Empal Gepuk (Sweet Beef)

 

Ingredients:
1 pound of Beef
5 Shallots
3 Garlic
2- 4 Tablespoons of Sugar
1 Tablespoon of Palm sugar (or brown sugar)
2 Tablespoons of Tamarin juice (or lime juice)
1 teaspoon of  Lemongrass
1 teaspoon of Coriander
Pinch salt & pepper
Oil

How to make:
1. Cut the beef and wash it thoroughly. Dry them with paper towel, then tenderize them with meat tenderizer (it shapes like a hammer).
2. On a food processor; add all the seasonings and puree them.
3. Put the meat and the seasoning in a pot, cover it, and cook it on a very small heat. Do not add water, since the meat will produce some juice. Stir them once in a while.
4. When the meet is tender (test them with a fork), open the lid and let the juice evaporate. Keep stir them gently.
5. After the juice is almost gone, turn off the stove.
6. With a little bit of oil, fry the meet until it is a bit crispy.
7. Ready to serve.

Ayam Bakar (Grilled Chicken)

Ingredients* :
Chicken**
4 Shallots
2 Garlic
Pinch of Galangal
Pinch of Lemongrass
Pinch of cumin
1 teaspoon of Coriander
Pinch of Salt & pepper
1 - 3 tablespoons of Sugar
1 - 3 tablespoons of Tamarin juice (or lime juice)

How to make:
1. Cut the chicken and wash it thoroughly. Dry them with paper towel.
2. In a food processor; puree all the seasonings.
3. Marinate the chicken with the seasoning, cover it, then let it rest for a day/night in the refrigerator.
4. On the next day; grill the chicken.
5. If the meat is still uncooked in the inside, put them in the oven for 350 F until it is thoroughly cooked. You can cover them with aluminum foil to prevent the chicken from being too dry.
6. Add some sambal/chili paste, lime, and lalapan (fresh lettuce, cucumber, and/or tomato). Ready to serve.

* The bigger the chicken, the more measurement of the ingredients you need. Do not afraid of adding or minimizing the measurement of the ingredients, so that it can be balanced with the size of your chicken. 
** You can use a whole chicken, or use only parts of it (thighs, drumsticks, breasts, etc.). I used the Cornish game hen (on the picture) for the smaller sizes. Since I don't really like the skin, I also cut and throw away the chicken skin (but you don't have to do that).

Klepon

Ingredients:
2 cups of glutinous rice flour (tepung ketan)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup or more of water to dilute
A couple drops of Pandan extract 
1/4 teaspoon of gypsum powder (optional)
1/2 cup of palm sugar (crushed)
grated coconut

How to make:
1. On a medium size bowl; add glutinous rice flour, salt, gypsum powder.
2. Add water and pandan extract, knit the dough until it blends. The consistency should be tense as 'playdough (play-doh)'.
3. Prepare a pot filled with water. Boil the water, then set on a medium heat.
4. Take a table spoon of the dough, round them, pinch the middle part, fill them with crushed palm sugar, close and make a small balls of klepon.
5. Put them into the boiling water. When the klepon floats, pick them from the boiling water. Then, roll them into the grated coconut.
6. Ready to serve.

Yellow Cup Cakes

 

(makes for 24 regular size cup cakes)


Ingredients:
3 cups of flour
1 Tbs of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of milk
4 eggs
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 cup of butter (= 2 sticks)

How to make:
1. Mix all dry ingredients. Set aside.
2. Mix butter and sugar until the batter is smooth.
3. Add eggs (one by one) and keep mixing it.
4. Slowly, add milk while mixing.
5. Add the dry ingredients. Mix them well.
6. On a cup cakes mold, pour the batter about 2/3 full.
7. Bake for 28 - 30 minutes on 350 F.
8. Decorate the cup cakes as you desire. Ready to serve.

Tahu & Tempe Bacem (Marinated Tofu & Tempe)

Ingredients:
2 packages of tempe
2 packages of white fried tofu
5 cloves of chopped garlic
3 cloves of chopped shallots
1/2 teaspoon of ground galangal
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/4 cup of tamarind juice (can be replaced with lime juice)
1 cup of palm sugar (can be replaced with brown sugar)
2 cups of water
Frying oil

How to make:
1. Cut the tofu and tempe into squares. Set aside.
2. On a wok/saute pan/pot; cook the water and the rest of the ingredients. Bring them to boil.
3. Add cut tofu and tempe. Simmer them until the liquid evaporates.
4. On a separated frying pan; fry the tofu and tempe on a small heat (Not a deep fry).
5. Ready to serve.

Nasi Goreng Telor (Eggs Fried Rice)

Ingredients:
4 - 5 cups of cooked rice
3 cloves of garlic (peeled)
5 cloves of shallot (peeled)
1 teaspoon of shrimp paste/terasi
1 teaspoon of ground chili paste/sambal oelek (optional)
Pinch of salt & pepper
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
3 - 4 Tbs of sweet soy sauce
2 - 3 eggs
3 Tbs of olive oil

How to make:
1. On a food processor*; puree garlic, shallot, salt & pepper, shrimp paste, ground chili paste, and water to dilute. Set aside.
2. On a medium size wok/saute pan; put olive oil and rice. Cook them in a medium heat.
3. Add the ingredients from the food processor into the rice. Stir them well.
4. Add the soy sauce and sweet soy sauce. Keep stirring the rice until all the seasonings absorb.
6. Lightly beat the 2 - 3 eggs and pour them into the rice. Scramble the eggs with the rice mix.
5. On a separate small frying pan; fry a sunny side up egg (or cook it as you desire) - optional.
6. Ready to serve.

