Kecap Manis (Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce)

I received several questions from readers on what kecap manis is. This ingredient is used quite often in my Asian recipes. Well, kecap manis (Ketjap Manis) is an Indonesian sweet soy sauce. Unlike any other soy sauces in the market, this sauce is sweetened with palm sugar and infused with bay leaves and a hint of star anise. It's thick just like molasses and can be stored in your pantry indefinitely.

When I first moved to Canada 10 years ago to pursue my studies, I did not expect to find kecap manis sold in Canada. So I packed bottles of kecap manis in my suitcase in case I was homesick and missed eating something familiar. Surprisingly enough, kecap manis was easily found in most Asian grocery stores and my emergency supply was not even that valuable anymore! Lately, I also notice other local grocery stores such as Loblaws, Canadian Superstore and Metro also have this sauce in their international aisle. There are 2 famous brands that are offered: ABC or Bango brand. Personally, I prefer Bango brand to ABC as it's less sweet.

I have also been noticing several cook books that use "kecap manis" in their recipes, particularly when it comes to Malaysian, Thai and Indonesian recipes. In Indonesia, it is commonly used in nasi goreng (fried rice), mee goreng (fried noodle), stews, soups and dipping sauces. For Javanese, they also like to drizzle kecap manis on their chicken or beef satays.

In case you cannot find kecap manis in your area, then, you can substitute with low sodium soy sauce and add brown sugar to sweeten the sauce. However, it may not have exactly as the flavour kecap manis delivers.

SPICE IT UP WITH GARAM MASALA !

 

To bring warmth and spice into 2012, our ingredient of the month is
GARAM MASALA

Frequently used in Indian recipes, and easy enough to find on grocery store shelves, Garam Masala is actually a blend of spices. In Hindi, GARAM means “Warm or Hot” and MASALA means “Spices”. The literal translation may be a tad confusing, this spice mix contains intense, aromatic spices which are more flavourful than pungent, hence the need for chili (fresh or dried) to get the kick that most Indian dishes provide.

While the use of garam masala is common accross the Indian subcontinent, the ingredients in it may vary slightly from one cook to the other but everyone will agree that the spices need to be lightly roasted before you powder them and that homemade is always better than store bought.

My mum managed to hold down a full time job, raise three kids and made sure we sat down to a home cooked meal every day; and my dad did not buy garam masala when he did the groceries. I, on the other hand, am not pulled in as many directions, yet am guilty of having a box of curry powder in my spice rack.Call it research if you will, but now, I can truly say that homemade is better and really worth the small effort. The trick is to make it in small batches that can be used up quickly.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons cumin seeds 
• 1 ½ tablespoons coriander seeds 
• 2 tablespoons cardamom seeds 
• 1 (4 inch) cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
• ½ teaspoon cloves 
• 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg 
• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns 

Over medium heat, dry roast the spices until your olfactory senses tingle due to the aroma released by this spice bouquet. This step is well worth the time it takes because to hasten the process would have the same result as baking a cake at double the recommended temperature to finish in half the time – disasterous.
Remove the pan from the burner and transfer the spices to a glass dish and allow it to cool before powdering it in a coffee grinder. Unless your family has an exceptional sense of humour, you may want to use a coffee grinder reserved soley for spices. While my husband and I love black coffee with cardamom – Middle Eastern style, garam masala flavoured coffee may be a bit too much.

This recipe makes approximately half a cup. Store in an airtight container and use up in about three months. Look for upcoming dishes using GARAM MASALA