Gulai Kering Kentang Buncis (Potatoes and Green Beans Dried Curry)

Creamy, spicy, slightly sweet with aromatic pungent from lemon grass and lime leaves. Who doesn't like that? Need I mention that it is also packed with carbohydrate or simply fried potatoes? What a comfort! 

This dish is a lovely combination of root vegetable (potatoes are root "vegetables" right?), green beans, coconut milk and spices. It was created years ago when I was a university student at the time, feeling homesick and longing for flavours from home. So I gathered whatever ingredients I could find in the kitchen and it was a success. The dish was frequently requested in potluck parties to showcase Indonesian cookery. Though I am no longer a student, it is still served in our everyday meal right at home. Pair it with sambal telur and you will have a complete Indonesian meal!

Skill Level: Easy

Serves: 6 - 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 lb green beans, cut into 1" length 
• 3 potatoes
• 5 lime leaves
• 1 lemon grass
• 8 Thai hot peppers, sliced thinly
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp oil plus enough oil for frying potatoes
• 1 cup (250 mL) coconut milk 
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) water
• juice from 1 lime

METHOD: 

1. Peel potatoes and cut into cubes. Season with a pinch of salt
2. Meanwhile, in a pan, heat enough oil to fry the potatoes. Once hot enough, fry the potatoes till golden brown. Drain the excess oil with paper towel
3. Slice off the very bottom of the lemon grass stalk, and peel off any dried-out layers. Mince the soft inner part of the lemon grass to help release the aromatic oil 
4. In a separate pan, heat up 3 tbsp of cooking oil and saute sliced onions till soft, around 3 to 4 minutes 
5. Add in lemon grass, Thai hot peppers and tear the lime leaves with your hand to release the citrus flavour. Saute for another 3 minutes 
6. Add in green beans, turmeric powder, salt, sugar and water. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes 
7. Stir in coconut milk and let it boil for 5 minutes then add the fried potatoes 
8. Cook for additional 5 minutes and finally, stir in the lime juice 

Like any other Asian dishes, this dish shall be enjoyed with a plate of warm steamed rice or naan bread. 

Indonesian Style Chicken Soup with Potatoes

I wish you all a Happy New Year and may the year bring you good health, happiness and prosperity. Our promise to you is to share more recipes on this blog! 

Indonesia, a country located in South East Asia, is one of the largest Muslim countries in the world. It comprises of more than 17,000 islands and is ranked the 4th most populous country worldwide. This nation is most well known with its beautiful diving sites, white sandy beaches and the foremost, Bali island. When it comes to agriculture, this county is also called the spice islands. Indonesia produces top qualities of cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla beans, cloves, coffee and many more. Spices and hot peppers are used abundantly in the cooking. As a Chinese descent born and raised in Indonesia, I must say my palate is well trained towards eating fiery and spiced food.

Winter is officially here and after 2 weeks of eating and entertaining, I was longing for a bowl of comforting soup.I decided to make Indonesian style Chicken Soup with Potatoes and my husband loved it! He proclaimed that this recipe must be featured n the blog. This basic soup is served quite frequently at my home in Indonesia. It is packed with flavour contributed from spices and taste best when left overnight. You can also add in your favourite ingredients for a hearty meal: pot barley, celery, green peas or even pasta.

Instead of making the regular chicken noodle soup or eat canned soup, I highly recommend you to make this Indonesian style Chicken Soup to feed your cold. Spices used in this recipe not only open up your appetite but it also boost your immune system, which is crucial for recovery.


Skill Level: Easy

Serves: 6 - 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 L water
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1 whole chicken (2 lbs), cut into bite sized
• 1 tomato, quartered
• 5 Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 onions, quartered
• 4 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 8 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick, 1 to 2 inch long
• 1/2 whole nutmeg, crushed
• 5 cardamoms
• 1 star anise 
• 1 tsp whole black peppers, crushed 
• 1 tbsp salt

METHOD: 

1. In a pot, boil 2 L of water with chicken broth
2. Place cinnamon stick, nutmeg, cardamoms, star anise and crushed black peppers in a cheese cloth and tie up
3. Once boiled, add in chicken pieces, spices in cheese cloth, tomatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and salt. Return to boil
4. Once boiled, lower down the heat and skim off gray foam on the soup surface with a ladle
5. Let the soup simmer for 30 minutes and add in potatoes and cook for another 20 minutes

Sambal Telur (Eggs with Spicy Sauce)

A very traditional Indonesian dish which you can find anywhere from street corner to high end Indonesian restaurants. It is commonly served with nasi lemak, nasi campur or nasi tumpeng. Whenever I make this dish, it reminds me of home and my mother. The eggs are hard-boiled and then deep fried. The outer golden crust gives them unique texture. If you love spicy food, this is a must to try! Best to serve with a plate of hot steamed rice.

