Indonesian Food = Yummy

A Typical Independence Day Menu

Gado-gado , steamed vegetables in peanut sauce
Sate , marinated meat or fish kebabs
Roti , Indonesian sweet bread
Nasi tumpeng , ceremonial cone-shaped steamed yellow rice ( nasi kuning )
Krupuk udang , shrimp-flavored cracker snacks
Pisang goreng , fried banana cakes
The halia , hot ginger tea

Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice) 

Ingredients

• 1½ cups cooked and cooled long grain rice
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
• Pinch of dark brown sugar
• Pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

Procedure

1. After preparing the rice, heat the oil in a wok or saucepan and add the onion, garlic, and chili powder.
2. Add the rice, soy sauce, and sugar and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Combine and stir well, cooking for 5 to 6 minutes.
4. If the mixture becomes too dry, add some water, or even a beaten egg.
5. Remove from the heat and serve on a large plate.
6. Garnish as desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Tahu Goreng (Fried Tofu) 

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil, enough to deep-fry the tofu
• ½ cup tofu, cut into bite-sized cubes
• 3 Tablespoons dark soy sauce
• Coriander (or parsley leaves or scallions) chopped, to garnish

Procedure

1. Heat the oil in a deep fry pan and deep-fry the tofu cubes until crispy and golden brown.
2. Remove the cubes and drain on paper towels; place on a serving dish.
3. Pour the soy sauce over the cubes, garnish, and serve.

Serves 4.

Pisang Goreng (Fried Banana Cakes) 

Ingredients

• 10 good bananas
• 1 bottle of cooking oil
• 2 eggs
• 4 spoonfuls of sugar
• 400 grams of flour 
• a quarter of teaspoonful of salt 
• a little of vanilla (if you want)
• some water

Procedure

1. First, slice the bananas into thin slices
2. Then, mix flour, eggs, sugar, and salt to make batter
3. Next, add some water and a little of vanilla
4. While, roll the bananas into the batter
5. After that, pour the cooking oil into the pan and heat it
6. Finally, fry the bananas in very hot oil until they turn golden brown

Rujak (Spicy Fruit Salad) 

 

Rujak is considered Indonesia's national salad. 

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized can pineapple chunks
• 2 bananas, peeled and chopped
• 3 green apples, peeled and chopped
• 1 small cucumber, peeled and slice

D RESSING :

• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons lime (or lemon) juice

Procedure

1. Place all fruits and vegetables into a bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. In a separate bowl, combine dressing ingredients.
3. Pour the dressing over the fruits and vegetables. Chill before serving.

Serves 4 to 6.

Es Pokat or Es Avocado, Bali (Indonesian Avocado Drink) 

  Ingredients

• 5 Tablespoons sugar
• 5 Tablespoons water
• 2 avocados, peeled and pit removed
• ½ cup milk
• 1 cup chocolate milk
• Ice, crushed

Procedure

1. To make the simple syrup, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium to high heat.
2. Stir until clear. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Spoon out the avocado pulp and place in a blender.
4. Add the syrup and blend to mix, then add cold milk and blend.
5. Divide the mixture between two tall glasses. Top each serving with ½ cup chocolate milk (to form a separate layer) and crushed ice.

Makes 2 servings.

Teh Halia (Hot Ginger Tea, Ambon) 

  Ingredients

• 6 cups water
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, cracked

Procedure

1. Combine the water, sugar, and ginger in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil.
2. Cook over moderate heat for about 5 minutes.
3. Strain.

Serves 6.

Nasi Kuning (Yellow Rice) 

 

Nasi Jagung (Corn Rice) 

Ingredients

• 1½ cups uncooked rice, washed thoroughly
• 1½ cups sweet corn kernels, cut from the cob or canned

Procedure

1. Place the rice and corn in a pot with 3½ cups of water and bring to a boil. (If using canned sweet corn, do not add water).
2. Simmer the rice and corn until the water is absorbed.
3. If using canned sweet corn, add the water now.
4. Lower the heat to low and cook rice and corn for another 10 minutes, until the rice is dry and fluffy.

Lontong – Rice in Banana Leaves   

 

Ingredients:

Long-grain rice	400 g (2 cups)
Banana leaves
Bamboo toothicks or cocktail sticks
Water	2,5 litres (10 cups / 4 pints)

Method:

1. Wash rice twice and drain. Portion and place onto banana leaves, then fold into secure oblong packets and fasten with toothpicks
2. Boil banana leaf-packets in 2.5 litres water for about 3 hours. It may be necessary to add more during this period.