* If you do not have any food processor, you can use mortar and pestle to grain or paste the seasonings.
* If you like to make a sunny side up egg shaped as the picture, use cookie cutter after the egg is cooked. Would it be fun to have an egg shaped like teddy bear, flower, triangle, etc? :0)

Nasi Tim Ayam (Chicken Steamed Rice)

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground chicken
2 cups of button mushroom
4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
3 cloves of shallot (chopped)
Pinch of salt &pepper
3 Tbs of sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of oyster sauce
3 Tbs of sesame oil
jasmine rice
2 cans/boxes of chicken broth

How to make:
1. On a medium size saute pan; put the sesame oil, the garlic and the shallot.
2. Add the ground chicken, then the mushroom.
3. Add the seasonings; salt & pepper, soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Stir them until it is cooked. Set aside.
4. Prepare a steaming pot on a medium heat.
5. On a small size ceramic or stainless steel bowls; put a couple table spoon of the cooked ground chicken & mushroom on the bottom of the bowls.
6. Then add rice up to 3/4 full of the bowls.
7. Pour the chicken broth until the bowls are full.
8. Cook them in the steaming pot until the rice is cooked.
9. Ready to serve.

Acar Kuning (Yellow Pickle)

 

Ingredients:

2 cucumbers

2 carrots
1 clove of chopped garlic
1 clove of chopped shallot
3 Tbs of olive oil
1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
Pinch of ground coriander
Pinch of ground cumin
Pinch of salt & pepper
4 - 5 Tbs of vinegar
2 Tbs of sugar


How to make:
1. Cut the cucumbers and the carrots into 2 inches long, then slice them. Set aside.
2. On a medium size saute pan; put olive oil, garlic, and shallot.
3. Add sliced carrot, then stir them about 2 - 3 minutes.
4. Add cucumber and all seasonings.
5. Stir about another 2 minutes, then it is ready to be served.

Sayur Gambas Oyong (Silk Squash Soup)

 

Ingredients:
1 to 2 Gambas Oyong (Silk Squash / Sin Qua)
1/2 to 1 cup of small peeled Shrimps
A handful of rice vermicelli
4 cloves of sliced garlic
1 clove of sliced shallot
Pinch of salt & pepper
2 to 3 Tbs of olive oil
4  - 5 cups of water

How to make:
1. Peel the squash and slice them about half inch. Set aside.
2. On a medium size pot; saute the sliced garlic and sliced shallot with the olive oil on a medium heat.
3. Add the shrimps, then the sliced squash into the pot.
4. After the squash is soft, add the water and salt & pepper.
5. After the water boiling, add the rice vermicelli.
6. When the rice vermicelli is soft, then it is ready to be served.

* Additional image is the picture of Silk squash/Sin qua/ Gambas Oyong.

Ikan Bumbu Bali

Ingredients:
1/2 to 1 pound of fish*
5 cloves of garlic
5 cloves of shallots
3 candle nuts (kemiri)
A size of a thumb of fresh ginger
1 tomato
1 teaspoon of ground chili paste/sambal oelek (add more/less as you desire)
5 Tbs of lime juice
2 - 3 Tbs of sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
Pinch of salt
3 - 6 Tbs of olive oil (for cooking the sauce and the fish)

How to make:
1. On a food processor; put all ingredients, except the fish and sweet soy sauce. Puree them.
2. On a medium saute pan; pour the oil and the pureed ingredients. Cook them by stirring it once in awhile. When it is thick, add sweet soy sauce. This would be the sauce.
3. On a separated saute pan; pour the oil and cook/saute the fish (NOT a deep fry).
4. When the fish is cooked, put it on the other saute pan which has the sauce.
5. Stir gently and let the fish covered by the sauce. Ready to serve.

* I used mackerel for this recipe for its firm texture and less fish bones. However, you could use any other fish you prefer.

Cheese Twists

Ingredients:
Ready to use puff pastry sheets
Grated cheese*
Dry parsley

How to make:
1. Spread the puff pastry sheets on a cutting board.
2. Spread the grated cheese and sprinkle some dry parsley.
3. Cut and twist them.
4. Lay them on a baking sheet.
5. Bake for 400 F for 15 - 20 minutes. Then, ready to serve.

*Use any hard cheese you like. For the best result, use grated parmesan.

Semur Bola Daging (Beef Meatballs Semur)

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:
1 pound of ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
Pinch of salt & pepper

For the sauce:
1 sliced vidalia onion (bawang bombay)
3 cloves of chopped garlic
3 diced tomatoes
3 Tbs sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg (pala bubuk)
2 Tbs tomato ketchup
Pinch of salt & pepper
4 cups of water
3 Tbs olive oil

How to make:

The meatballs:
On a medium size mixing bowl; put ground beef, eggs, flour, and salt & pepper. Mix them. Set aside (see no. 4)

For the sauce:
1. On a medium size pot; put olive oil and chopped garlic. After the garlic is soft, add the sliced vidalia onion and cover the pot with a lid.
2. After the onion is soft, add the diced tomatoes. Then, cover the pot.
3. When the tomatoes are soft, pour the water into the pot. Let them boil.
4. With a couple of table spoons; scoop the meat and shape them into meatballs (do not be worry for not making a prefect shape meatballs). Add the meatballs into the pot.
5. Add all the seasonings;  nutmeg, tomato ketchup, sweet soy sauce and salt & pepper.
6. Then, cook the semur uncover on a small heat to let the sauce thickens.
7. When the sauce becomes dark and thick, then it would be ready to be served.