Skill Level: Between easy and medium

Serves: 4 - 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 eggs, hard boiled
• 3 shallots, sliced thinly
• 1/2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 cup all-purpose sambal
• 1/3 cup cooking oil plus enough oil to deep-fry eggs
• 2 tbsp sugar or brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt

 METHOD: 

1. In a wok, heat up enough oil to fry the hard boiled eggs 
2. Once the oil reaches 375 degree Fahrenheit, drop the eggs slowly and stir till golden brown. Leave the eggs aside and drain extra oil on paper towel. 
3. In a separate cooking pan, heat up 1/3 cup of cooking oil. Add in shallots, cook till brown 
4. Stir in tomatoes, sambal and cook for 4 minutes
5. Add in the sugar and salt and stir for another 5 minutes
6. Serve the eggs with the sauce
   

Sambal Kecap (Indonesian Style Sweet Dipping Sauce)

apologies. I have not got a chance to post new recipes ever since the birth of my son, Baby A. My days have been filled with feeding, changing diapers and taking a nap whenever I get a chance to. By the end of the day, it's all worth it though :). 

This is a recipe of one of my favourite dipping sauces. It's sweet and tangy with a kick of spiciness from Thai hot peppers. The lime juice is refreshing and wakes up all your taste buds. This is a recipe that has been passed down from one generation to another in my family. I like to serve it with fried fish, fried tofu, fried chicken or steamed seafood.

Skill Level: Easy

Serves: N/A

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 red Thai chili, sliced
• 6 shallots, sliced thinly
• 1 lime juice
• 2 tbsp kecap manis 
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp soy sauce 
• 1 tbsp brown sugar or sugar

 METHOD:  

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes before serve

Spicy Sweet Potato Leaves

How many of us have ever heard that sweet potato leaves are edible? In South East Asia, this is our regular kind of vegetable. Yes, they are edible, yummy and taste just like kangkung (water spinach).

In Toronto, sweet potato leaves can be easily found in Chinese grocery stores but they are not cheap. They cost around 3 dollars per pound. Last summer, my husband and I planted sweet potatoes in our backyard so we could indulge as much as we like. The leaves grow just like vines!. They can be stir fried, cooked with pumpkin in a curry sauce and so much more. I like to stir fry the leaves just like my mother does back home. I sauté them with preserved soy beans, dried shrimps and hot sauce....all packed with Indonesian flavour!

Skill Level: Easy

Serves: 4 - 5

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs sweet potato leaves
• 1 onion, sliced thinly
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tbsp dried shrimps, soaked for 10 minutes
• 2 tbsp preserved soy beans (tauco)
• 2 tbsp all-purpose sambal
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 1/4 cup water

 METHOD: 

1. Strip the sweet potato leaves with its stem from tough, woody branches. Rinse well
2. In a wok, heat up the cooking oil until smoking. Add in sliced onions and garlic and stir until golden brown
3. Mix in dried shrimps, preserved soy beans and all purpose sambal. Stir for another minute
4. Add in the sweet potato leaves and cook for several minutes until they are half wilted
5. Mix in water, taste. If not salty enough, you can add in dashes of fish sauce according to your taste. Keep stirring the ingredients for another 5 minutes
6. Dish out and serve warm with steamed rice

Sambal Sotong (Spicy Squid)

Ahh....squids...how I hated them when I was young. The minute my mom mentioned we would be having squids for dinner, we knew we were in trouble ... meaning we all had to clean the squids. No work, no dinner! It was not a so-great memory but now, I am thanking my mom for teaching us the skills. Luckily, I no longer have to suffer as I can easily find already-cleaned frozen squids in grocery stores. Yahoo!

One of great ways to enjoy squids is cooking it in a savoury hot sauce. Sambal sotong or spicy squids can be found in every street restaurant in Indonesia and Malaysia. It is spicy yet sweet with a kick of sourness from tamarind. To those of you who love spicy food, this is definitely a must try! 