OR
  
Ingredients:

Long-grain rice	200 g (1 cups)
Water	500 ml (2 cups)
Banana leaves
Bamboo toothicks or cocktail sticks

Method:

1. Wash rice twice, drain and transfer to a saucepan. Add water and boil rice until soft.
2. Place onto banana leaves, roll into oblongs and fasten with toothpicks. Place into a pot and fill with 500 ml water. Boil for 1 hour
3. Leave to cool, slice and serve. Lontong is a good accompaniment for dishes like gado-gado or a sambal

Note: In The West or wherever banana leaves are hard to come by, use aluminium foil or corn husk as wrappers

Gado Gado (Tofu and Vegetable Salad with Peanuts Dressing)

 

Ingredients:
1 cup (50 g) bean sprouts, seed coats and tails discarded
2 cup (180 g) spinach, rinsed, though stems discarded
1 carrot, sliced
1 cup (100 g) green beans, cut into short lengths
¼ head cabbage, leaves separated  and slice
1 cup (100 g) greens beans, cut into short length
¼ head cabbage, leaves separeated and sliced
2 cakes (about 7 oz/200g each) deep-fried tofu, sliced
2 hard-boiled eggs, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons Crispy Fried Shallots , to garnish
Krupuk Shrimp Crackers to serve (optional)

Gado-gado dressing:
1 cup (150 g) roasted unsalted peanuts
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 to 3 bird’s-eye chilies or red finger length chilies, deseeded
1 in (2 ½  cm) fresh kencur root, peeled  and sliced
1 kaffir lime leaf
3 tablespoons sweet Indonesian soy sauce (Kecap Manis)
½ teaspoon salt
2 cup (500 ml) water
1 teaspoon freshly squeeszed lime or lemon juice

Cooking Direction:

1. Prepare the Crispy Fried Shallots by following the recipe on categories pages: pickles sambal and dipping sauce
2. To make the gado-gado dressing, coarsely grind the peanuts, garlic, chilies and kencur in a mortar or blender , adding  a little water  if necessary to keep the mixture turning. Place the ground mixture in a saucepan with all the other dressing ingredients, except the lime or lemon juice, and simmer uncovered over  very low heat for about 1 hour. Stirring frequently to prevent the sauce from sticking to thr pot and burning. Remove from the heat  and set  aside. Add the lime or lemon juice, mix well and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the Crispy Fried Shallots over the sauce just before serving.

Curried Eggs – Telur Kari

Ingredients:

Peanut oil	2 Tbsp
Onion	1, medium, peeled and chopped
Garlic	1 clove, peeled and chopped
Curry Powder	2 tsp or more to taste
Lemon grass (serai)	½ tsp, ground
Sambal oelek	1 tsp
Salam leaf (daun salam)	1
Kaffir lime leaf (daun jeruk purut)	1
Coconut milk	375 ml (1 ½ cups), squeezed from ½ grated coconut with sufiecient water added
Salt	1 tsp
Eggs	6, hard-boiled and shelled

Method:

1. Heat oil in a frying pan (skillet). Add chopped onion and garlic, as well as curry  powder  and mix well. Fry lightly.
2. Add lemon grass, sambal oelek, salam leaf, kaffir lime leaf, coconut milk and salt. Bring to the boil.
3. Add  eggs and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve.

Crispy Peanut (Rempeyek Kacang)

Ingredients
1 ½  cups (220 g) raw peanuts
1 cup (120 g) rice flour
¾ cup (100 g) flour
1 cup (250 ml) thick coconut milk oil, for deep frying
Spice Paste
2 candlenut, roughly chped
½ in (1 cm) fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced, or ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
½ teaspoon salt

Cooking Directions:

1. Dry-roast the peanuts in a work or skillet over low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool, then rub the peanuts together  to remove the skins
2. To make the spice Paste, grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste in a mortar or blender, adding a little coconut milk if necessary to keep the mixture turning. Combine the ground paste and flours in a mixing bowl, add the coconut milk and stir well to obtain a smooth batter, then add the peanuts and mix well
3. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat until hot. Ladle 2 tablespoons of the batter at a time into the hot oil and deep-fry until crispy and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the work and drain the water on paper towels. Continue to deep-fry  the waters until all the batter is used up. Allow the wafers to cool thoroughly before storing them in an airtight container.

Fruit in Coconut Milk – Es Kolak

 

Ingredients:
1 portion Palm Sugar Syrup (see our Sweep Sago Rolls with Palm Sugar Syrup recipe)
1 sweet potato
1 large banana, peeled and sliced
5 pieces ripe jackfruit, pitted and sliced
4 cups (1 liter) thick coconut milk pinch of salt
Crushed ice

Cooking Directions:

1. Prepare the Palm Sugar Syrup by following the recipe step 1 on Sweep Sago Rolls with Palm Sugar Syrup recipe)
2. Clean the sweet potato, then boil in a saucepan of water over medium heat until tender and cooked, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. Peel and dice the sweet potato. Alternatively, stearn the sweet potato in a stearner for 15 minutes or microwave for 4 to 6 minutes on high
3. Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. To serve, spoon into individual serving bowls and top with some crushed  ice.

