keung). Langkwang: galangal (Kampferia Galanga, Alpinia Galanga), also called red ginger or dwarf ginger. Called Kha in Thai, Laos in Malay. Dried orange peel: dry your own, or purchase chan-pei (陳皮) in Chinatown, even though it comes from a different citrus (Citrus Aurantium). Dutch gin: not the same as the aftershave lotion favoured in the English speaking world, this is more like kummel - except it is flavoured with juniper berries, not caraway. The Oude Genever is a pot still product, and will take your legs out from under you if drunk to excess. The Jonge Genever is made in a patent still, and is much smoother, though still likely to commit treason on your judgment. Oude Genever is the favoured style of import-plonk in areas up from the coast. Longbeans: also called yard long beans, these are much preferred over haricots.


NOTE: The chili paste and fish paste are on the stir-fried vegetables, because they are NOT in the broth or on the chicken. The chicken is mild flavoured, to correlate to a head taken after downing the victim. Arabs are cowards and barbarians because they take prisoners, then behead their captives alive. Such a head concentrates fear and is useless. Gut-stab to kill, then cut to harvest the head; such is the only proper way.

GANGKIYAP

Tamarao potato and bamboo shoot curry.

Originally published here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2008/10/what-is-that-mess-on-my-plate-rawon-and.html


GANGKIYAP

Three cups match-stick cut potato.
One cup bamboo shoot, ditto.
Two or three shallots, minced.
Three to five cloves garlic, mashed, and an equivalent amount of ginger, ditto.
Three to five Roma tomatoes; peeled, seeded, chopped.
One and a half teaspoons each: cayenne, ground coriander.
Half a teaspoon each: ground cumin, turmeric.
Half a tablespoon shrimp paste, OR a suitable pinch of salt.
Generous pinch of sugar.
Half a cup each: ricewine or sherry, coconut milk, meat broth.
Cilantro and sliced green chilies to garnish.

Gild shallots in oil, add the garlic and ginger, stir briefly, add the spices, stir till fragrant, and seethe with a little water. Add the potato, cook for about five minutes till the liquid is gone. Add everything else, including the liquids, and cook for another ten or fifteen minutes (depends on how thick your matchstick cut potatoes are). Garnish and serve.

NOTES
Bamboo shoot: Edible young bamboo (called 'rabong' in Indonesian languages). Can be purchased in Chinatown in cans already blanched and sliced matchstickwise - simply rinse and drain before use.
If using fresh bamboo shoot, peel them, and trim away the root and any overly fibrous parts. Cut to the shape desired, and boil in a large pan of water for about twenty minutes. Do not cover the pan. This process removes the bitterness that makes raw shoots appealing only to pandas. Taste a little afterwards. If there is still some remaining bitterness, change the water and boil for another five minutes or so. Drain and rinse. Don't worry, they'll still be crunchy after cooking. Bamboo shoots are very low in calories, but a great source of fibre (hah, what a surprise!). They are reputed to be good for the heart, and both anti-viral and anti-cancerous in their effect on the body. Plus they taste good. That last bit is the most important reason to eat them. Really the only reason.
Shrimp paste: Trasi is the Indonesian version, being a dried dark brown smelly substance reminiscent of a bouillion cube..... A salty fishy rotten bouillion cube.
Nowadays I use the Cantonese version (鹹蝦醬 - haam haa jeung), which is a pungent purple-grey goop in a jar that keeps forever. It is high in salt, but also other minerals. Not very nutritious, but when cooked it is oh so tasty. Dipping green mango into a little of this is pure heaven. It should be in every kitchen, right next to the jar of sambal and the bottle of black vinegar.

RAWON

Javanese black soup-stew.

Originally published here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2008/10/what-is-that-mess-on-my-plate-rawon-and.html


RAWON

One pound stew beef or lamb chunks.
One onion, chopped.
One stalk sere (lemongrass), bruised.
Three to five cloves garlic, mashed, and an equivalent amount of ginger, ditto.
One teaspoon ground coriander.
Half a teaspoon each: turmeric, cayenne, cumin, langkwang powder.
Half a dozen soaked kluwak nuts, mashed up in a little hot water.
A few daon parot (kaffir lime leaves).
Pinches salt, pepper, sugar.
Scallion and cilantro to garnish.

Gild onion in oil, add the garlic and ginger, stir briefly, add the spices, then the meat. Cook, stirring, till the meat is no longer pink and the fragrance rises. Seethe with a little water and add the mashed kluwak, stirring to dissolve. Add everything else, plus water to cover generously. Simmer for about an hour. Garnish with scallion and cilantro.

NOTES
Sere: Lemongrass (sere, serai, sae). A tropical stalk-grass that smells like candied lemon. Available in S.E. Asian markets. Keeps away bugs, so worth growing in your backyard.
Langkwang: Galangal (lengkuas, laos); related to ginger, has an old-fashioned almost medicinal smell. Do not use the dried LengKeung available in Chinatown, though - while it is a close relative, it is more suited for cooking bushmeats (!) as tonic than regular meats as dinner table food. The proportions used are also different.
kluwak nuts: The seeds of the Kulape tree (Kepayang; Pangium Edule). Kluwak which are available in the west are thoroughly processed and have been dried - they must be made soft by steeping in a little hot water for about ten or fifteen minutes, whereupon they may be mashed to a smooth paste with ease. They add a nice 'rusty' fragrance to dishes, and change the colour to brown-black. Very delicious.
Daon Parot: Kaffir lime leaf; a leaf that adds a fragrance between tea-rose and citrus. No substitute, but not absolutely essential. It can be purchased in markets catering to a Thai and Indonesian clientele.

SAMOR LIDA

SAMOR LIDA
[Dutch-Indonesian (Indo) Stewed Tongue.]


Originally posted here:
http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2006/12/hold-your-tongue.html



One three pound beef tongue.
One large onion, sliced thin.
Half dozen cloves garlic, slivered.
Half cup each: stock, rice wine (or sherry).
Quarter cup each: ketjap manis (sweet soy sauce), olive oil.
Two TBS each: lime juice, wine vinegar.
Half TBS ground coriander.
Half Tsp each: cayenne, turmeric, dry ginger, ground cumin, whole peppercorns.
Half dozen Roma tomatoes (or three beefsteak); peeled, seeded, chopped.
Bay leaves, stalk lemon grass, chopped fresh ginger.


Boil tongue in salted water for fifteen minutes. Remove, drain and dry, scrape off skin that covers the tongue. Trim the root end. Rinse and dry.

Heat oil in a large stewpan. Gild the onion, garlic, chopped ginger. Remove to a plate. Put the tongue in the pan and brown it all over. Re-add the gilded onion, garlic, and ginger. Add the tomatoes and spices - cook till the fragrance rises and bottom starts to crust. Add remaining ingredients plus water to cover, turn heat low and simmer for three hours.

Remove tongue to a plate and let it cool. Meanwhile, reduce pan-broth to a pourable sauce or gravy thickness, and remove the lemon grass. Slice tongue, arrange on a platter, and nap with the sauce.

Serve with stir-fried long-beans, crisp veggies, pan-roast potatoes and crusty bread to sop up the juices. Make sure that a little pot of Indonesian hot-sauce (sambal) is on the table. Also good served with rice.