How To Make Spekkoek (Lapis Legit)-RECIPE & TIPS ON THE INDONESIAN LAYERED CAKE

If you love traveling and eating, I am sure this question has crossed your mind. Why does the same food in one place taste different in another? And I’m not talking about variation of one food, but the exact same food. Having lived in Vancouver for several years, which is arguably one of the most multi-cultural city in the world, I often hear my friends complain, “Nah, the Korean food here is nothing compared to the Korean food in Korea” or something along those lines.

Now of course, there could be many reasons for that, to name a few: The cooks’ expertise, taste assimilation, alterations made intentionally to cater to the locals, accessibility to certain ingredients etc.

I always attributed the main reason to be the competency of a chef… until my one-month stay in Jakarta with Grandma just this past month (I’m half Indonesian.. and half Singaporean). Since I began baking, the supermarkets and grocery stores have become my “Happy Place”. Visiting the Indonesian grocery stores made me realize one thing. Everything is so drastically different! The flour is different, the butter is different, and even the EGGS are different! But come to think of it, I would probably find it more bizarre if they were the same. After all, if people from one place differ so much from another, I’m sure chicken and eggs would too! Perhaps this factor contributes to why some things will never taste the same in other places.

Ingredients:

• 225 gr butter, softened.
• 230 gr sugar.
• 10 large eggs, separated.
• pinch of salt.
• 150 gr flour.
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar.

Spice mixture:

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon.
• 1 teaspoon ginger.
• 1 teaspoon aniseed.
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg.
• ½ teaspoon cardamon.
• ¼ teaspoon cloves.

( all spices are ground )

Preparation:

Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs yolks a few at a time.
In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff. Fold into yolk mixture. Fold in sieved flour.
Divide batter between two bowls. Add the spice mixture to one bowl and mix in well. Line the bottom of a buttered 9″ (25 cm) round cake pan (or springform pan) with wax paper and butter the wax paper. Pour about ½ cup of the spiced batter into the pan, spreading to form a thin (about pancake thickness) layer.
Place pan under a preheated broiler (oven grill) for 2 minutes, or until the layer is firm and very lightly browned. Spread ½ cup of the plain batter over the top and broil until firm. Repeat layering and broiling until all batter is used. Leave cake to cool, then remove from pan. Sprinkle top with icing (confectioners) sugar. Serve in thin slices.

How To Make Indonesian Beef Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Popular throughout Southeast Asia and Indonesia, satay is strips of skewered, grilled meat eaten with a fragrant dipping sauce. Here we serve seasoned marinated steak with a spicy peanut sauce for dipping. A simple cucumber salad is a cooling counterpoint to the beef satay.

Indonesian Beef Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Makes: 6 servings

Active Time: 1 1/2 hours

Total Time: 3 1/2 hours (including 2 hours marinating time)

INGREDIENTS

MARINADE & STEAK

• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped lemongrass, tender inner stalk only (see Notes), or 2 teaspoons freshly grated lime zest
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (see Notes)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak, flank or other beef steak, trimmed

PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE

• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons peanut oil or canola oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped lemongrass, tender inner stalk only, or freshly grated lime zest
• 1/2 cup “lite” coconut milk
• 1/4 cup unsalted natural peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon lime juice, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon Asian chile sauce, such as Sriracha, or other hot sauce, or to taste

MARINATED CUCUMBERS

• 1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
• Pinch of salt, or to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

