Thursday, April 30, 2009

Kolak

(Fruit in Coconut Milk)

Kolak or Kolek (fruit in coconut milk) is an Indonesian dessert made with palm sugar and coconut milk, with pandanus leaf for flavour. The dish later on known as Kolek Pisang. Pumpkin, sweet potato (ubi jalar), jackfruit, and cassava (singkong), may also be added. It is served either hot (especially if freshly cooked) or cold. Kolak is popular during the holy month of Ramadan, and is usually served cold during Iftar (break a fast). It's good for filling up the sugar that you're losing during the fasting. It was my lucky day when I found sweet potato (ubi jalar) in local supermarket here. Even though the price is expensive compare to Indonesia, where for 1 kilo is just thousand of rupiah. This type of potato is really rare here. No wonder is so expensive!
Category: Dessert
Difficulty: Easy
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 200 ml coconut milk
- 100 g palm sugar
- 1 sachet vanilla sugar
- 1 large bananas, sliced
- 1 small sweet potato (ubi jalar), peeled and cut into small pieces
- 2 pieces of ripe jackfruit, finely diced (optional) - I don't use it since no one selling it here
- A pinch of salt
- 100 ml water
Directions
1. Simmer the sweet potato (ubi jalar) into boiling water until soft.
2. Add coconut milk, palm sugar, vanilla sugar and salt. Then add all remaining ingredients. Continue cooking for few minutes.
3. Serve, you can add few ice cubes as well.

Es Kelapa Muda

(Young Coconut Iced Drink)

Ingredients :
2-3 young coconuts in the can
1 litre coconut water
ice cubes
Cocopandan Marjan Bouduin syrup
500cc water


Method:
Mix coconut flesh, coconut water and syrup.
Serve in glasses and add ice cubes

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Indonesian Cooking Methods

Granite Grinding Stone Indonesian food cooking methods are prepared in a various ways: shallow or deep fried, grilled over hot coals, simmered, steamed and even in remote areas of Irian Jaya – baked in an earth oven as in Polynesia. However, there one important basic that you need to know how to prepare. It is how to prepare what is called the basic spice paste or bumbu used to season so
many dishes. Indonesians cook use a grinding stone, ingredients are peeled, sliced or chopped into small pieces so it would be easier to grind. If you are using a blender or food processor, the order of processing the spices is much the same as for grinding stone, but you will probably need to add some liquid to keep the blades of the machine turning during the blending process. The liquid can be oil if the spice paste is to be fried or water if the spice paste is to be simmered in either coconut oil, stock or water. However, just add a little into it. The order to be followed when grinding or processing spice paste ingredients :

First : hard items, such as dried spices, nuts and tough fibrous rhizomes or leaves such as galangal and lemon grass.

Second : softer rhizomes such as turmeric, ginger and fresh or dried chilies

Third : ingredients which are full of moisture such as shallots and garlic

Last : shrimp paste and tamarind juice, and process just to mix well

To cook Indonesian meals, the spice paste either need to be fried in oil or simmered in liquid. If it needs to be fried, just use a little bit of oil over low to moderate heat and fry, stirring well until it starts to smell fragrant. Usually takes only 2-3 minutes. Sometimes, pieces of meat and poultry are added to the paste and stir fried until these are well coated and the color has changed.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

es Cendol

(Cendhol Ice)


Ingredients: (6 servings)
------------
One pack (12 oz.) of frozen "BANH LOT" (available at oriental store)
One can of coconut milk, preferrably one made for dessert
1/4 lb. of Coconut sugar or "Gula Jawa" (brownish colored)
Ice cubes
Cold Water

Instructions:
-------------
1. Thaw the 'Banh Lot' in cold water, rinse once or twice afterwards

2. Boil the coconut milk with coconut sugar until they are completely
mixed together

3. In an individual serving glass (or dessert bowl), put in:
- 3 to 4 tbs. of Banh Lot
- 4-5 tbs of the mixing of coconut milk and coconut sugar
- add cold water (1 tbs) and ice cubes (can be crushed, if wanted)

4. Serve immediately, more of the ingredients can be added to taste.


---------------------

Banh Lot is a Vitnamese food (but I found it taste similar to
the 'cendol' of Indonesian. It is a frozen product, hence found in
the freezer section. In the US, it is made by "Sincere Orient Foods Co."
in El Monte, Calif.

The coconut milk & coconut sugar can also be found at Oriental markets.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Getuk Lindri

(Coconut Sweet Potato Cake)

Ingredients:
• 2 lbs. cassava
• 200 gram granulated sugar
• ½ tsp. vanila
• 1 cup steamed fresh-grated coconut, mixed with 1 tsp. salt
• 100 cc water
• food color
Instructions:
• Put in sugar and vanila in a large stockpot with water and bring it to a boil.
• Steam cassava until soft. Peel cassava. Mash cassava while still hot and pour the water mixture and food color (what ever color you like) and blend well.
• Use the equipment as shown on the left hand side to mold the mixture. Then put them onto a serving platter, and sprinkle with grated coconut.
• Serve at room temperature, or refrigerate for an hour and serve chilled.
Makes 10-12 servings.
Mixed Fruit Drink
(Es Teler)
Ingredients:
• 1 avocado, spooned out
• 5 jack fruit, sliced in small pieces
• ¼ young coconut meat
• ¼ lb. sugar palm fruit
• Condensed milk
• Shaved ice
Instructions:
• In a glass or a bowl, place all the fruity ingredients.
• On top of the fruits, put the shaved ice and then pour the condensed milk as much as you like it.
Makes 2-3 servings.
Note: Some people like to also pour a little bit of light coconut milk.

