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Saturday 2 February 2008

An Indonesian Feast

This session was hosted by Fani in her store after the lunch time rush. If you're ever in the Glattzentrum, near Zürich, and you're in the mood for delicious noodles or curry, head to Noodle Land. She's on the top floor: after you get off the escalator just go straight for about 10 metres and and you'll be in her store. She has a different menu every day. Typical offerings are Red Duck Curry, Phad Thai, Dim Sum and Green Chicken Curry. Unfortunately, she is being forced to close in the Fall of 2009. Migros are forcing all the small private food shops out, to make way for a big Migros Fast Food Land.

Our being there attracted lots of inquestive looks from her regulars, but we loved the attention and the comments. Her kitchen is super modern, with lots of induction woks, so it was a pleasure to cook there.

Here are some wonderful recipes from Fani's childhood.

Gado Gado



Ingredients:

112 ml / 4 fl oz / 1/2 cup vegetable oil
225 g / 8 oz / 1-1/3 cups raw peanuts
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 shallots, chopped
A thin slice of shrimp paste (optional)
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
450 ml / 16 fl oz / 2 cups water
1 tbsp tamarind water or juice of a lemon

Preparation

· Stir-fry the peanuts for 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain in a colander, and leave to cool. Then pound or grind the nuts into a fine powder, using a blender, coffee grinder, or pestle and mortar. Discard the oil, except for 1 tablespoonful.

· Crush the garlic, shallots and shrimp paste in a mortar with a little salt, and fry in the remaining oil for 1 minute. Add the chilli powder, sugar, soy sauce and water. Bring this to the boil, then add the ground peanuts.

· Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce becomes thick; this should take about 8-10 minutes.

· Add the tamarind water or lemon juice and more salt if needed.

· When cool, keep in a jar in the fridge. Reheat as required for use with satay or as a dip for lalab (crudites) or savoury snacks. The sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Hilda steaming vegetables.



Chicken Opor

Sauce

¼ c onion, chopped coarsely
4 lemon grass, chopped fine
30 g kemiri (candlenuts or macademia)
8 tsp coriander powder
4 tsp salt
5 tsp sugar
5 tsp chilli powder (optional)
5 tbs almond, ground
2 tsp garlic/oil
1 tsp accent (optional)
2 tsp chicken bouillon
600 ml coconut milk
150 ml whipping cream

Other Ingredients:

1 kg chicken breast, sliced 1 ½ cm width or a whole chicken, cut into pieces
1 cup onion, chopped finely
1 cup red/green sweet pepper (capsicum), diced
700 g zucchini cut in ½ moon shape (optional)
8 hard boiled eggs
½ tsp rind from Thai lime (optional)




Preparation

· Blend sauce ingredients together, (from onion to accent), or use pestle and mortar. Then fry the paste in a little oil for about 4 minutes. Add bouillon, coconut milk (a little at a time) and whipping cream. Cook for 7 more minutes. Set aside.

· Fry 1 cup of finely chopped onion in a little oil until translucent, add chicken. Cook for about 7 minutes, Add half of the sauce over the chicken, then the thai lime. Stir and continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Add the sweet pepper, zucchini and hard-boiled eggs. Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken and let it simmer for about 1/2 hour to 1 hour or more. Just before serving, quarter the eggs and place them around the dish. Serves 8


Indonesian Curry Rendang (Beef or Chicken)

Sauce

1/4 c onion, roughly chopped
4 tsp garlic/oil
2 tsp coriander, ground
½ tsp fennel, ground
2 tsp cumin, ground
¼ tsp cloves, ground
4 fresh chilies, chopped
1 lemon grass, chopped finely

½ cup shredded coconut, roast it in pan for about 7 minutes, on low to medium heat
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tsp grated palm sugar or brown sugar
1 2/3 cups coconut milk

Other Ingredients:

1 kg beef or chicken, cut in 2 ½ cm size cubes, (rub meat with ½ tsp salt & 1/8 cup dark soy)
½ c onion, chopped
500 potatoes, peeled, cut in cubes
400 g carrots, cut into thin rounds
15 g kaffir leaves (cut every leave into 3 parts)
10 g coriander leaves

Garnish: 1-2 fresh chillies, finely chopped and roasted onion





Preparation

· Blend sauce ingredients, (from onion to lemon grass), or use pestle & mortar.

· Place the coconut milk in a large pan, bring it almost to the boil, then reduce the heat to moderate and cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk has reduced by half and the oil has separated out. Do not allow the milk to brown.