PREPARATION

1. To marinate steak: Combine lime juice, lemongrass (or lime zest), soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, turmeric, coriander, cumin and pepper in a small bowl. Cut steak on the bias across the grain (see Tip) into thin, 1- to 2-inch-wide strips. Place in a sealable gallon-size plastic bag, add the marinade and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.
2. To prepare dipping sauce: Combine onion and oil in a small saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger and lemongrass (or lime zest); cook, stirring frequently and reducing the heat as necessary to prevent overbrowning, 2 minutes more. Add coconut milk, peanut butter, fish sauce, ketchup, lime juice, brown sugar and hot sauce; cook, stirring, until well blended. If necessary, thin with a little water to the desired consistency. Adjust seasoning with lime juice, brown sugar and/or hot sauce. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
3. To prepare cucumbers: Combine cucumber, vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in cilantro (if using). Taste and add more sugar and/or salt if desired. Set aside.
4. To prepare satays: Preheat a gas grill to medium heat or prepare a medium-heat fire in a charcoal grill. (No grill? See Broiler Variation.)
5. Remove the steak from the marinade (discard marinade). Thread onto skewers, 1 strip per skewer. Grill, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium. (If necessary, grill the satays in two batches.)
6. Warm the dipping sauce, if desired. Serve the satays with the sauce and the cucumbers.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the peanut sauce for up to 3 days; cover and refrigerate the marinated cucumbers for up to 1 day; marinate steak (Step 1) for up to 12 hours. | Equipment: 20 to 30 (6-inch) bamboo skewers

• Notes: Look for lemongrass—a woody, scallion-shaped herb with an aromatic lemon flavor—in the produce department of well-stocked supermarkets. To use, trim off the root end and grassy top. Peel off the woody outer leaves. Thinly slice the softer inner stalk, then finely chop.
• Fish sauce is a pungent Southeast Asian condiment made from salted, fermented fish. Find it in the Asian-food section of well-stocked supermarkets and at Asian specialty markets. We use Thai Kitchen fish sauce, lower in sodium than other brands (1,190 mg per tablespoon), in our recipe testing and nutritional analyses.
• Tip: Depending on your region, skirt steak may not be something your supermarket regularly carries—call ahead to make sure it’s available or ask your butcher to order it for you. It’s usually sold in about 1-pound cuts up to 18 inches long and 5 inches wide, but just 1/4 inch thick. Before cooking, cut the steak with the grain into several portions to make the long piece more manageable on the grill or in a skillet. Once cooked, be sure to slice it across the grain for maximum tenderness. Hanger steak, flat-iron and flank steak can all be used as substitutes for skirt steak in most recipes.
• Broiler Variation: Position a rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler. Coat a broiler pan (or a wire rack set on a large baking sheet) with cooking spray. Broil the skewers, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 296 calories; 17 g fat (6 g sat, 7 g mono); 65 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrates; 1 g added sugars; 25 g protein; 1 g fiber; 588 mg sodium; 588 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (36% daily value), Iron & Potassium (17% dv)

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 2 fat

source:eatingwell.com

Ayam Pinadar Recipe (Andaliman Pepper Chicken)

Pinadar chicken is chicken cooked in herbs and chicken livers with andaliman as an important spice. Andaliman is a close relative of Sichuan pepper grown in the soil of North Sumatra, Indonesia where the Batak ethnic group living. Batak cuisine is also known for cooking with andaliman pepper.

If you are interested to know more about andaliman, I suggest you to read more at this link where I discuss about it in depth.

Batak cooking, it believes that the process of roasting chickens before actually cooking in spices will bring better flavor to food. For those who do not like spicy food hot, you can always reduce the number of birds eye chillies. This recipe was adapted from a fellow blogger Indonesia, Indonesia Medan Food that I changed a little.

Chicken Pinadar
- Andaliman pepper chicken -
Adapted from Food Medan Indonesia

Ingredients:
1 pound whole chicken native Indonesian leaner and tougher (I use whole chicken Manitoban)
2 tablespoons shredded coconut, toasted and ground
4 lime leaves
3 bay (greetings) leaves Indonesia
Water 200 milliliters
4 tablespoons of coconut oil EV
seasalt taste

Material to grind:
6 grilled hazelnut
40 grams of red cayenne peppers length
10 grams of birds eye chillies
40 grams of onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 cm galangal
2 cm ginger, deleted
2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, or 4 tablespoons of lemon grass ground frozen, thawed
2 tablespoons andaliman
25 grams of chicken liver

Chicken Pinadar 2

Directions:
Bake or grill a whole chicken without burning it. Set aside and cut into small pieces.

In a food processor, process all the ingredients to grind until smooth. On medium high heat, saute mixture of soil, lime leaves and Indonesian bay leaf in a pan with EV coconut oil until fragrant.

