PALATEZ

Cuisine: Indonesian

  • Sambal Goreng Kentang (Spicy Potato Stir-fry)

    Sambal Goreng Kentang (Spicy Potato Stir-fry)

    1. Prepare Potatoes: Peel and cube potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Soak in water 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry.

    2. Fry Potatoes: Heat oil in wok to 350°F (175°C). Fry potato cubes in batches until golden brown (5-7 minutes). Drain on paper towels.

    3. Make Sambal Paste: Blend shallots, garlic, chilies, and candlenuts with 1/4 cup water until smooth.

    4. Cook Sambal: Heat 3 tbsp oil in wok. Cook sambal paste over medium heat 5-7 minutes until fragrant and oil separates. Add bay leaf and kaffir lime leaves.

    5. Add Liver: If using, add beef liver cubes, cook 3-4 minutes until no longer pink.

    6. Combine: Add fried potatoes to wok, stir to coat with sambal.

    7. Add Coconut Milk: Pour in coconut milk, add palm sugar, tamarind, salt. Stir gently to combine.

    8. Simmer: Cook 5-7 minutes until sauce thickens and coats potatoes.

    9. Serve: Remove bay leaf and lime leaves. Serve warm with rice.

  • Sayur Lodeh (Vegetable Coconut Curry)

    Sayur Lodeh (Vegetable Coconut Curry)

    1. Prep Vegetables: Cut cabbage into chunks, carrots into rounds, long beans into 2-inch pieces, eggplant into cubes. If using jackfruit, cut into bite-sized pieces.

    2. Fry Tofu/Tempeh: Lightly fry tofu and tempeh cubes until golden, set aside.

    3. Make Spice Paste: Blend shallots, garlic, chilies, candlenuts, coriander, and galangal powder until smooth.

    4. Cook Paste: Heat 2 tbsp oil in pot. Sauté spice paste 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Add bay leaves and kaffir lime leaves.

    5. Add Vegetables: Add carrots and jackfruit first, cook 2 minutes. Then add long beans and eggplant, cook 2 more minutes.

    6. Add Liquid: Pour in coconut milk and water. Bring to simmer.

    7. Cook Vegetables: Add cabbage, tofu, tempeh. Simmer 10-12 minutes until vegetables are tender but not mushy.

    8. Season: Add salt, sugar, tamarind paste. Adjust to taste.

    9. Serve: Ladle into bowls. Serve hot with rice.

  • Ketoprak (Jakarta Vermicelli & Tofu Salad)

    Ketoprak (Jakarta Vermicelli & Tofu Salad)

    1. Prepare Vermicelli: Soak rice vermicelli in hot water 5 minutes until soft. Drain, set aside.

    2. Blanch Bean Sprouts: Boil water, blanch bean sprouts 30 seconds. Drain, cool.

    3. Fry Tofu: Cube tofu, fry until golden and puffed. Drain.

    4. Make Peanut Sauce: Blend peanuts, garlic, chilies with 1/2 cup water until coarse. Cook in saucepan with remaining water, palm sugar, tamarind, salt 8-10 minutes until thickened.

    5. Assemble: On each plate, layer vermicelli, bean sprouts, tofu.

    6. Top: Place egg quarters around edges, sprinkle with crushed rice crackers.

    7. Sauce: Pour generous amount of peanut sauce over.

    8. Garnish: Sprinkle fried shallots, celery leaves. Drizzle with sweet soy sauce.

    9. Serve: Serve immediately with lime wedges on side.

  • Opor Ayam (White Coconut Chicken Curry)

    Opor Ayam (White Coconut Chicken Curry)