Enjoy this with jasmine rice or homemade french fries. Bon Appetit!

Kering Tempe Manis (Sweet Fried Tempe)

Ingredients:
2 medium packages of tempe
3 cloves of garlic
2 cloves of shallot
1/2 cup of palm sugar (can be substituted with brown sugar)
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander (ketumbar)
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin (jinten)
1/2 teaspoon of ground lemon grass
Pinch of shrimp paste (terasi)
2 Tbs of tamarind juice (can be substituted with lime juice)
2 Tbs of sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
1 cup of sliced red chilies*
Vegetable oil (for frying)

Saved

How to make:
1. Cut tempe into medium strips. Then fry them with vegetable oil. Set aside.
2. Put all ingredients (except tempe, roasted peanut and red chilies) into a grinder (or you can use food processor). Chop them finely.
3. On a medium saute pan; pour 2 - 3 Tbs oil, then add all the chopped seasonings.
4. Add the tempe and stir them gently.
5. Add the roasted peanuts and the red chilies.
6. Ready to serve.

* On the picture, I use sweet red pepper for a mild taste. You are free to use any hotter red chilies as you desire.

Sayur Asem (Sweet & Sour Vegetable Soup)

 

Ingredients:
3 - 4 sweet corns
Long beans (can be replaced with green beans)
1 chayote (labu siyem)*
Eggplants/terong (optional)
3 diced tomatoes
5 chopped shallots
5 candle nuts/kemiri (can be substituted with macadamia nuts)
2 cut green mild chillies
Ground paste red chillies/sambal oelek (optional)
3 - 5 Tbs of granulates sugar (depends how sweet you like)
1/4 cup of tamarind juice (can be substituted with lemon juice)
2 Tbs of vinegar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of shrimp paste (terasi)
1 teaspoon of galangal (lengkuas)
4 - 5 cups of water

How to make:
1. Cut the sweet corns and the long beans into shorter pieces. Cut the eggplant. Peel the chayote and cut it into small cubes.
2. In a food processor; put diced tomatoes, shallots, candle nuts, sugar, salt, tamarind juice, vinegar, galangal and shrimp paste.
3. In a pot; boil the water. Add sweet corns, long beans, chayote cubes, eggplant, red & green chillies and the mixture from the food processor. Cook them on medium heat until all the ingredients soften and absorb the seasonings.
4. Ready to serve.

 *For those who do not know how the Chayote looks like, above is the picture attached.

Pepes Tahu

Ingredients:
1 pound of white firm tofu
2 eggs
3 cloves of garlic
3 cloves of shallots
5 candle nuts (kemiri)
Pinch of galangal (lengkuas)
Pinch of salt & pepper
1 teaspoon of chillies paste (sambal oelek - optional)
1/2 to 1 cup of sliced red chilly pepper*

Wrappers: 
Banana leaves**
Toothpicks

How to make:
1. In a food processor; put eggs, garlic, shallots, candle nuts, galangal, salt & pepper and chillies paste. Puree them.
2. In a medium size bowl; mash the tofu.
3. Pour the mixture from the food processor into the mashed tofu. Mix them to blend.
4. Heat a steaming pot in a medium heat.
5. Scoop a couple spoons of the mixture and lay them on the banana leaves. Roll the banana leaves and close the edges with toothpicks.
6. Then put them in the steaming pot until they are cooked. Ready to serve (do not eat the banana leaves).

* I used small sweet red peppers in this recipe for a mild taste. You can use hotter red chillies if you like. 
** If you could not find any banana leaves, you could substitute them with corn husks (like making Tamales). You could also cook this recipe with simply using small ceramic bowls for steaming the pepes.

Tempe Penyet

Ingredients:
1 medium package of Tempe*
1 tomato
2 cloves of shallots
2 cloves of garlic
Red chillies (as much/less as you desire)
1 candle nuts (kemiri)
1 teaspoon of teaspoon of Terasi**
1 Tbs of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
Pinch of salt

How to make:
1. Cut tempe into medium squares, then fry them. When it is cooked, set aside.
2. In a food processor; put all the ingredients (except the tempe) and mix them.
3. On a medium heated small saute pan or pot, pour the mixture from the food processor. Cook them until they thicken.
4. On a plate; put the fried tempe. With a big spoon; gently crushed the fried tempe.
5. Put the thick sauce on the top of tempe . Ready to serve (serve the best when it is just made).

* Tempe is fermented soy bean cake. It can be founded at some Asian groceries or at organic food stores or at vegetarian food stores.
** Terasi is thicken shrimp paste that can be founded at some Asian groceries.