Add chicken and ground toasted shredded coconut. Stir evenly. Reduce heat to medium low. Add the water. Cover the pan with a lid. Cook until chicken is tender. Serve with rice.

Source:indonedsianeats.com

Avocado Poppy Seed Cake Recipe

This recipe I found when I did a little fun with Pinterest me where I collect interesting idea with some of the material in which I have a special name board "Avocado Idea"

To elaborate on this cake, the cake is as moist as banana cake. You will need a little more butter as avocado has a soft texture. I made the first batch on Saturday and I do not have a poppy seed or almond flour so I replaced toasted black sesame seeds and raw cashew peanut. The result was really good. Then I created a second wave is on Sunday where I had all the ingredients that should be in accordance with the original recipe. However, I try to avoid at all costs so that the butter a good thing I kept avocado oils useful in my kitchen.

St Patrick's Day are denoted with everything green. So today March 17th is St. Patrick's Day and I brought the cake to the office that my co-worker really enjoyed it. Thou I do not celebrate one. I love the color green :)

Avocado Poppy Seed Cake

Adapted from J'veux être bonne

Ingredients:

2 medium avocados

2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 2 lemons depending on how big and juicy lemon is)

180 grams of sugar

50 grams of avocado oil (original recipe used butter)

Flour 100 grams

4 large eggs

50 grams of poppy seeds

50 grams of almond flour (ground almonds)

pinch of salt

Avocado Icing

1 medium avocado

1 tablespoon lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

100 to 150 grams icing sugar (original recipe using 200 grams icing sugar)

Directions:

1. Separate the egg white and yellow when they are still cold because it is easier to separate the temperature. Cover and let them sit at room temperature until they are ready for use.

2. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). In a food processor, puree the avocado and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Set the side.

3. In a food processor, combine the avocado oil (or butter) and sugar until well blended. Add pureed avocado lemon inside. Mix the egg yolks one at a time. Pour the flour and baking soda on top and stir until well. Transfer this mixture to a bowl. Add poppy seeds and almond flour; fold them gently.

4. With mixer, beat the egg whites and salt. Then transfer to a bowl mix the avocado. Fold them gently to mix well.

5. Pour the batter into the pan or round bread pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

6. While you are waiting for the cake to be baked, you can make the icing avocado. Blend the avocado with lemon and add the icing sugar. Process until all blended.

7. Once the cake is ready you can spread the icing evenly over the avocado.

How To Make Chili Grind(sambal Oelek)

 Also know as Sambal Oelek, is the most basic of sambals.

Although many variaties of red chilli peppers can be used, I would suggest you try and find the longer and milder pepper know as Lomboks.

As usual, when working with chillies, make sure that you don’t touch your eyes or any other sensitive part of your body, best to wear rubber gloves when doing the chopping. Clean all your equipment afterwards.

Ingredients:

• 20 red Chillies or Lomboks (approx. 6 – 9 cm. long)
• 2 teaspoons Salt

Preparation:

Wash Chillies and chop. Mix with salt and rub into a coarse paste in mortar or in blender. Put into sterilised jar.

This sambal is perfect by your meal or for cooking and as a base for other sambals. Can be kept in fridge for up to 1 month.

Notes:

As Sambal is such a commonly used ingredient in the Indonesian kitchen and can be used to replace fresh chillies in most recipes, it’s always nice to have some on standby.

I would therefore suggest that you try and find it ready made in the shops. It is sold as Sambal Ulek, or more common in the west, as Sambal Oelek, by a variety of producers. It can also be found as plain “chilli paste”, but make sure it includes the seeds. Commercially produced sambal is made in a Sterile environment and uses some preservetive, so will last for a long time.

source:indochef

Easy Ways to Make Vegetable Lumpia

An all time favorite of my college "barkadas" (close friends), sharing a good chat while eating vegetable lumpia during our snack time.We love this because it is affordable and will make you really full and most of all very delicious.