Skill Level: Easy 

Serves: 4-5

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 lb already-cleaned frozen squids
• 6 shallots, sliced
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste 
• 3 tbsp brown sugar 
• 4 tbsp all-purpose chili paste (click for recipe)
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• Salt to taste 

 METHOD: 

1. In a deep frying pan, cook squids for 7 to 8 minutes. At this time, they will release all the moisture and start curling up 
2. Remove from pan and drain all the liquid. Set aside
3. In the same pan, add in cooking oil and sauté shallots until fragrant and golden brown
4. Stir in all-purpose chili paste and cook with slow heat for 10 minutes. Cover with a glass lid to prevent splatter
5. Add in tamarind paste, and brown sugar. Cook until the sauce turns deep red
6. Lastly, add in squids and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt to your taste 

All-Purpose Sambal (Hot Sauce)

Whenever I wanted to have spicy Indonesian-Malaysian food, I dreaded the troublesome that I had to take to make hot sauce prior to cooking. My mom happened to visit me last Fall and suggested that I should make a big batch and freeze the hot sauce. Wait...why didn't I even think of that? So I managed to buy a bag of red hot chilis from farmer's market and made this hot sauce. I have to agree with mom that now I can whip up authentic Indonesian-Malaysian dishes in minutes. A big thank you to mom! This sauce can be used in soups, noodles, stir-fry dishes and many more! Stay tune to check out more recipes with my all-purpose sambal!

Skill Level: Easy

INGREDIENTS:

• 250 g fresh red hot chilis
• 8 shallots, peeled
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tomato 
• Water
• 1 tbsp salt 
• 5 tbsp cooking oil

METHOD:

1. In a saucepan, cover all ingredients with water and boil for 20 minutes, covered
2. Drain the water and put all ingredients in a food processor, blend for 10 to 15 seconds
3. In a cooking pan, heat up cooking oil and add in the chili paste 
4. Saute under low heat for 5 minutes, add salt 
5. Cook for another 10 minutes and store in freezer

Assam Udang (Tamarind Prawns)

Assam Udang is an all-time favourite of my friends and family. It does not require a special skill to whip up this elegant dish. A combination of tamarind and kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) gives a good balance of sweet and sour. Serve this with a side of cucumbers, steamed rice and hot sauce.

Skill Level: Easy

Serves: 3-4

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 lb jumbo shrimps (8-12 count)
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 3 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
• 4 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Toasted sesame seeds (optional) 
• 1/2 cup of boiling water

METHOD: 

1.  Put in tamarind paste into a boil and add in boiling water. Leave for 10-15 minutes until the paste is softened
2. Cut off the pointy part of shrimps with a pair of scissors
3. Place all shrimps in a container. Add in the softened tamarind paste, brown sugar, salt and pepper to taste
4. Let sit for 30 minutes
5. In a non-stick frying pan, heat up oil until smoking 
6. Add in the shrimps, stir until half cooked
7. Add in kecap manis and stir until shrimps are all cooked
8. Serve hot, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Sayur Lodeh (Vegetable Curry)

Spices and coconut milk are a part of the Indonesian and Malaysian daily diet. A meal without curry or hot sauce is also seen to be incomplete. Sayur lodeh (vegetable curry) is one of my all-time favourite curries. It is usually served with steamed rice with a side of sambal belachan (hot sauce with shrimp paste).

Curry paste is usually made of shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, fresh turmeric, red hot chilies, and other aromatic spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, coriander seeds etc. These ingredients are then pounded in a stone mortar until they turn into a paste. I tend to make curry paste (from scratch) in the summer when I get red hot chillies from the farmer's market.

In winters or whenever I'm running out of curry paste, I use store-bought Malaysian curry paste (A1 Brand) to save time and for convenience. The result is still as good as the curry that I have had back home. To those of you who think curries are troublesome to make in your kitchen, this recipe will give you room to breathe and a reason smile!

Skill Level: Easy

Serves: 6 - 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 chayotes, cubed 
• 1/2 lb long beans, cut into 2" long
• 1 carrot, cubed
• 1/4 medium size cabbage, cut into bit size
• 1 can baby corn, cut into 1" long 
• 4 thinly sliced shallots
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 4 tbsp A1 or Tean's Brand curry paste 
• 1 cup coconut milk 
• 1/4 cup dried shrimps (optional, omit for vegetarian option)
• 2 cups water
• 1 lemongrass
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• Salt, to taste 

METHOD:

1. In a pot or dutch oven, heat up cooking oil and sauté shallots until golden brown
2. Add in dried shrimps and cook for 2 minutes
3. Stir in curry paste and lemongrass. Cook for another 2 minutes
4. Add long beans, carrots and chayotes, stir for  3 to 4 minutes
5. Add in coconut milk and water, cook to a boil or until vegetables are cooked 
6. Lastly, add in baby corn and cabbage, cook for another 10 minutes
7. Taste before you add in salt to suit your taste 

Note: A1 and Tean's Brand Curry Paste can be bought in most Asian grocery stores.