Indonesian Sour And Spicy Vegetables Soup Recipe (Sayur Asem)

 

This is Indonesian version of spicy and sour vegetable soup,originaly from west java. Sayur asem (sayur asam) is a tamarind based vegetable soup with various Asian vegetables such as chayote squash, Chinese long beans, raw peanut, unripe jackfruit, belinjo fruits and leaves (seeds and leaves of Gnetum Gnemon). The broth is seasoned with spices such as galangal, bay leaves, candlenut, red hot chili and shrimp paste.

Sayur asem is served with steamed rice, fried salty fish (ikan asin goreng) or traditional fried chicken, raw salad and hot fiery sambal (chili sauce/paste). This soup is usually enjoyed during hot summer day.

There are two variants of sayur asem: sayur asem Sunda (Sundanese, West Java) and sayur asem Betawi (Jakarta syle). Sundanese sayur asem has clear broth compare to Jakarta style sayur asem.

Here is vegetarian version of sayur asem. But if prefer non vegetarian version, use beef broth instead of water.

What You Need

Serves 4 – 8

Ingredients:

1 ear corn, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

4 oz Chinese long beans

1 chayote squash, diced

1 can unripe jackfruit (17oz), drained

2 salam leaves (Indonesian bay leaves)

1/2 cup raw peanut, peeled

1 piece galangal (1 1/2-inch piece)

1/2 tsp tamarind pulp

Spice paste:

5 Asian shallot

3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp sambal Oelek (chili paste)

3 kemiri (candlenut)

1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp terasi (shrimp paste)

 

How to Fix

• Put shallot. garlic, chili paste, candlenut, brown sugar, salt and shrimp paste in a food processor then grind the spices to form a paste. Set aside.
• Bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add raw peanut, galangal, tamarind pulp and bay leaves. Simmer about 30 minutes or until the peanut is tender.
• Add unripe jackfruit, corn and spice paste. Simmer for another 15 minutes or until the jackfruit is tender.
• Add Chinese long beans and chayote squash and simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the flavors if necessary. Add salt, sugar, or tamarind paste.
• Remove from the heat. Transfer to serving bowl. Serve it warm steamed rice, blanched or raw salad, and sambal (chili paste).

 

Gado-gado the traditional salad from Indonesia

I like very much this kind of  food,until recent time i usually eat this cause as variation of food whenever you getting bored with all meat stuff.Gado-gado is quite similar with karedok but little bit different,here is the recipe as follow:

Ingredients

(for 2 servings)

1 thinly sliced medium sized fresh cucumber, 2 fried tempeh (soybean patties), 2 pieces of fried tofu, and a hard boiled egg cut into 4 pieces.

tempeh and fried tofu

For blanched vegetables:
1 cup of string beans cut into 4 cm long pieces, 1 cup of shredded cabbage, 1 cup of mung bean sprouts, 2 small chayotes cut into wedges (2 cups’ worth), 1 cup of water spinach (“ong choy”), 1 cup of Chinese spinach

Chinese spinach

water spinach (ong choy)

For the sauce:
ground roasted peanuts, bird’s eye chilis, dried shrimp paste (terasi), palm sugar, salt, tamarind, and water

For garnish:
fried shallots, shrimp crackers, emping (gnetum gnemon chips called “Melinjo” in Indonesian)

Optional:
1 medium sized steamed potato cut into bite size pieces

Directions

1. Blanch and strain Chinese spinach, water spinach, string beans, mung bean sprouts, cabbage and slice 1 cucumber.
2. 
3. Make sauce using a mortar and pestle
   cooking time: 20-30 minutes
   1. Grind these ingredients with a mortar and pestle until they’re smooth: 1 ts salt, 2 ts dried shrimp paste, 3 red bird’s eye chilis, and ¼ cup’s worth of palm sugar.
      
   1. Add 1 cup of finely ground roasted peanuts (or 1 cup of peanut butter) and grind it all some more until it’s mixed well. If you use peanut butter instead of ground roasted peanuts, add less salt because there’s salt in the peanut butter.
   2. Mix 1 tbs (about 20 grams) of tamarind with ¼ cup of hot water in a small bowl. Add the juice to the sauce.
   3. Add ½ cup of water and mix it well.
   4. Transfer the vegetables to a serving plate and pour the sauce on top of it or mix all the vegetables with the sauce in the mortar before serving.
      