Ingredients:

1 kilo sprouted beans (togue)

1 head medium size cabbage (strips)

1/4 kilo ground beef ( or whatever meat you would like to use)

2 medium size carrots ( strips)

1 big sweet potato (camote) sliced into strips

1 small onion

3 cloves garlic

salt and pepper to taste

30 Spring roll wrapper

Procedure:

1. Saute the garlic and onion, add the ground beef and simmer for few minutes then add the sweet potato and simmer until half cooked.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients, simmer until it is cooked. ( do not overcooked)

3. Drain and let it cool. 

4. Wrap in the spring roll wrapper and deep fry until golden brown.

5. Serve hot with your favorite sauce.

How to Make Potato Donuts Delicious And Soft

Donat is a kind of snack that is favored by many people, from children to the Elderly. Donat now have many choices of flavors, whether it's a sense in the topping on the cake alone or taste it, for example, cake donuts potatoes, For Reviews those of you WHO already know how to make cake donuts may Easily follow the recipe and how to the make the following potato donuts. The function of the potato itself here is useful to make a donut texture softer and more tender sure.

Materials Donat potatoes:

1. 500 grams of potatoes, peeled, cut into pieces
2. 150 grams of sugar
3. 3 egg yolks
4. 500 grams of cake flour
5. 1 packet (11 g) instant yeast
6. 2 tablespoons of full cream milk
7. 100 grams of butter, melted
8. Cooking oil
9. 100 grams of sugar donuts

Before further into how to make it, you must first prepare the equipment, do not let one prepare equipment.. Directly below into the weave.

Potato Doughnut Making way:

First, Steamed potatoes until tender. Lift, while the hot mashed potatoes. Then whisk the sugar and eggs until sugar dissolves. After that add the potatoes, yeast, flour and milk powder. Stir until completely blended. And add the melted butter, stir until completely smooth. After really dull and let stand for 45 minutes until fluffy. Furthermore kempiskan dough, cut call now weighing 40 g. Once cut into pieces and Round the dough, form a ring. Let stand for 15 minutes.

You continue to fry in hot oil until golden brown medium. Then, remove and drain. And sprinkle with sugar donuts and serve.

Tips Potato Doughnuts:

1. Size or large donut can be adjusted to taste.
2. When frying donuts sure enough oil to donuts submerged and use a medium heat so that the donuts cooked inside.
3. Decorate donut with okelat or cheese to taste.
4. If you are saved, let donuts in plain unadorned state.

How To Make Opor Ayam (Coconut Chicken Curry)

This food was often encountered when Moslems in Indonesia celebrated lebaran, tasted deliciously. Many people sold although lebaran ended. 

How To Make Opor Ayam (Coconut Chicken Curry)

Ingredients1 Broiler or fryer Chicken with skin, approx. 450g.
2 t Salt
1 lg Onion, chopped finely
3 Cloves garlic, chopped
3 T Oil
1 T Coriander
Pinch of chopped ginger
1 t Ground lemon grass
2 c Coconut milk
1 Salam leaf

Directions

Cut chicken into serving portions and rub with salt.
Fry onion and garlic in oil until lightly brown. Now, add coriander, ginger and lemon grass. Stir well for about 1 minute.
Add chicken, mixing thoroughly so that chicken absorbs the spices. Add coconut milk and salam leaf. Cover tightly and cook over medium heat for about 40 minutes. Serve with rice.

Yield: 4 servings

HOW TO MAKE GADO-GADO(TRADITIONAL INDONESIAN FOOD RECIPES)

HOW TO MAKE GADO-GADO(TRADITIONAL INDONESIAN FOOD RECIPES)

Ingredients
LettucesA small bunch of long beans
Young cabbage
1 cucumber Tofu,
100 gr soyabean cake
2 eggs
5 pieces of red chili pepper
5 pieces of small chili pepper (jalapeno or scotch bonnet)
3 pieces of shallots100 gr.
peanuts
lemon
brown
sugar
salt

Direction
Fry an egg and soyabean cake
Cut into small pieces
Boil one egg and slice it
Boil young cabbage, long beans, and slice them
Peanut sauce:
Fry peanuts
Slice shallots, and brown with chili peppers
Mix and grind all these with brown sugar, lemon, salt and pepper, and boil with a little bit of water. (Use this sauce with satay as well)