    1. Brown Chicken: Heat 2 tbsp oil, brown chicken pieces 3-4 minutes each side. Remove, set aside.

    2. Make Spice Paste: Blend shallots, garlic, candlenuts, coriander, cumin, pepper until smooth.

    3. Cook Paste: In same pot, add 2 tbsp oil. Cook spice paste 5-6 minutes until fragrant and oil separates.

    4. Add Aromatics: Add lemongrass, bay leaves, kaffir lime leaves, galangal. Cook 1 minute.

    5. Simmer Chicken: Return chicken to pot. Add coconut milk and water. Bring to gentle simmer (do not boil).

    6. Cook: Cover, simmer 30-35 minutes until chicken is tender.

    7. Season: Add salt, palm sugar, tamarind. Simmer 5 more minutes.

    8. Thicken: If desired, cook uncovered 5 minutes to thicken sauce.

    9. Serve: Garnish with fried shallots. Serve with rice and emping crackers.

  • Beef Rendang

    Beef Rendang

    1. Prepare Spice Paste: In a food processor, blend shallots, garlic, chilies, ginger, galangal, candlenuts, coriander, and cumin until smooth. Add 2-3 tbsp water if needed. 2. Toast Spices: Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium. Dry-toast cinnamon and cloves for 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove and set aside. 3. Cook Spice Paste: In the same pot, add 2 tbsp oil. Cook the blended spice paste over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes until fragrant and oil separates. Stir constantly to prevent burning. 4. Braise Beef: Add beef cubes to the pot, stir to coat with spices. Cook for 5 minutes until beef changes color. Add coconut milk, water, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, turmeric leaves, toasted cinnamon, and cloves. Bring to a gentle simmer. 5. Slow Cook: Reduce heat to low. Partially cover and simmer for 2.5-3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Liquid will reduce gradually. 6. Season: After 2 hours, add tamarind paste, palm sugar, and salt. Continue cooking. 7. Final Reduction: In the last 30 minutes, increase heat slightly. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens into a dark brown paste coating the meat (oil will separate). 8. Rest and Serve: Remove from heat. Let rest 10 minutes. Discard lemongrass and leaves. Serve with steamed rice.

  • Indonesian Special Fried Rice

    Indonesian Special Fried Rice

    1. Prep Ingredients: Ensure rice is cold and grains separated. Dice all proteins and vegetables uniformly. 2. Scramble Eggs: Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok over high heat. Beat eggs with pinch of salt. Pour into wok, scramble until just set. Remove and set aside. 3. Cook Aromatics: Add 2 tbsp oil to wok. Sauté shallots until translucent (2 min). Add garlic and chilies, cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add shrimp paste, stir to dissolve (1 min). 4. Cook Proteins: Add chicken, stir-fry 3 minutes until white. Add shrimp, cook 2 minutes until pink. Push to side of wok. 5. Toast Rice: Add rice to center of wok. Press down with spatula, let sit 1 minute to crisp slightly. Break up clumps. 6. Combine: Mix rice with protein mixture. Add carrots and cabbage, stir-fry 2 minutes. 7. Season: Add both soy sauces, salt, pepper. Toss continuously for 3 minutes until rice is evenly colored. 8. Final Touches: Return scrambled eggs to wok. Add spring onions. Toss 1 minute. 9. Plate: Serve immediately garnished with fried shallots, cucumber, tomato, and kerupuk on the side.

  • Madura-Style Chicken Satay

    Madura-Style Chicken Satay

    1. Prepare Marinade: Blend shallots, garlic, coriander, cumin into smooth paste. Mix with palm sugar, tamarind, soy sauce, and lime juice. 2. Marinate Chicken: Coat chicken cubes thoroughly with marinade. Cover and refrigerate minimum 2 hours (overnight preferred). 3. Make Peanut Sauce: Blend peanuts, chilies, garlic, candlenuts with 1/2 cup water until coarse paste. 4. Cook Sauce: Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan. Cook peanut paste 3 minutes until fragrant. Add coconut milk, remaining water, palm sugar, tamarind, salt. Simmer 10 minutes until thickened. Stir constantly. 5. Skewer: Thread 4-5 chicken pieces onto each soaked skewer, leaving space at both ends. 6. Grill: Preheat grill to medium-high (400°F/200°C). Grill skewers 4-5 minutes per side, basting with leftover marinade during first turn. 7. Char: For authentic flavor, briefly hold skewers over direct flame for 30 seconds per side for slight charring. 8. Serve: Arrange skewers on plate with lontong, peanut sauce, sliced shallots, and lime wedges. Drizzle sauce or serve separately.