Bakwan Malang

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
4 eggs
Beef broth*
3 cloves of fine chopped garlic
2 cloves of fine chopped shallots
1 Tbs of sesame oil
1 Tbs of oyster sauce
Pinch of salt & pepper
1 1/2 cup of tapioca starch
1 cup of chopped green onion
1 small package of Chinese fried tofu
1 small package of Chinese meatballs
Wonton wrappers
A handful of rice vermicelli/bihun or noodles (as you desire)

How to make:
1. On a medium size mixing bowl; put ground beef, eggs, garlic, shallot,sesame oil, oyster sauce, tapioca starch, green onion and salt & pepper. Mix them to blend. This will be the mixture for the bakwan.
2. Heat the steaming pot on a medium heat.
3. With a spoon; scoop the bakwan mixture and wrap them with wonton wrappers. (I used small  condiment bowls to mold them so that they had appealing shapes).
4. Cook them in the steaming pot until they are cooked.
5. Add the fried tofu and the meatballs into the steaming pot to cook.
6. Boil the rice vermicelli or noodle. Drain them when they are cooked.
7. On a separated pot, boil the beef broth.

How to serve:
1. Put the rice vermicelli or noodles, bakwan, fried tofu, and meatballs in a bowl.
2. Pour the hot beef broth.
3. If you like; add some chopped green onion, fried shallots, and chillies paste. Ready to serve.

* For this recipe, I used a ready to use beef broth from the market. It is pretty practical. They come in boxes or cans. Just boil them and it would be ready to be consumed.
** You can make fried bakwan (as picture shown) by frying the cooked bakwan. This frying process should be done after the bakwan is cooked from the steaming pot, otherwise they would not be completely cooked if you only fry them.

Kue Lumpur Keju

Ingredients:
5 Tbs of butter
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of sugar
1 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of grated mild cheddar cheese 
4 eggs
2 cups of coconut milk
Pinch of salt
1 cup of raisins

How to make:
1. Boil water, butter, and sugar. Then, let it cool (at room temperature).
2. On a mixing bowl; pour the butter mixture. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the raisins), and stir them to blend.
3. On a poffertjes* pan (picture attached) ; pour the mixture and cover them with a lid.
4. After a couple minutes (when the cake is half cooked - still soft on the top); open the lid and add raisins on the top of each cake. Then, cover the pan again for another couple of minutes until it is cooked.
5. Using skewer, pick them from the pan. Ready to serve (served the best at the room temperature).

* Poffertjes is the Dutch little cakes, served with powder sugar on the top. There are many style of poffertjes pans on the market. One of it looks like on the picture attached.

Ketoprak

Ingredients: 
Boiled/cooked Ketupat*
2 medium size fried tofu
A handful of boiled/cooked rice vermicelli
A handful of raw bean sprouts**
Krupuk***

For the sauce:
1 cups of peanut butter cream
3 cloves of garlic (paste)
2 - 3 Tbs of ground palm sugar (can be substituted with brown sugar)
Pinch of salt
Chillies paste (optional) 
water to dilute
sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)

How to make:
1. Boiled the ketupat*
2. Cut the fried tofu into medium cubes.
3. Wash the raw bean sprouts (make sure they are clean)
For the sauce: 
In a medium glass bowl; put all the ingredients and cook them in a microwave with a high heat for 2 - 3 minutes. Stir them to blend.

How to serve:
1. On a dinning plate; put the cut ketupat, raw bean sprouts, cut fried tofu, cooked rice vermicelli.
2. Pour the sauce on the top. Pour the sweet soy sauce on top of the peanut sauce.
3. Sprinkle with some krupuk. Ready to serve.

* Ketupat is a compressed rice. The authentic ketupat is wrapped with young palm/coconut leaves (as on picture attached). In this recipe, I didn't make the ketupat by my own. I found the ready to cook ketupat at the Asian grocery. The package is sealed in small plastic bags with tiny holes on it. What I needed to do was just boil them until they are cooked. Then, threw away the plastic bags and cut them into medium cubes.
** I forgot putting the bean sprouts on the picture (sorry....), but it was still delicious.
*** Krupuk is Indonesian fried crackers. They are many flavors; shrimps, fish, garlic, and shallot.

Bakmie Goreng (Fried Noodles)

Ingredients:
A medium bowl of boiled eggs noodles
A small bowl of vegetable mix (broccoli, peas, mushrooms,green beans, carrot, etc)
1/4 pound of any meat you like (shrimp/chicken/beef/pork)
2 lightly beaten eggs
3 cloves of fine chopped garlic
2 cloves of fine chopped shallot
2 - 4 Tbs of sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
Pinch salt & pepper
2 fine chopped of candle nuts (kemiri)
3 Tbs of olive oil

How to make:
1. On a frying pan; put olive oil, garlic, shallot, and candle nut. Stir them.
2. Add the meat, then add the vegetable mix and salt & pepper.
3. Pour the eggs and blend them with other ingredients that were already cooked.
4. Put the noodles in, stir them.
5. Add the sweet soy sauce. Stir them, until the noodles look evenly brownish.
6. Ready to serve.

Peach & Custard Pie

 Ingredients:
Ready to use Pie Crust
2 cups of half & half
5 eggs yolks
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
3 Tbs of corn starch
1 Tbs of vanilla extract
1 can of sliced peach

How to make:
1. Boil the half & half with the sugar.
2. In a small bowl; mix the egg yolks and the corn starch.
3. Add the mixture of egg yolks into the half & half, then stir them until it is cooked.
4. Pour the vanilla extract into the batter, then let them cool.
5. Bake the pie crust on 350 F for 15 - 20 minutes until it cooks.
6. When the crust is cool, pour the custard mix onto the pie crust. Spread them evenly.
7. Arrange the sliced peach on top of the custard.
8. Put the pie in the fridge to chill.  Ready to serve.