Chicken Recipes: Chicken Braised Potatoes

Chicken Recipes: Chicken Braised Potatoes

Materials

• 1/2 kg chicken
• Potatoes 2 pieces
• Soun taste
• Seasoning ingredients
• Garlic (chopped) 2 cloves
• Red onion (chopped) 5 cloves
• Tomatoes (sliced thin) 1 piece
• salt to taste
• sugar to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• White water 300 ml
• Chives 1 sheet
• For frying oil to taste
• ketchup

How to make Chicken Braised Potatoes

• Prepare all the ingredients
• Wash chicken, drained
• Cut potatoes, fried half-baked
• Heat the oil. Saute onion, garlic, leeks until fragrant. Add pepper, nutmeg powder, sugar, salt and soy sauce.
• Heat the oil. Saute onion, garlic, leeks until fragrant. Add pepper, nutmeg powder, sugar, salt and soy sauce.
• When it is half cooked, add the potatoes and tomatoes.
• Finally add glass noodles. Stir until smooth and seasoning pervasive.

How To Make Beef Rendang

Rendang is probably the most well known Padang dish, and surprisingly easy to make at home, since most of the time you just need to let it simmer away on a stove. The key to a successful rendang is not to skimp on the herbs and spices, and be prepared for a long stewing process resulting in a flavorful and tender melt in your mouth pieces of beef. In short, good stuff which I guarantee a bite of this will have you nodding in agreement with all the people who have voted this to be the world’s most delicious food.

Ingredients:

• 500 gr. Rump steak.
• 2 Onions.
• 4 Garlic cloves.
• 3 Fresh red chillies.
• 2½ cm Ginger root
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric.
• 1 tablespoon Paprika.
• 1 stalk Lemon grass.
• 3 Kaffir Lime leaves.
• 600 ml Coconut milk.
• 75 ml water.

Preparation:

Put the Onions, Garlic, Chillies, Ginger, Paprika, Turmeric and Water in a food processor and make into a smooth paste.

Dice the meat and mix with half the paste. Set aside.

Put the other half of the paste into a heavy sauce pan and add the coconut milk, chopped lemon grass and lime leaves. Boil without the lid for about 30 min. until mixture is reduced to half. Add the meat mixture and return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring regulary, for a further hour till the steak is tender. Serve with boiled rice.

How To Make Sambal Tuk-Tuk

Sambal Tuk-Tuk is another andaliman sambal from one ethnic group of Indonesia; it is from Tapanuli (Batak), North Sumatra. Sambal is like Indonesian staple food beside rice so it’s common when you visit Indonesia you will see many different varieties of sambal in every region.

If you are not aware what Andaliman is, I have posted some information about Andaliman, a recipe of Sambal Andaliman and Arsik before where Andaliman was included. What is the biggest different between Sambal Tuk-Tuk and Sambal Andaliman? Sambal Tuk-Tuk is enhanced with dried fish meanwhile Sambal Andaliman isn’t added by any fish. The fish that the Tapanuli uses for Sambal Tuk-Tuk is ikan aso-aso (dried Indian mackerel or ikan kembung gepeng or Rastrelliger spp.) but if you can’t find it, feel free to substitute with dried anchovies as I did for this recipe.

Ingredients fro making Sambal Tuk Tuk is just like other Sambals. Andaliman has given a different sansation when you eat it. A recipe of this Sambal Tuk Tuk was adapted from Ingredients of Life where I pinned the pic onmy pinterest. Do you use pinterest as well? Feel free to see what I like to pin. Also, I have changed the recipe slightly by adding my favourite citrus, calamansi instead of using regular lime.

Today is already August 17 in Indonesia. Happy 67th Independence Day INDONESIA …Here is what I can present to you. Cooking Indonesian Food and blog about it!

SAMBAL TUK TUK

Andaliman Fish Sambal

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon andaliman

seasalt to taste

1 teaspoon fresh squeezed calamansi juice

3/4 cup dried anchovies, slightly toasted

10 long red cayenne pepper

5 Thai red pepper

3 shallots (use 5-6 shallots if you use a smaller size one), peeled

2 candlenuts

Methods:

1. In a small fry pan, add long red cayenne pepper, Thai red pepper, shallot and candlenut. Toast until you can smell the fragarant aroma in the air.

