Tag: Indonesian food

Missing You

Learning, Poetic
Missing you, dear you who might not realise that you’re you who’s dearly missed.

—

“oncom” in grated cassava (oncom di jero = combro), Sundanese deep fried snack that in Singapore is only available in Indo Express — not a best combro but a perfect one when homesick

Messy Like Heaven – ranting

Learning

Messy like heaven.
After cooking I feel tired
Of all the dirty
Pots, plates, spoons, knives and rubbish.
Full without eating—

—
I am naturally a picky eater, but trying my best to eat every thing served as long as healthy and non poisonous. I even let myself eat those I’m allergic to – just to prove to this weak Self that this body can bear the poison though has failed now and then.

Today I cooked one traditional food from Java island of beautiful archipelago, my dear Indonesia – buntil.

It is stuffed cassava leaves wraps, you can also use papaya leaves. The content can be as cheap as grated young coconut only or added with anchovy or meat or any protein that you wish to have in the meal. This time I make a fusion – buntil stuffed with Korean stir fried anchovies with pumpkin seed and walnuts. The fusion is just because I could not find the seed that originally cooked in the Java island, we call it “petai Cina” (please use your freedom to find what it is in Google). I bought the Korean side dish coz I don’t know how to make it.

This is cheap and humble dish that is traditionally eaten as side dish with rice. But it has become a rare food where I live now – even people from Indonesia might not find it interesting anymore. Not sure why but alas! Everybody has one’s own liking. I’m so grateful that the cleaning lady knocked my door and brought some earth products that I’ve missed dearly – bamboo shoot, banana flower, cabai rawit and cassava leaves! So why not making food that I’ve missed so dearly, too.

I’m happy with the result, knowing that there are details of ingredients and still a good success. But the after cooking was not so happy seeing piles of dirty containers and cooking utensils that I had to wash by myself…. Heaven!

Anyway! Let’s see the happy scenes! Unhappy scenes of cleaning and tidying up the shelves and cabinets are off the records!

Welcome next good week!

May all beings be happy….

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Raw cassava leaves, just in case you never know what it is….

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Boil the cassava leaves with salt until they are soft enough to chew but not too soft to break themselves in your hands.

 

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Korean stir fried anchovies with pumpkin seeds and walnuts – it is sweet originally but I still seasoned it with the buntil seasoning….

 

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This is to tie up the wrap. If not tied, the wrap won’t be strong enough to hold the anchovies in and the leak of the anchovies with different seasoning from the one in the coconut milk will affect the final blend of the taste.

 

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Wrap it up!

 

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Put all the wraps into the pot…. They are happily waiting for some shower.

 

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Pour the seasoned coconut milk on to the wraps in the pot. And ready to boil….

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Cook until the coconut milk is reduced, absorbed by the wraps. Trust me, the taste is Heaven!

Makan!

Learning

When you miss your friends and you can’t meet them, just FaceTime. When you miss your childhood memories that you can’t revive, just YouTube!

I found an interesting YouTube channel and just by watching the videos I feel so full and feel like home. Can’t stop watching, liking and sharing them!

The game in one of the videos reminds me of when I was young, competing eating the most chili with the least veggie fritter. Oh how I miss gorengan and cabe rawit!

😁

Rendang for Eid – my mood

Learning

What is one of the most delicious food in the world?

Rendang!

People think it is of Malaysia original. NO, it is not. It is originally an Indonesian food, more exactly from Padang, a place situated in Sumatera. Is it that important to debate where food is coming from? Not at all…. Yet I think I would be gracefully proud to tell people that I’m successful to cook one of the most delicious food from my own country rather than that from neighbouring country.

I present this rendang to all Muslim wherever you are…. Eid Mubarak!

All my cooking is always started with “Browse the Net, dear Self!”

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The list of treasure is found in the Net…. Guess what they are.

 

Let me boast my knowledge about spices and the rest of the “squad”: nutmeg (powder), turmeric leaf, cumin seed, coriander seed, cloves, lemongrass (I love this piece), tamarind, ginger, galangal, kefir lime leaves, red chilli (small and big ones), shallot, garlic, coconut milk (instant though).

 

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I was a “chilli queen” but by time I’m afraid of the burning taste on my tongue. So let’s get rid of the seeds and use only the peels.

 

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Grind!

 

I normally use traditional stone pestle and mortar but this high quantity of herbs will hurt my hands so allow me to use the food processor. Such a sin haha

 

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Almost one kilogram of beef – not the AA grade, just a good one

 

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Boil all together!

 

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Oh no! The pot is too small, coconut milk should be poured into it in three stages. Be patient, dear Self….

 

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After one hour on the fire – oh my

 

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After one and a half hour – it gets oily, almost ready

 

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Done in almost 3 hours (browsing the Net not included)

 

 

My rendang is accompanying me in this Eid — no home country visiting this year, no gathering in the Embassy, no friends will be visiting due to the Gov policy of social distancing. It is fine. Hope this pandemic is over immediately and leaving good memory for the rest of my life….

May all beings be happy….

Singapore – May 23, 2020 / 12:08am