Sate Manis (Sweet Sate)

Ingredients:
1/2 pound of any meat you like (chicken/beef/pork)
3 Tbs of sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
1 Tbs of brown sugar
1 Tbs of granulated sugar
1 Tbs of coriander (ketumbar)
Pinch of galangal (laos)
Pinch of cumin (jinten)
Pinch of lemon grass
1/2 teaspoon of ginger
3 Tbs of lime juice
3 cloves of garlic
2 cloves of shallots
Pinch of salt & pepper

How to make:
1. Tenderize the meat with a meat tenderizer, then cut them in strips. Pour lime juice on it.
2. Fine chop garlic, shallots, and ginger.
3. Put the chopped garlic and shallots and all the rest of the ingredients into the meat.
4. Store and marinate the meat with all the seasonings for 2 hours or more.
5. Stick the meat onto the skewers, then grill them.
6. Ready to serve.

Bubur Ayam (Chicken Porridge)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of jasmine rice
4 cups of water (add more if it is too thick)
1/4 pound of ground chicken
Pinch of salt & pepper
Cakwe (Chinese bread stick)*
Fried shallots (bawang goreng)
Green onion (cut)

How to make:
1. On a small heated boiling pot; put the water and the rice.
2. Add the ground chicken and stir them until it blends.
3. Add salt & pepper.
4. Cover the pot with a lid. To prevent lumps, stir them once in a while.
5. Ready to serve. Enjoy them with sliced cakwe, fried shallot and sliced green onion.

*Cakwe can be found at some Asian groceries. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups of chocolate chips*
1 cup of chopped walnut (optional-the picture doesn't use walnut)
2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
1 cup of soften butter (=2 sticks)
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

How to make:
1. On a medium bowl; put all dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking soda).
2. On a separate bowl; soften the butter, preferably with a mixer.
3. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar into the butter mixture.
4. After the sugars and butter mixed, add the eggs and blend them in the butter mixture, then add vanilla extract.
5. Blend with a wooden spoon or spatula; the dry ingredients and the butter mixture.
6. Add the chocolate chips and the chopped walnuts.
7. On a cookie trays; use a tablespoon to scoop the batter into the trays.
8. Bake them in 350 F for 9 - 10 minutes.
9. Ready to serve. For the best, enjoy them with a glass of milk.

* I love using 60% or more of cacao chocolate chips for a bittersweet taste.

Risoles Ragut (Ragout Rolls)

Ragout filling:
4 chopped garlic
2 chopped shallots
1 cup of chopped carrot
1 cup of ground beef/ground chicken/ground shrimp (any meat you desire)
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1 to 1 1/2 cup of milk (depends on how thick the ragout you like)
A pinch of nutmeg
A pinch of salt & pepper
3 Tbs of olive oil

Wrappers:
4 eggs
1/4 cup of flour
3/4 cup of milk (add a bit more if it is still too thick)

In the frying process, you need:
1 eggs
Plain bread crumbs

How to make:

Ragout filling
1. On a saute pan; put olive oil, garlic, and shallot. Saute them until they are soft.
2. Add the meat. When the meat is cooked, add carrot.
3. Add nutmeg, and salt & pepper. Blend them.
3. Pour the flour into the pan, stir them and pour the milk. Blend all the ingredients until they are thickened.

Wrappers:
1. Beat the eggs lightly.
2. Pout the flour and the milk. Mix them.
3. Set aside for a few minutes to let the batter completely mixed.
4. On a saute pan; pour about 2 Tbs of the batter into the pan and flip them when the bottom side is cooked. Set aside.

Frying process:
1. On a wrapper; put a Tbs of the filling and roll them (like making lumpia or egg rolls). You can use a mix of water and flour to glue the roll. 
2. Cover the rolls with the eggs. Then, cover them with the bread crumb.
3. Fry the rolls. Ready to serve.

* To me, this recipe is not hard to make, but it requires more times and patience. I call this recipe a 'two or three days project' (one day for making the wrappers, one day for making the filling and another day for frying them). I never finish cooking this dishes in one day, but since I could not find this Risoles anywhere, it is worth making! After all, I am just a gourmandise.

Ayam Suwir (Shredded Chicken)

Ingredients:
1 pound of chicken tender

4 cloves of chopped garlic
3 clove of chopped shallots
2 diced tomatoes
4 fine chopped of candle nuts (kemiri)
3 Tbs of lime juice
2 cups of coconut milk
Pinch of salt & pepper
2 Tbs of sugar
2 Tbs of ground chili paste/sambal oelek (optional)


How to make:
1. On a saute pan, simmer the chicken tenders until they are cooked.
2. When the chicken is cooked; pick them from the pan and shred them with the fork. Set aside.
3. On another saute pan; put chopped garlic, and chopped shallot. Saute them until they are soft.
4. Add diced tomatoes, chopped candle nuts, lime juice, and sugar. Stir them.
5. Add shredded chicken into the pan and pour the coconut milk.
6. Stir all ingredients until the chicken blends with the seasoning. Keep stirring once in a while until the shredded chicken absorb the juice from the coconut milk.
7. Add ground chili paste (if you like).
7. When the shredded chicken looks a little bit dry, turn off the stove. Ready to serve.