   5. Add a sliced hard-boiled egg on top and garnish with fried shallots, shrimp crackers and emping.
   6. ENJOYED

Karedok-salad a’la sunda west java

When i was kid i am crazy so much with this food, i always forced my mother to make it if not i will bought to warung a small depot next to my parents house,when she bored to make it,i used word make not cook it because very simple food.Recent time i know for westerner this food is kind like salad.Interesting? try the recipe

Ingredients

Serves: 1

• 50 g Chinese long bean
• 2 Cabbage leaves
• 1 Cucumber
• 50 g Bean sprout
• 2 Small Chillies
• 100 g Peanuts, roast
• 1 tsp Tamarind juice
• 1 Cloves garlic
• 2 cm or 1/4 tsp Kencur (Kaempferia galanga L)
• 1 tsp Palm sugar
• 1/2 tsp Shrimp paste or terasi
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 50 ml Hot water

Preparation method

Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 10 mins | Extra time: 20 mins

1.

Rinse all the vegetables in warm water, then drain all the vegetables

2.

Slice cucumber, cut Chinese long bean into 3cm pieces, and chop cabbage leaves into pieces. Put all the vegetables include bean sprout in a plate.

3.

Peanut Sauce : Grind, garlic, small chilies, kencur, peanuts, palm sugar, salt and shrimp paste in a blender, or if you have pestle and mortar, you can use it. Add tamarind juice and hot water until smooth

4.

Mix all the vegetables with the peanut sauce. Serves with fried shallot and basil leaves on top or you can add fried emping on top

 

 

West Java Traditional Beef Soup

 

Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country’s third Largest City, and 2nd Largest metropolitan areas in Indonesia. During weekend many of Jakarta people visit this city that is why Bandung is one of the cities in Indonesia to be a culinary destination. One of the favorite dishes is Traditional Beef soup called “soto bandung”. Soto Bandung is a soup made ​​from beef and radish.It is very taste and smooth in my mouth.

 

Ingredients ;

 

• 500 gr beef (brisket), boil until tender, diced
• 1 liter beef broth
• 1 radish, peeled, thin sliced, boil and drain
• 50 gr fried soy bean
• 2 stalks celery, thin sliced
• 2 stalks spring union, thin slice
• 4 tablespoons crispy shallot

 

Spices :

 

• 3 tablespoon crispy garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 inch galangal, mashed
• 1 teaspoon pepper powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar

 

Instructions :

 

1. Boil the beef broth and brisket until boiling
2. Put in all spices, boil over medium heat until boiling and spices absorbed
3. Add radish, stir well
4. Pour the soup in serving bowl.
5. Add fried soy bean, sprinkle the celery, spring union and fried shallots. Serve with chilli sauce, sweet soy sauce and lime juice (additional).

To make chilli sauce : boil the red chili. Drain and bl

• end, add salt and vinegar, mix well.

EASTERN SOUR FISH STEW (PALLU MARA)

Pallu mara is traditional food  from makassar south sulawesi  created by their ancestor  which rich of taste spicy ,fresh on your mouth and soft on your throat.This is kind of food that you must try to eat carefully for your fragile stomach he he,dare to try?

Ingredients

2 large meaty fish steaks (Spanish mackerel, skipjack tuna)

Tamarind water made from 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp and 1 cup (250 g) water

Oil for frying

1 large clove garlic, finely sliced

5-6 whole bird’s eye chilies

1 stalk lemongrass, bruised and cut into pieces (optional)

1-in (2 ½-cm) piece turmeric root, chopped, or ½ teaspoonground turmeric

½ teaspoon palm or dark brown sugar (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Wash the fish and cut it into medium-sized pieces, discarding the bones. Cover with the tamarind water. Heat the oil and briefly stir-fry the garlic, chilies and lemongrass. Add the fish and tamarind water, turmeric, sugar, salt and peeper to taste and simmer gently until the fish is cooked. Remove the lemongrass and serve.

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TOPPA LADA

Place of origin: South Sulawesi Province

Source: Indonesian Recipes Collection Book

 Lada is a traditional dish which originated from South of Sulawesi Province. Lada means Chilli, refers to large red chillies which are used in this recipe. In my opinion, the making of Toppa Lada is similar to Rendang, the famous dish which originated from the Minangkabau ethnic group in West Sumatra. Only the spice is a little bit difterent and the cooking process is not as long as for making Rendang. The cooking process changes from boiling to thickening as the liquid evaporates. The slow cooking process allows the meat to absorb all the spices and tobecome tender.

Ingredients:

1. 500 gr beef, topside or silverside, thinly sliced
2. 1 lt thick coconut milk
3. 2 stems lemon grass, bruished, cut into two pieces
4. 2 cm galangale, bruished
5. 2 tsp salt or to taste

Spice for the paste:

1. 3 – 5 large red chillies, de-seeded, chopped
2. 6 shallots, chopped
3. 3 cloves garlic, chopped
4. 6 candlenuts, roughly chopped or crashed

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients for the paste in a blender or food processor.
2. If necessari, add 50 ml coconut milk to help the blending process and blend untill smooth.
3. Put the spice paste into a Wok or a large saucepan.
4. Pour in the coconut milk, add the lemon grass & galangale. Stir to mix.
5. Cook on medium heat untill the coconut milk get boiled. Stirring constantly.
6. Add the beef. Continue cooking on medium medium and simmer for 1 hour untill the coconut milk becomes thicker. Stirring occationally.
7. Adjust the seasoning, add salt and sugar in needed.
8. Ensure that beef is tender enough before you stop cooking.
9. Serve hot with rice.