Vegetables in Sweet Tamarind Broth – Sayur Asam

 

Ingredients:
4 cups (1 liter) water
2 salam leaves (optional)
1 in (2 ½ cm) fresh galangal, bruised
1 fresh or frozen corn cob, cut into sections
2 cups (180 g) tapioca leaves, sweet potato leaves, spinach and melinko leaves (see note)
1 cup (100 g) green beans, cut into short lengths
2 to 3 green finger-length chilies, deseeded and cut into short lengths (optional)
½ cup (75 g) lightly boiled raw peanuts or fresh melinjo nuts
¼ cup (60 ml) tamarind juice (see our sambals recipe) or 4 to 6 carambola (belimbing wuluh), sliced
½ cup (125 g) small fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)
1 ripe tomato, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Spice Paste
2 to 4 finger-length chilies, deseeded
4 shallots, peeled
3 cloves salt

Cooking Directions:

1. Make the Spice Paste by grinding all the ingredients to a smooth paste in a mortar or blender, adding a little water if necessary to keep the mixture turning. Set a aside.
2. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the Spice Paste salam leaves (if using) and galangal, mix well and bring to aboil again, then simmer uncovered for 2 minutes. Add the corn and boil  for 2 more minutes, then add the vegetables, chili (if using) peanuts  and tamarind juice or carambola. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Finally add the shrimp, tomato and sugar, and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until the shrimp turn pink. Season with the salt and remove from the heat. Serve hot as part of rice-based meal.

Chili Dip for Soto (Sambal Soto)

 

Ingredients: 3 candlenuts, deep-fried whole until golden
4 to 5 red finger-length chilies or 5 to 7 bird’s-eye chillies, deseeded
6 shallots, peeled
2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice

Cooking directions:
Grind the candlenuts, chilies, shallots and garlic to a smooth  paste in a mortar or blender, adding alittle lime or lemon juice if necessary to keep the mixture turning. Season the ground paste with the sugar, salt and lime or lemon juice. Serve in a small bowl.

Glutinous Rice Cakes with Palm Sugar – Wajik

 

Ingredients:

1 cup (200 g) uncooked glutinous rice

½ cup (90 g) shaved palm sugar

½ cup (125 ml) water

1 pandanus leaf, tied in a knot, or 1 drop pandanus extract

¼  cup (60 ml) thick coconut milk Pinch of salt

Cooking Directions:

1. Rinse the glutinous rice in several  changes of water until the water runs clear, then soak overnight
2. Line a stearmer basket with a cheesecloth and spread the soaked  glutinous rice evenly cloth. Steam the rice for 15 minutes, then turn and fluff it up with a fork and steam for more 10 more minutes until cooked
3. In a saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium heat and then simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the syrup has reduced to half, about 15 minutes. Add all the other ingredients and mix well. Continue to simmer for 3 to 5 more minutes and remove from heat.
4. Combine the cooked glutinous rice and coconut milk mixture in a large saucepan and mix well, then cook over low heat, stirring from time to time, until the mixture thickens and becomes sticky, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove  from the heat and discard the pandanus leaf, if using.
5. Transfer  the cake to lightly greased shallow cake pan  or tray (about 7 in/ 17 cm across), smoothing the surface with the back of a wet spoon, and aside to cool. Cut the cake into squares or diamond shapes and serve at room temperature.

Pancakes with Curried Meat Filling - Martabak

 

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz (350 g) ground lamb or beef
1 onion, diced
1 small leek, halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced
1 red finger-length chili, deseeded and sliced
3 tablespoons minced celery leaves
1 tablespoon curry powder
4 eggs
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
Green chilies, deseeded, to serve (optional)
1 portion Mixed Vegetable Pickles (see our sambal recipes), to serve
Dough
2 cups (300 g) flour
3 tablespoons oil
¾ cup (185 ml) water
½ teaspoon salt

Cooking Directions:

1. Prepare the mixed vegetable pickles by following  the recipe on sambal categories
2. Make the Dough by combining and kneading  all the ingredients to form an oily, elastic dough. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 2 hours, then quarter the dough and roll each piece into a ball. Lighty oil a roling pin and roll out the Dough  and set aside.
3. To prepare the filling, heat the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat and stir-fry the garlic for a few seconds until it changes color, about 2 minutes. Add the onion, leek, chili and celery  leaves,  and stir-fry  for 2 more minutes. Add the curry powder  and stir-fry until well blanded, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Divide the cooked filling into 4 equal portions  and mix well

Seasoned Fish Grilled in Banana Leaves – Pepes Ikan

 

Ingredients:
1 lb (500 g) white fish fillets, skinned and cut into chunks
8 to 10 shallots, peeled
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 spring onions, sliced
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/3 cup (85 ml) thick coconut milk
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
Banana leaves or aluminium foil, cut into 8-in (20 cm) square pieces, for wrapping.

Cooking Directions:

1. Place the fish in a blender or food processor and pulse for a few seconds, then add all the the other ingredients, except the banana leaves, and grind to a thick paste. Set  aside.
2. 2 scald the banana leaves by pouring  boiling water over them in a basin, so they become flexible. Drain and place the leaves on a clean work surface. Spoon 3 heaped tablespoons of the fish mixture onto each piece of banana leaf (or aluminium foil) and wrap it, repeat it until all the fish mixture is used up
3. Grill each parcel directly over hot charcoal or under a preheated broiler for 10 to 15 minutes, turning from time to time until the banana leaf wrapper is charred. Serve hot.