Telor Sambal Tomat (Eggs in Chillies & Tomato Sauce)

Ingredients:
6 boiled peeled eggs
3 diced tomatoes
1/2 to 2 Tbs of ground chillies paste (sambal oelek)
3 cloves of chopped garlic
2 cloves of chopped shallots
1 Tbs of sugar
A pinch of salt & pepper
1 teaspoon of shrimp paste/terasi* (optional)
3 Tbs of olive oil

How to make:
1. Fry the boiled & peeled eggs in a frying pan. Set aside. This process is (very) optional**.
2. On a separate pot with a medium heat; put olive oil, add garlic and shallot. Saute them until it softens.
3. Add tomatoes and cook them until you see the tomato juice on the pot.
4. Add ground chillies paste and shrimp paste. Stir them until all the ingredients blend.
5. Add the eggs. Cover the pot for a few minute and let the eggs absorb the sauce.
6. Uncover the pot and let the sauce evaporates and thickens.
7. When the sauce is thick, turn of the stove. Ready to serve.

* Terasi is a very thick shrimp paste. It can be found at some Asian groceries.
** You could absolutely make this recipe without frying the eggs. Frying the eggs is very unsafe because the hot grease will sprinkle on the surface. I fried those eggs because I have an electric fryer (with a lid), so that I did not need to worry about the hot grease.

Bruschetta

Ingredients:
4 to 6 slices of baguette*
2 of chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
A pinch of oregano/thyme
butter
2 cloves of fine chopped garlic
Olive oil* (optional)

How to make:
1. Thin slice the baguette into diagonal cuts.
2. Spread butter on the bread lightly and add a little bit of fine chopped garlic on it.
3. Broil the sliced baguette for a minute or two.
4. Spread chopped tomatoes on the bread, sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese and oregano on the top.
5. Sprinkle a teaspoon of olive oil to taste. Ready to serve.

* Baguette is a French bread. It is better to use plain baguette for this recipe, instead of sour dough or wheat baguette.
* I always like using Extra Virgin Olive Oil for most Italian cooking such as this Bruschetta. 

Tumis Kacang Panjang (Long Beans Saute)

Ingredients:
A handful of cut long beans
A small package of fried tofu
1 cup of small peeled shrimps
2 tomatoes
4 cloves of chopped garlic
3 cloves of chopped shallots
A pinch of salt & pepper
1 Tbs of sugar
ground chillies (optional)

How to make:
1. On a saute pan; cook chopped garlic and chopped shallots.
2. Add tomatoes, salt & pepper, sugar and ground chillies.
3. Add the long beans and cook them until it softens.
4. Add the tofu, shrimps and stir them to blend.
5. Ready to serve. Enjoy them with steamed rice or as a side dish.

Lumpia Semarang (Semarang Style Lumpia)

Ingredients:
A can of bamboo shoots strips
1 cup of chopped peeled shrimps
4 cloves of chopped garlic
2 cloves of chopped shallots
1 Tbs of soy sauce (kecap asin)
1 Tbs of oyster sauce
2 Tbs of sugar
Pinch of salt & pepper
Lumpia wrappers
Vegetable or canola oil for frying

How to make:
1. In a saute pan; put garlic and shallots
2. Add bamboo strips and stir them until they are soft.
3. Add shrimps, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, salt & pepper.  Stir them until the bamboo shoots absorb the sauce and turn brownish.
4. On the lumpia wrapper, add a couple spoon of the filling and roll them to make a shape like lumpias. Keep doing that until all the filling is used.
5. On a medium heat frying pan, fry the lumpia until the wrappers look crispy.
6. Ready to serve.

Sate Ayam Lontong (Chicken Sate)

Ingredients:
A pound of chicken breast*
3 Tbs of sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
3 Tbs of butter/ margarine (preferably 'Blue Band'* brand)

For the sauce:
2 cups of peanut butter cream
1/2 cup of sweet soy sauce
4 pieces of ground candle nuts (kemiri)
Pinch of salt & pepper
1 1/2 cups of water to dilute (add more if it is too thick)
3 Tbs of lime juice
Ground chillies (optional)

How to make:
1. Cut the chicken into small pieces. Marinate them in the butter mix with sweet soy sauce for a few minutes.
2. In the skewers, grill the chicken until it is cooked.
3. For the sauce: cook all ingredients in a small heated sauce pan.

How to serve:
1. On a plate, put cooked chicken sate. Pour the cooked peanut sauce on the sate.
2. Add sweet soy sauce. You can enjoy them with cut of compressed rice (lontong) or steamed rice. Ready to serve.

* I normally like to use chicken tender for this recipe, because it is easier to grill without cutting them into pieces.
** Blue band is an Indonesian brand margarine.

Siomay a la Abang-abang (Street Vendor Style Shiumai)

Ingredients:
1 whole small steamed cabbage
4 pieces of steamed tofu
2 - 3 pieces of steamed potatoes
4 -6 boiled eggs

For the sauce: 2 cups of peanut butter cream, water to dilute, 3 Tbs of vinegar, 1 Tbs of sugar, a pinch salt, chillies (optional). Sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) and lime juice.