· Add the sauce mixture to the coconut milk. Then add the shredded coconut, lemon juice and sugar. Stir for 1 minute. Add the meat and cook for 2 minutes until it changes colour. Cook until the liquid is reduced and the mixture is quite thick.

· Stir frequently to prevent the meat sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until the oil from the coconut milk is released once again, letting the curry develop color and flavour. Keep cooking until it is brown and dry. Don’t let the dish burn. Cooking time: 1-2 hours.



Poulet Kalasan

Sauce

¾ c onion (finely chopped)
2 cm galangal
¼ tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic/oil
2 tsp chilli powder (optional)
1 ½ tsp chicken bouillon



1 kg. chicken thigh or chicken breast, sliced into strips1 ½ cm width. Rub chicken with 1 tsp baking soda. Put aside.
2 cans coconut water (not coconut milk!)
500 gr. potatoes, cut into cubes and cooked for 10 minutes
1 cup water & 1 tbs chicken bouillon
1 can chickpeas or 150 gr. fresh chickpeas (when using fresh chickpeas soak them in water for 2 hours)

Preparation

·Blend ingredients (except bouillon) together or mash them using pestle & mortar.

·Sautee until translucent, put in chicken, fry for about 2-3 minutes, then pour in the coconut water. Cook for 10 more minutes. Add potatoes and chickpeas. Add 1½tsp chicken bouillon.

·Preheat the oven to 220°F. Place the chicken and sauce in a baking dish (uncovered) and bake for 15 minutes or until done.


Spicy Shrimp (SAMBAL GORENG UDANG)

Sauce

1 tsp garlic/oil
2 cm galangal
6 kaffir leaves
5 fresh red chillies, seed removed
1 tbs shrimp paste (belachan)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
1 tbs tamarind juice
2 cups coconut milk

800 g shrimp, medium to large, shelled, de-veined, cut butterfly style.

Add:
½ tsp salt
¼ c shallot, chopped
1/8 tsp white pepper
¼ tsp sugar





Preparation

· Blend sauce ingredients, except coconut milk, or use pestle/mortar

· Fry sauce in a little oil, for about 2 minutes.

· Add shrimp into the sauce, stir well until shrimp are half pink, add the coconut milk. Keep cooking and stir occasionally until coconut milk thickens.
Serves 8



Fish in Balinese Sauce

Sauce

1/4 c onion, chopped coarsely
2 cm galangal
2 cm ginger
1 tsp sambal oelek
1 tbs belachan (shrimp paste) (optional)
1 1/2 tsp garlic/oil
1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp chicken bouillon
4 tsp dark soy sauce
4 tsp palm sugar (grated from 1 round
palm sugar)
4 tsp lemon juice (squeeze from 1 lemon)
1 ¼ c coconut milk

Other Ingredients:

1 kg white fish sliced 5cm width.
¼ cup onion, chopped coarsely
2 celery sticks chopped in 1cm pieces
300 g orange & yellow carrots cut thin rounds
3 red chillies, cut in 3 cm pieces
3 green chillies, cut in 3 cm pieces
150 g cherry tomato, whole
1 can baby corn, each piece cut to three


Preparation

· Blend sauce ingredients, (on the list: from onion to salt), or use a pestle & mortar. Fry in oil for 4 minutes over low heat, add bouillon, soy sauce, palm sugar, lemon juice, adding the coconut milk (a little at a time) last. Cook sauce for another 7 minutes, or until it is hot but not boiling. Put it aside.

· Fry the ¼ c chopped onion in oil until translucent, add celery, carrots, chillies, cherry tomatoes and baby corn. Cook for 10 minutes or less, just until the vegetables are tender and crunchy, Add the sauce to the vegetables and keep warm.

· In the meantime heat up plenty of oil in a pan and fry the fish for the second time quickly. Take out fish and add fish to vegetables & sauce. Stir everything quickly and serve immediately while it is still hot. Serves 8


Fish Batter

1 whole egg
1 c flour
1/3 c potato flour or cornflour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
3/4 c cold water

Preparation

· Mix all ingredients, except water. Pour water into the mixture a little at a time to make a smooth batter.

· Salt and pepper fish, then dip in the egg batter and fry only until very lightly browned, one batch at a time. Put aside.

Everything was great, but the fish was superb!


As you may have noticed there aren't many photos. Once again I forgot my camera and I had to resort to using my little phone camera.