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.

Semolina Cake

I am always on the lookout for simple eggless desserts that can be enjoyed by my vegetarian friends and Semolina cake is one such treat. Very simple to make and delicious, it can be baked in the evenings when the temperatures go down and can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Leave it at room temperature before serving.

Skill level : Very easy
Serves - 8-10

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups semolina (cream of wheat)
• 1/2 cup butter softened at room temperature 
• 1 cup yogurt (do not use 0% fat)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Sliced almonds

Sugar Syrup:

• 3 cups sugar
• 11/2 cups water
• Juice of 11/2 lemons
• 1 Tablespoon rose water (optional)

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F, grease a lasagna pan and set aside.
2. Add sugar and water to a pan and heat until it comes to a simmer. Allow it to cool, add rose water and set aside.
3. In a bowl, add semolina, yogurt, baking powder and butter and mix well.
4. Add 1/2 a cup of the sugar syrup to the batter and mix.
5. Pour batter into the pan,using a knife score into squares and press a sliced almond into the dough and bake for 30 minutes. 
6. Remove the pan from the oven and add another 1/2 cup of the syrup and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
7. Turn off the oven, remove the pan, pour another 1/2 cup of syrup onto the cake and put it back in the (turned off) oven for an additional 5-7 minutes.

Chocolate Coconut Squares

August long weekend - Simcoe Day is upon us and my blog partner and her husband are days away from welcoming their first baby into 'our' lives. While we are still unsure about the gender of this new baby, one thing we can be sure about is the fact that another foodie is on its way. We had a small get together as we count down to the little one arriving and it coincided with what was surely the hottest day we've had in weeks. High temperatures with humidity making it feel like 41 + degrees C,forced us to eat inside but we finally braved the weather  and sat outside (with a fan to keep mom and junior cool) and had coffee and dessert. This simple dessert can be made the day ahead and stored for up to a week or less depending on how much your guests enjoy it.

Skill level : Very easy
Serves : 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

• 11/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened dessicated coconut
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnut 
• 1 can (300 mL) sweetened condensed milk

METHOD:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 F, grease a glass lasagna pan and set aside.
2. Heat butter in a small pan, add graham cracker crumbs and sugar and mix.
3. Press the heated cookie crumbs into the base of the pan, sprinkle coconut till it covers the crumbs completely.
4. Next put the chocolate chips over the coconut, pour condensed milk over the chocolate (I used only 3/4 of the can)
5. Lastly sprinkle walnut pieces to cover the entire surface
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, allow it to cool before cutting it into squares.
7. I sometimes add the whole can of condensed milk and then add a cup of dried cranberries to get a sweet and tart flavour that goes well with chocolate.