2. With a mortar and pestle, grind all chilies and seasalt together then add andaliman, shallot and candlenut. Then regrind them until mix and smooth.

3. Taste the saltiness, add if you need to. Place anchovies in and coarsely grind until mix. Add calamansi juice and mix with a spoon. Ready to enjoy with Mandailing style Gulai Ubi Tumbuk (crushed cassava leaves curry) and rice!(indonesiaeats)

How To Make Rempeyek Kacang

How To Make Rempeyek Kacang-A Indonesian peanut snack which is delicious as a treat with your aperative as well as a small accomplicement with your meal. It looks like a small thin "cookie" and is prepared much in the same way as American pancakes.

This recipe was provided by Marry & Henk Zylstra. Thanks !!

Ingredients:

• 200 gr. Rice Flour
• ½ Tsp. Baking powder
• 250 ml. Coconut milk
• ½ Tsp. Coriander (ground)
• ½ Tsp. Salt
• 1 Clove Garlic (chopped)
• Pinch of Cummin (ground)
• Pinch of Turmeric (ground)
• 1 Candle Nut (grated)
• 100 gr. Raw Peanuts
• Oil for frying

Preparation:

Mix the Rice flour with baking powder and coconut milk, then add Coriander, Cummin, Turmeric, Garlic and Candle nut. Mix well. Now add the slightly crushed Peanuts and Stir well. This will give you a slightly runny batter mix. Heat oil in shallow pan and fry batter by the tablespoon. drain on absorbent paper. Slamat Makan.(indochef)

How To Make Ikan Ceng Cuan (Braised Ginger Fish – Peranakan Style)

How To Make Ikan Ceng Cuan (Braised Ginger Fish – Peranakan Style)-Ikan Ceng Cuan is a Cina Benteng fish dish. For non-Indonesian, the term Cina Benteng might not be familiar. Cina Benteng is literally translated as Fortress Chinese or Benteng Chinese which refers to a community of Chinese Indonesians residing in Tangerang; located in Banten province of Indonesia. Tangerang is located on the west of Jakarta, about 25 kilometres from Jakarta. This community has been resided in Indonesia for more than 6 centuries.

The Cina Benteng itself doesn’t know what Ceng Cuan is meant while ikan is the Indonesian word for fish. Since Chinese Indonesian communities are known as Peranakan and the most important ingredients in Ikan Ceng Cuan is kecap manis and tauco (fermented yellow soy beans paste), so Ikan Ceng Cuan can be named for Peranakan Braised Ginger Fish in Kecap Manis and Tauco. For years, Tangerang has been known as a producer of kecap manis and tauco. FYI, there are many different variety of tauco in Indonesia depend on the area.

An interesting fact from this Cina Benteng community, even most of them do not speak Chinese language, they still adopt Chinese traditions including the use of Qing Dynasty (Manchu) wedding costumes. They are uniquely the only Chinese community in Indonesia with significant Manchu ancestry.

Ikan Ceng Cuan isn’t a party dish but it’s a daily dish, can be served any days of the year. Barracuda (Indonesian: ikan samge, ikan alu-alu, ikan kacang-kacang, barakuda) is the common fish to be used but if it’s served for a special day, they will use a milkfish. Milkfish is known for a luxurious fish in that area. However, people may substitute for king fish (or king mackerel). I myself adapted the recipe by using cod fish which I found cheap and whole at Hyundae Mart, a Korean store on Grant avenue. Most Indonesians also follow the Chinese rule in eating fish. A whole fish is better than fillet 

Ikan Ceng Cuan

Peranakan Braised Ginger Fish

Adapted from Detik Food and Translated by Indonesia Eats

Ingredients:

500 g whole barracuda (can be substitued for king fish, in this case I used whole scaled and guts cod

key lime/lime/calamansi (I used calamansi) for removing the fishy smell

a small amount of salt

5 shallots (use 3 if you have the bigger size of shallot), thinly sliced

5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

4 centimeter ginger root, scrapped and julienned

3 tablespoons kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)

2 tablespoons tauco (fermented soy beans)

1 teaspoons ground white pepper

2 red cayenne peppers, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon raw canesugar (if you need it)

2 teaspoon salt (if you need it)

2-3 tablespoon cooking oil

200 mL water

Garnish:

Angle Cut of Red Cayenne Peppers

Methods:

1. Rinse off your scaled and guts fish. Pat dry. Squeeze key lime/lime/calamansi over the fish. Rub a small amount of salt on fish.