How to make:
1. See how to make the shumai on Shrimp shumai recipe (older post).
2. Steamed all the vegetables and eggs.
3. Roll the cabbage. Cut the tofu and the potatoes. Cut in half eggs.
4. For the sauce: mix all the ingredients and mix them. Heat them up either on the stove or microwave.

How to serve:
1. Place all the desire ingredients on a plate.
2. Pour the peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce (kecap manis).
3. Sprinkle lime juice on the top. Ready to serve.

Tahu, Cabe Ijo, dan Saus Tauco (Tofu & Green Chilies in Tauco Sauce)

Ingredients:
4 Chinese fried tofu (cut them in small square)
2 of sliced Anaheim peppers*
4 cloves of chopped garlic
2 cloves of chopped shallots
3 Tbs of tauco**
2 Tbs of sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
1/2 cup of water
Salt & pepper
2 Tbs of olive oil

How to make:
1. In a medium heat; pour olive oil and add garlic and shallot onto saute pan. Let them soften.
2. Add sliced tofu, tauco, sweet soy sauce, water, salt and pepper. Stir them. Let them simmered until the tofu absorbs the sauce.
3. Add the Anaheim pepper. To avoid too much evaporation of the sauce before the pepper soften, cover the pan to let all the ingredients cooked.
4. Ready to serve.

Do not use Japanese silken tofu because they are too soft for this recipe. Find Chinese fried tofu that has a lot of pores so that it can absorb as much sauce as possible.

* I used Anaheim pepper because it is very mild. You can use other types of hotter green chilly. 
** Tauco is salted soy bean. It normally comes in a glass jar. Some of them are in paste, and some others are still in beans with salted water. You can use either one of them.

Es Teler

Ingredients:
A can of young coconut meat (the fresh one is the best if you can find it)
2 avocados
A can of jack fruit (the fresh one is the best if you can find it)
Condensed milk (as sweet as you desire)
Tbs of syrup (as sweet as you desire)
crushed ice

How to make:
1. In a glass or a bowl; put young coconut meat, avocado, and cut jack fruit.
2. Put crushed ice on the top.
3. Pour condensed milk and syrup. Ready to serve.

Es Teler is very good particularly for the summers; a combination of sweet, fruity and cold dessert.

Perkedel Jagung (Sweet Corn Fritters)

Ingredients:
2 cups of sweet corn kernels (can be from the can).
3 eggs.
1 cup of flour.
2 stems of green onion.
3 cloves of garlic
2 cloves of shallot.
1/2 Tbs spoon of salt.
1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
1 Tbs of coriander (ketumbar).
1/2 Tbs of turmeric (kunyit).
Vegetable or Canola oil (for frying the fritters)

How to make:
1. Crush/chop garlic and shallots.
2. In a medium bowl; put eggs, sweet corn kernels, salt, pepper, coriander, and turmeric. Blend them.
3. When all the ingredients are mixed, add flour and blend them.
4. Heat the frying pan that already has vegetable oil in it in a medium heat.
5. Take a tablespoon of mixture and start frying them.
6. Ready to serve.

These sweet corn fritters are good for appetizer, side dish or snack.

Martabak Telor Mini

Ingredients:
1/2 pound of ground beef.
1/2 onion.
5 stems of green onion.
4 - 5 eggs.
3 cloves of garlic.
4 cloves of shallot.
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
3 Tbs of olive oil (to saute the meat)
Vegetable oil or Canola oil (to fry the Martabak)
Lumpia wrappers

How to make:
1. Crush/chop garlic and shallot.
2. Thin slice onion and green onion.
3. In a medium heated saute pan, put the garlic and shallots to soften. Then put the ground beef, onion, salt & pepper, and stir it until it is cooked.
4. In a separate bowl, put eggs and thin sliced green onion and mix it.
5. When the meat is cooked and cooled, put them in the bowl together with the eggs mixture, then blend them.
6.  Heat the frying pan in a medium heat with a bit of vegetable oil, just enough to fry the martabak.
8. On a flat plate, lay a lumpia wrapper and pour a couple spoon of the mixture. Fold it so it shapes like a square envelope.
8. Fry the martabak. Flip them when the bottom side turns brown.

How to serve:
1. It is better to serve them when they are just made for the crispiness. If you happen to store them in the fridge, you can heat them up in the oven in a low heat for 5-10 minutes to make them crispy again.
2. For those who like spicy, you can enjoy them with some fresh green chillies.

Sambal Goreng Kentang, Udang, Pete

Ingredients:
2 cups of small size peeled shrimps.
2 big potatoes.
1/2 - 1 cup of Sator/Pete*
3 cloves of garlic.
3 cloves of shallots
1/4 cup of ground chillies
5 big diced Tomatoes
1/2 cup of coconut milk (optional - the picture doesn't use coconut milk)
Salt & Pepper (as you desire)
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
 A pinch of shrimp paste/Terasi* (optional)
Oil (just enough for frying the potatoes)

How to make:
1. Cut the potatoes into cubes, then fry them. Set aside.
2. Crush/chop garlic and shallots.
3. On a saute pan, cook crushed garlic until yellowish, then add crushed shallot and sators.
4. When the garlic and shallots soften, add diced tomatoes, salt & pepper, sugar, and shrimp paste.
5. Pour the coconut milk (if you like).
6. Add the fried diced potatoes and the shrimps.
7. Stir them until the sauce thickens. Ready to serve.