  • Indonesian Vegetable Salad with Peanut Dressing

    Indonesian Vegetable Salad with Peanut Dressing

    1. Blanch Vegetables: Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Prepare ice bath. Blanch each vegetable separately: cabbage (1 min), carrots (1.5 min), green beans (2 min), bean sprouts (30 sec). Immediately transfer to ice bath to stop cooking, then drain. 2. Prepare Protein: Boil eggs 10 minutes, cool in cold water, peel, quarter. Pan-fry tofu and tempeh until golden, set aside. 3. Make Dressing: Blend peanuts, garlic, chilies, shrimp paste with 1/2 cup water until smooth. 4. Cook Dressing: Transfer paste to saucepan. Add remaining water, palm sugar, tamarind, salt. Cook over medium heat 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened to creamy consistency. Adjust seasoning. 5. Assemble: On large platter, arrange blanched vegetables, potato slices, cucumber, tofu, tempeh, and egg quarters in separate sections. 6. Serve: Pour warm peanut dressing over salad just before serving, or serve on the side. Top with fried shallots. Serve with emping crackers.

  • Indonesian Chicken Turmeric Soup

    Indonesian Chicken Turmeric Soup

    1. Prepare Chicken: Place whole chicken in large pot with water, bring to boil. Skim off foam. Reduce heat, simmer 30 minutes until cooked. Remove chicken, reserve broth. Shred chicken meat, discard skin and bones. 2. Make Spice Paste: Blend shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, candlenuts, coriander, and pepper with 1/2 cup water until smooth. 3. Cook Spice Base: Heat 3 tbsp oil in separate pan. Sauté spice paste 5 minutes until fragrant. Add lemongrass, bay leaves, kaffir lime leaves, galangal. Cook 2 minutes. 4. Combine Broth: Add cooked spice mixture to reserved chicken broth. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes to develop flavors. Season with salt to taste. 5. Prepare Noodles: Soak rice vermicelli in hot water 5 minutes, drain. Blanch bean sprouts in boiling water 30 seconds, drain. 6. Assemble Bowls: In each bowl, place portion of noodles, bean sprouts, shredded chicken, potato slices, and egg slices. 7. Serve: Ladle hot broth over ingredients. Garnish with fried shallots, celery leaves. Serve with lime wedges and sambal on the side.

  • Indonesian Beef Meatball Soup

    Indonesian Beef Meatball Soup

    1. Make Meatball Dough: In food processor, blend ground beef, garlic, salt, pepper until sticky paste (5 minutes). Add egg white, process 1 minute. Add tapioca flour and baking powder, pulse to combine. Gradually add ice water while processing until dough is smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes total). 2. Form Meatballs: Fill large bowl with ice water. Wet hands, take tablespoon of dough, roll between palms to form smooth ball (1.5-inch diameter). Drop into ice water. Repeat until all dough used. 3. Cook Meatballs: Bring large pot of water to gentle simmer (not boiling). Remove meatballs from ice water, add to simmering water. Cook 10-15 minutes until they float to surface. Remove with slotted spoon, set aside. 4. Prepare Broth: In separate pot, sauté smashed garlic, shallots, ginger in 1 tbsp oil until fragrant. Add beef broth, bring to boil. Reduce heat, simmer 30 minutes. Season with salt, sugar, pepper. Strain broth if desired. 5. Cook Noodles & Vegetables: Cook egg noodles according to package, drain. Blanch bok choy in boiling water 1 minute, drain. 6. Assemble Bowls: In each bowl, place noodles, bok choy, 4-5 meatballs, 1 fried wonton. Ladle hot broth over. 7. Garnish: Top with fried shallots, celery leaves, green onions. Serve immediately with sambal and sweet soy sauce on the side.