2. Deep fry the fish until light brown not overly dry. Removed and drained. Lay fried fish on a piece brown paper to absorb the oil.

3. Heat up a wok at medium high. Add cooking oil. Stir fry shallot, garlic and ginger until yellowish or you can smell the aroma in the air.

4. Add tauco and kecap manis. Keep stirring and cook until kecap manis mixture is caramelizing and bubbling.

5. Add water, ground white pepper. Stir. Taste the sauce. Season with sugar and salt if you need it. Bring to a boil. Add fish and chilies.

6. Remove from heat. Plate the fish and sauce.(indonesiaeats)

How To Make Sup Kambing Medan Recipe (Goat Soup)

How To Make Sup Kambing Medan Recipe (Goat Soup)-Sup Kambing Medan or literally translated as Medan Goat Soup was the second North Sumatran food that I made on February after Ayam Pinadar Andaliman Pepper Chicken.

Some may ask what the differences between goat, mutton and lamb are. You can always go back to my old postwhere I discussed about them. Goat is another red meat source that is popular to be used in Indonesia especially during Islamic celebration, Eid ul Adha where the Muslims slaughter goat. I myself prefer the taste of goat and lamb

Sup Kambing Medan is likely having an influence from Malay (Melayu) ethnic group where the use of spices are quite notable. Melayu is an ethnic group that is resided in Indonesia especially Sumatra and Kalimantan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philipppines.

This goat soup is perfect to warm up our body for cold winter days in Winnipeg. But I wish the weather is getting better this week as I did go out with my spring jacket today.

I have adapted this recipe by using one of my favourite toys, Vita Clay Gourmet Rice Cooker and Slow Cooker. With this tool, I can make rice (white, red, brown, sweet glutinous rice), rice porridge, soup, savoury stew, pot roast and Greek yogurt. Also, I adapted the way Koreans treat their beef short-ribs before making Galbitang (Korean beef ribs soup) by soaking the meat in cold water.

Sup Kambing Medan

- Medan Style Goat Soup -

Adapted from Indonesian Medan Food

Ingredients:

750 grams bone-in goat cubes (preferably with no fat or fat trimmed)

2 liter water

Seasoning:

5 shallots (10 shallots for smaller size like the ones in Indonesia)

5 cloves garlic

3 centimeter ginger root, rinsed and mashed

3 pieces green cardamoms

2 pieces star anise

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

2 centimeter Ceylon (true) cinnamon

1/2 piece nutmeg, grated

3 sticks Chinese celery

250 grams carrots, cut into large pieces

2 red tomatoes, peeled and diced

seasalt to taste

Garnish before serving:

2 stalks Chinese celery, finely chopped

3 stalks green onion, finely sliced

fried shallot flakes

Directions:

1. Soak goat cubes in cold water for 30 minutes to 1 hour and change the water for a couple of time to remove any residual blood and drain. Set aside.

2. In a large pot, bring 2 liters water to a boil with all seasoning ingredients except tomatoes for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a vita clay pot and add the goat cubes. Cook in this slow cooker with a soup method to be selected for another 1 or 2 hours. If you use on top stove method, you will need about 2.5 liters water and 3 hours to cook.

3. Once it is cooked, add tomatoes.

4. Soup is better to be served the next day to have a deeper taste. Serving: Reheat in a slow cooker by pressing reheat method or reheat on stove for 15 minutes. Transfer in a bowl and garnish with sliced green onion, chopped Chinese celery and fried shallot flakes.(indonesiaeats)