* Sator/Pete is a kind of vegetable that it can be found at some Asian groceries.
* Terasi is a thicken shrimp paste. Some people prefer not using this ingredient because of its strong smell. It can be found at some Asian groceries.

Bubur Ketan Hitam (Black Sweet Rice Porridge)

Ingredients:
2 cups of Black Sweet Rice
1/2 cup of Glutinous Sweet Rice (Beras Ketan)
1 1/2 cups of Palm Sugar
A pinch of Salt
2 Pandan Leaves* (if available)
4 cups of water 
2 cups Coconut Milk (for the sauce)

How to make:
1. Boil the water and all rice.
2. When the rice softens, add palm sugar, salt, and cuts of pandan leaves.
3. Stir the porridge until it cooks and thickens. Turn of the stove. Pick the pandan leaves from the porridge.
4. For the sauce: boil the coconut milk and a cut of pandan leave.

How to serve:
Simply pour the porridge into a bowl, and add a couple spoon of the cooked coconut milk on the top of the porridge.

*Pandan is the leave that has a nice aroma, to be added into some traditional Indonesian desserts. To me, it functions like vanilla in the western dessert.

Gado-gado (Indonesian Style Salad)

Ingredients:
2 squares of fried tofu
2 squares of fried tempe*
4 eggs
2 cups of bean sprout
2 cups of kangkung (can be substituted with spinach)
2 cups of sweet corn (can be from the can)

Sauce:
2 cups of sweetened peanut butter cream
Salt (as much/less as you desire)
4 pieces of ground candle nuts (kemiri)
1/2 cup of palm sugar
1 1/2 cups of water to dilute (add water if it is too thick)
Ground chilies (optional)
Lime juice or vinegar

How to make:
1. Steam bean sprout, kangkung, and corn.
2. Boil the eggs, peel them, and then cut in half.
3. Fry the tofu and tempe, then cut them into little squares.
4. For the sauce: Cook the peanut butter cream in the small pot with water to dilute. Add salt & pepper, ground candle nuts, palm sugar, and chillies. Stir until it thickens. When it cools, add a few drop of lime juice or vinegar.

How to serve:
Like any other styles of salad, you just put all the cooked ingredients into a plate, pour the peanut sauce as a dressing and toss them. It can be served with rice or lontong*. Enjoy, and Selamat Makan!

* Tempe is a fermented soy bean cake and generally it is rectangular. It can be found at some Asian groceries, Vegetarian food stores, or Organic food stores.
* Lontong is a compressed rice.


 

Shrimp Fu Yong Hai

Ingredients:
2 cups of small size peeled shrimps
4 eggs
2 cups of cabbage
1 cup of carrot
3 cloves of garlic
2 cloves of shallot
A pinch of salt
A pinch of pepper

Sauce: 1 cup of pure tomato juice, 2 fresh tomatoes, 1 cup of canned peas, 1/2 cup of sliced carrot, salt, pepper, 3 Tbs of sugar, 1 Tbs of lemon juice (lemon juice can be substituted with vinegar or lime juice), and 1 Tbs of corn starch to thicken.  

How to make:
1. Crush/chop the garlic and shallot.
2. Thin slice carrots and cabbage.
3. Put the shrimps, crushed garlic and shallots, and sliced carrots and cabbage in a bowl.
4. Bit the eggs about 5 minute (preferably with the mixer).
5. Pour the eggs into the other ingredients, add salt and pepper as you desire.
6. Heat (medium/small heat) a shallow saute pan with a little bit of olive oil*, fry the eggs batter, and flip it when the bottom side turns brown.
7. For the sauce: boil the tomato juice and diced fresh tomatoes. Add sugar, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and pour the corn starch (mix with a bit of water first). Stir and add the peas.

How to serve:
Place the eggs omelet on the plate, pour the sauce on the top. Voila, enjoy!

* For all saute (tumis) or light frying such as this omelet, I prefer to use olive oil than frying oil, because I believe it is healthier. However, do not use olive oil for deep frying! Olive oil is sensitive and it can be poisonous in a high heat.

Siomay Udang (Shrimp Shumai)

Ingredients:

2 cups of small size and peeled shrimps

4 cloves of garlic

3 cloves of shallots

Salt & white pepper (as much/less as you desire)

2 Tbs of sesame oil

3 Tbs of Oyster sauce

2 to 2 1/2 cups of tapioca starch*

4 eggs

Shumai/wonton wrappers 

How to make:

1. In a food processor, put shrimps, peeled garlic and shallots, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and eggs. Puree them.

2. Pour the pureed ingredients in a medium size bowl.

3. Add tapioca starch. Mix them.

4. Heat a steam pot in a small heat.

5. Place a Tbs spoon of the batch in a shumai wrapper** and keep continue until all the batter is used. Put them in the steaming pot.

6. Leave them in the steam pot for about 1/2 hour or more until they cook and ready to serve. 

* This is an abang-abang (street vendor) style shumai. The more tapioca starch you use, the more chewy it would be. But too much of it can harden the shumai. 

** When I did that, I mold the shumai in the little condiment bowls so that it will have appealing shapes. The bowls are made from stainless steel or aluminum (can be found at some cooking stores - I found them at the Walmart)