Indonesian Cusine: Common Cuisine, Simple Recipes, 3 Easy Desserts
Bakso: otherwise known as an Indonesian meatball, this is very common throughout Indonesia. It is typically made from ground beef and tapioca flour, but can also consist of shrimp, chicken, and fish. It is served over broth, noodles, salted vegetables, tofu, egg, green cabbage, green sprouts, and more.
Nasi Goreng: otherwise known as Indonesian fried rice, almost any meal will have this as a side. Rice that is spiced with tamarind, chili, eggs, and prawns, it is the national dish of Indonesia, in which if nothing else is served with a main dish, Indonesian fried rice will be.
Rujak: In Indonesia, is also known as fresh fruit under peanut sauce. Water apples, pineapples, whole raw mangoes, cucumbers, kedondong, and raw red ubi jalar (sweet potato) are usually the fruits of choice. Green apple, belimbing, and jeruk Bali (pomelo) are added sometimes as well.
Simple Recipes
Mie Goreng (Indonesian Fried Noodles)
Ingredients: Chopped scallion, garnishing, 2 tablespoons oil, Tomato wedges, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 4 oz chicken meat, cut into small pieces, 1 1/2 tablespoon kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce), 6 medium-sized shrimp, shelled and deveined, 3 tablespoon World Foods Nasi Goreng paste, 2 oz cabbage, shredded, 6 oz bean sprouts, rinsed with cold water and roots removed
Directions: -Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add the minced garlic and stir-fry until aromatic, then add the chicken and shrimp. Stir continuously until they are half cooked.
-Add the cabbage, bean sprouts, and noodles into the wok or skillet and stir fry for about 10 seconds before adding the World Foods Nasi Goreng Paste, kecap manis, and salt.
-Using the spatula to toss the noodles and all the ingredients back and forth until well combined, about 1 minute or until the noodles are cooked through.
-Dish out, garnish with chopped scallion and a couple of tomato wedges. Serve immediately.
Cambodian Lemongrass Shrimp
Ingredients: 5-6 Thai basil leaves, coarsely chopped, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon water, 12 oz shell-on tiger prawn, headless and deveined, 1 tablespoon water, 1 bottle World Foods Indochina Cambodian Pineapple Lemon Grass Stir-Fry Sauce (1 cup), 2 tablespoons coconut milk, 3-4 bird’s eye chilies, pounded, 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce
Directions: -Heat up the oil in a stir-fry pan over high heat. Add the prawn and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Pour the stir-fry sauce into the pan and stir well with the prawn. Add the bird’s eye chilies, chili sauce, fish sauce, coconut milk and water.
-Bring it to boil. Add the basil leaves, dish out and serve immediately with steamed rice.
Sate Padang (Broiled Skewered Braised Beef With Spiced Coconut Milk Sauce)
Ingredients: 1 cup fresh coconut milk made from 1 cup coarsely chopped coconut and 1 cup hot water, 2 pounds bottom round of beef, trimmed of all fat, and cut into 1-inch cubes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup finely chopped onions, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh hot chilies, 1½ teaspoons ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1/3 cup water, ¼ cup vegetable oil
Directions: -Place the beef in a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan and pour in enough water to cover it by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered for 1 hour, or until the beef is tender but still intact. Transfer the beef to a plate to cool.
– prepare the sauce. Combine the onions, chilies, garlic, ginger and 1-3 cup of water in the jar of a blender and blend at high speed for 30 seconds. Turn the machine off, and scrape down the sides of the jar with a rubber spatula. Blend again until the mixture is a smooth puree.
-In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Add the contents of the blender jar and, stirring frequently, cook briskly until most of the liquid in the pan has evaporated and the mixture is thick.
-Stir in the coriander, turmeric, cumin and salt and cook for a minute or so. Then pour in the coconut milk, mix well and remove the pan from the heat.
-Preheat the broiler to its highest point. Thread the cubes of beef tightly, 4 or 5 pieces at a time, on a small skewers-preferably Oriental wooden skewers about 6 inches long. Protect the ends of the wooden skewers by wrapping them with foil.
-With a pastry brush, spread a generous coating of the sauce evenly over the beef. Arrange the skewers on a large baking sheet and broil them 4 inches from the heat, turning them once or twice, for about 3 minutes, or until crisp and brown.
-Arrange the skewers on a heated platter and brush the meat again with sauce. Reheat the remaining sauce and serve it in a small bowl.
Desserts
Sweet Potato Tart
Ingredients: 2 tspns. Nutmeg, 1/2-tspn. Salt, 2 lbs. sweet potatoes, 3/4-cup brown sugar,
2 tspns. tapioca flour, 1/2-tspn. Pepper
Directions: -Grate raw sweet potatoes and knead all ingredients together.
-Place in a greased mould to three-quarters full and steam for 45 mins.
-Slice and serve as tart or cake.
Indonesian Peanut Butter Muffins
Ingredients: 13/4 Cups Flour, 1/2 Tsp. Salt, 3 Tsp. Baking Powder, 1/3 Cup Sugar, 3/4 Cup Milk, 1 Egg, 1/3 Cup Shortening, Peanut Butter
Directions: -Sift together dry ingredients in large bowl.
-Mix milk, egg and shortening, and add all at once to dry ingredients.
-Mix only until moist.
-Batter will be lumpy.
-Fill greased muffin cups two-thirds full.
-Drop one teaspoon peanut butter in center of each muffin.
-Cover with batter.
-Bake until brown.
-Bake at 400 degrees 18 minutes
Indonesian Fruit Salad
Ingredients: 1 small jalapeno chili, finely chopped, 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, 3 tablespoons honey, 2 medium-size Delicious apples (3/4 pound total weight), 1 small honeydew melon, 2 pints fresh strawberries, 4 kiwi fruits, 2 medium-size mangoes, 4 cups fresh pineapple chunks, or juice-packed pineapple chunks, drained , 1/2 cup fresh or packaged shredded unsweetened coconut, 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
Directions: -For the dressing, in a small bowl combine the jalapeno with 3 tablespoons of the lime juice and the honey; set aside.
-Core but do not peel the apples and cut them into 1/2-inch cubes. Place them in a small bowl and toss with the remaining lime juice.
-Cut the honeydew melon into balls or 1-inch cubes; you should have about 4 cups. Place the melon in a large bowl.
-Wash, hull and quarter the strawberries and add them to the bowl. Peel the kiwi fruits and mangoes, cut them into bite-size pieces and add them to the bowl. Add the apples, pineapple chunks and dressing, and toss well. Divide the salad among 6 plates, sprinkle with coconut and peanuts.