 

 

CHICKEN TUTURAGA

Place of Origin: Menado, North Sulawesi

Source: Periuk Nusantara

Ayam Tuturaga is a one of typical dishes of Minahasan people who live in North Sulawesi. Many Indonesians also call them as Manadonese, refer to the capital city of North Sulawesi province. The main character of Manadonese dishes is mostly sour and spicy. One of the important ingredients of this recipe is daun pandan or “Pandan leaf”. If one free range chicken is probably too much for you, you can also halve the amount of chicken ( any sort as you wish).Originally this recipe is for turtle dish to cover smell for it’s flash ,this recipe can also use for food which basic element is fish or squid.

Ingredients:

1. 1 small chicken ( weighing about 600 gr ), cut & washed.
2. 350 ml thick coconutmilk
3. 4 kaffir lime leaves
4. 25 small red / green chillies
5. 1 stem lemon grass, outer leaves discarded, bruished
6. 1 lime or lemon , halve, use the juice
7. 1 pc pandan leaf
8. 5 pcs sweet Basil or normal Basil leaves
9. 1 tsp Salt ( or to taste)
10. vegetable Oil

Spice for the paste:

1. 8 shalllots, chopped
2. 3 cloves garlic, chopped
3. 4 large red chillies, de-seeded, chopped
4. 5 candlenuts, roughly chopped or crashed
5. 2 cm or 1 tbsp fresh ginger
6. 2 cm ground turmeric or 2 tsp turmeric powder

Directions:

1. Rub the chicken with salt and a half of lime or lemon juice. Put aside.
2. Put all ingredients for the paste in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
3. (If necessery add a little bit oil to help the blending process).
4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a Wok or big saucepan. (Don’t add oil if already added in a blender).
5. Stir fry the paste until fragrant & it’s colour turns to orange ).
6. Add the small chillies, lemon grass, kaffir-lime leaf, Pandan leaf & Basil leaves.
7. Add the chicken and stir to mix. Cook until the chicken becomes harder and it’s colour turns to white.
8. Pour in the coconut milk, add the half of lime juice & salt. Stir occationally.
9. Adjust the heat into medium and simmer until the coconut milk get boiled & chicken well cooked.
10. Serve hot with rice.

 

CHICKEN WITH CHILLIES ALA MINAHASA /AYAM RICA

Place of Origin: Minahasa / Manado – North Sulawesi

Source: Rudy Choiruddin

Rica Rica is a one of typical dishes of Minahasan people who live in North Sulawesi. Many Indonesians also call them as Manadonese, refer to the capital city of North Sulawesi province. You can make this dish either with chicken or fish. One of the important ingredients of this recipe is daun pandan or “Pandan leaf”. I have seen it once here in Asia shop in Germany but when I was due to make this recipe it wasn’t available. I deeply regret of it’s absence this time but I will make it up for the next one ;-). Nevertheless you need no worry, without “Pandan leaf”, it still taste good ;-). In original recipe is 1 free range chicken is used but I made it half since it was too much. Just carefull for your stomach,delicious at mouth kick on your belly,dare to try? lets go………..

Ingredients:

1. 500 gr chicken, cut in pieces
2. 2 stems lemon grass,outer leaves discarded, crashed or bruished
3. 6 shalllots, finely sliced
4. 1 Pandan leaf ( if obtainable)
5. 4 kaffir lime leaves
6. 150 ml water
7. juice of 1 lime
8. oil

Spice For The Paste:

1. 6 large red chillies, de-seeded, chopped
2. 10 small red chillies / bird chillies (optional)
3. 3 cloves garlic, chopped
4. 2 cm ginger

Garnish:

1. 1 tomato, sliced

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients for the spice paste in a blender or food processor until smooth.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok or fryingpan & stir-fry shallot, lemon grass and pandan leaf until the shalllot is brown.
3. Add the paste and kaffir-lime leaf. Stirring all the time until fragrant.
4. Add the chicken and (potatoes, stir and cook until the chicken colours turn to white.
5. Lower the heat into medium, pour in the water and cover the pan.
6. Simmer with cover until the water is absorbed and the chicken is well cooked. Stir occasionally.
7. Add the lime juice, stir to mix.
8. Arrange sliced tomatoe as a garnish. Serve right away.