Martabak Telor

Deep Fried Beef and Vegetables Wrap

Filling Ingredients:
• 8 Tbs. oil
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1½ lbs. minced or ground beef
• 2 medium-sized shallots, minced
• 1 medium-sized onion, halved and sliced
• 2 Tbs. chopped Chinese celery leaves
• 1 Tbs. curry powder
• 4 eggs
• 1 stalk green onion, finely sliced
• Salt and white pepper to taste
Dough Ingredients:
• 2 cups white flour (unbleached preferred)
• 3 Tbs. oil
• ¾ cup water
• Pinch of salt
Instructions:
• Prepare the dough first by combining all dough ingredients and kneading them into an oily elastic dough. Cover and leave at room temperature for 2 hours. Divide into 4 and roll each piece into a ball. Pull out with lightly oily hands on an oiled or marble surface to make a large thin circle.
• While dough is resting, make the filling. Hear oil and sauté garlic and shallots for a few seconds. Add ground beef and stir fry over medium high heat until the meat changes color. Add onion and celery leaves and continue stir frying for another 2 minutes. Add curry powder, mix well and cook another 3 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• To finish it up, divide the cooked filling among 4 bowls. Add 1 egg, green onion, salt and pepper to each bowl and mix well.
• Heat a large heavy frying pan or griddle with 2 Tbs. oil. When it is hot, put the thin circle dough at the middle of the griddle, and fill the center of the dough with the mixture filling. Spread it to side lightly, then fold in the sides and ends to completely enclose the filling envelope fashion.
• Fry on the griddle until golden brown on one side, turn and fry the other side. Cut into pieces and serve, if desired, with Vegetables pickles and sliced chilies.
Makes 4 martabak.

Wedang Angsle

Ingredients:
• 8 pieces jackfruit, diced into 1-cm cubes
• 100 grams mung beans, cooked until soft
• 200 grams fermented cassava (tape), diced into 2-cm cubes
• 200 grams fried peanuts
• 8 pieces of Putu Mayang, optional

Ginger Sauce:
• 750 cc water
• 100 grams ginger, bruised
• 2 pandan leaves, shredded and tied into knots
• 200 grams brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Coconut Milk Sauce:
• 350 cc coconut milk
• 1 pandan leaf, cut into 5-cm pieces salt

Preparations:
• Ginger Sauce: boil all ingredients until the sugar is dissolved
• Coconut Milk Sauce: boil coconut milk with pandan leaf and salt
• To Serve: arrange all ingredients in a bowl, pour hot ginger sauce and coconut milk sauce on top and serve immediately.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Siomay Bandung

(Steamed Dumplings Bandung Style)

Base Ingredients:
• 350 gr ground chicken
• 250 gr ground shrimp
• 100 gr cornstarch
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed
• 1 Tbs. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. ground pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
Skin Ingredients:
• 10 pieces of won ton skin
• 6 soybean cake size 5 x 5 x 1 cm
• 5 medium size potatoes
• 5 buah bitter melon
• 5 pieces of cabbage leaves, slice the stem thin
• 5 cucumbers
Sauce Ingredients:
• 100 gr fried peanuts
• 50 gr fresh fried candlenut
• 2 cloves fried garlic
• 2 steamed red chilies
• 1 Tbs. vinegar
• ½ Tbs. salt
• 2 Tbs. sugar
• 100 cc water
Other Ingredients:
• Ketchup (tomato sauce)
• Sweet soy sauce
• Lime
Instructions:
• Mix all the base ingredients to make a smooth base filling.
• Dumpling:
o Trim the won ton skin to make them round. Place a portion of the filling in the center of a won ton skin. Take the son ton skin between the index finger and thumb, gather edges together to make a waist.
• Soybean Cake & Potato:
o Cut in half and scrape a portion of the cake & potato side and fill it in with the filling.
• Bitter Melon & Cucumber:
o Cut in 3 to 4 pieces. Scrape the seed portion and fill it in with the base filling.
• Cabbage leaves:
o Dip the leaves in to hot water for a few seconds.
• Steamed all of them until well done.
Instructios for the sauce:
• Ground all ingredients to form a paste. Then add water and stir well. If the sauce is thickened, add some more water.
Serving Instructions:
• Cut all steamed dumplings, potatoes, etc. into small pieces. Then pour the sauce on top and also add ketchup, sweet soy sauce and lime juice on top.
Makes 4-6 servings.

Kare Ayam

Kare Ayam


Ingredients:
1 whole free range chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 cm galangal, smashed
2 bay leaves
250 ml cocounut cream (450 ml light coconut milk)
2 tbsp chicken stock powder
1/2 tsp white sugar

Paste:
5 Asian shallots or 1/2 small red onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp coriander ground
1/2 tsp turmeric ground
1 tsp salt



Directions:
- Boil chickens until are just tender, discard the excess fat
- Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil in small fry-pan, stir fry paste until fragrant
- Add paste, galangal and bay leaves into the soup
- Add chicken stock and salt, adjust the taste
- Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Remove from heat

Garnish:
- Cabbage, thinly slice
- Bean sprouts, soak in hot water about 30 seconds, drained
- Emping crackers
- Spring onion, thinly chopped
- Celery leaves, thinly chopped

Chili Sauce :
5 red chillies and 1/2 big tomato, cook in boiling water for 1 minute
using food blender, process until smooth (mortar and pestle will do the best)
add a little bit hot water, 1/2 tsp vinegar and 1 tbsp sweet soy sauce (ketjap manis)
stir well, ready to serve.

Serving Suggestion:
- Put veggies into serving bowl
- Sprinkle with spring onion and celery
- Spoon chicken and soup into the bowl
- Serve with emping crackers and chili sauce