Nasi Goreng Pedas - Spicy Fried Rice

For some reason, it happens if you were born as an Indonesian, you would not need any recipe to make your own Nasi Goreng. Nasi means rice and Goreng means fried, so it is literally translated as Fried Rice. We grew up with it as we often have it for breakfast or supper. Ample versions of Nasi Goreng were developed. My family used to make Nasi Goreng from Sambal Terasi (Terasi/Belachan Sambal), shrimp and left over cold rice from the night before. We enjoyed it with fried egg or omelet, acar (pickled cucumber, shallot and chili), emping melinjo (melinjo nut crackers) and/or kerupuk udang (shrimp crackers).

I came up with Nasi Goreng Pedas, pedas can be translated as spicy/hot and it means we use chili either red chilies, bird eye's chilies or green chilies. In this version, I combined Indonesian chili paste, sambal oelek and Thai chili paste, nam prik-pao. My own preference, I don't really relish store-bought sambal ulek/oelek as it is too salty and vinegary, so I used a homemade sambal oelek that I keep in the freezer. If I want the store-bought version, I will buy Kokita sambal terasi.

Nasi Goreng

recipe by me

Ingredients

left over cold rice

shallot, sliced
homemade sambal ulek/oelek
nam prik-pao
Thai basil, chopped

eggs

ground white pepper

olive oil

Directions:

1. Put a half portion of sambal ulek/oelek and nam prik-pao on top the cold rice.

2. Beat the egg with nam prik-pao and ground white pepper. In a skillet, add a small amount of oil and heat it up to medium-high. Add beaten egg and make into scramble. Cook until done and set aside.

3. Use the same skillet, add another small amount of oil, saute shallot for a minute, add the other half portions of sambal ulek and nam prik-pao; stir. Place mixed cold rice and scrambled egg in the skillet, combine and stir until all mixed. Add chopped basil and stir. Serving suggestion: transfer into a plate, put fried shallot over and ready to eat with kerupuk udang.

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Tom Yum Goong - Masak Bareng Yuuk Event

First of all, I apologized to Masak Bareng Yuuk event crews to use English which you know that English is the language that I use in this blog.

Yay! Finally, I can join with you all guys to cook together virtually. Masak Bareng Yuuk means Let's Cook Together. This event was developed by Ayin of AG's Food, Deetha of ...Mlebu Pawon..., and Shinta of Berkreasi di Dapur Mungil.

This month theme is Tom Yum Goong, the famous sour and spicy Thai prawn/shrimp soup. In this event, I enhanced the Tom Yum Goong with Freshwater Prawns (Indonesian: Udang Galah) as Bee of Rasa Malaysia suggested where she got the recipe from another foodie native Thai, Chez Pim. Followed her aunt recipe, Nam-prik Pao (Thai chili paste) has been added as well as Pak Chee Farang as the reference from Austin Bush, an American Photographer who currently resides in Thailand.

Pak Chee Farang is known as Sawtooth Coriander in English and Walangan or Daun Ketumbar Jawa in Indonesian. It is used for lalapan (fresh veggies) to company steamed rice, sambal and the protein source.

Tom Yam Goong
adapted from Chez Pim, Rasa Malaysia, and Austin Bush; modified by me

Ingredients:
1/2 kg freshwater prawns (Indonesian: udang galah), it's about 5 pieces
6 cups water
one big handful of kaffir lime leaves
2-3 lemongrass, discard the outer layers and cut to 2' pieces
4 cm long (2 cm diameter) galangal, peeled and thick sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms, in this case I used King Oyster Mushroom and Shittake
juice from 3 limes, you may need more
¼ cup Nam Pla (Thai fish sauce)
2 tbsp of Nam-prik Pao
7 pak chee farang (sawtooth coriander)
a few bird eye chillies


Directions:
Preparation to make the stock:
1. Rinse all prawns.
2. Peel the heads and shells of 2 prawns, reserve them.
3. Squeeze the fat out from the heads and reserve in a separate bowl.
4. Combine 2 headless and skinless prawns with 3 other full body prawns in another separate bowl.

Make the Stock:
1. Heat the shells, heads, in a pot with the water.
2. Bruise the kaffir lime leaves and smash the lemongrass and galangal a bit and throw them into the pot.
3. Reserve a few kaffir lime leaves, a slice or two of galangal, and some lemongrass for the soup later.
4. After the water come to a full boil, lower the heat to simmer and continue to cook for about 5 minutes. Strain, crush the shells and heads well to squeeze all the delicious taste from them.

Tom Yum Goong:
1. Heat the stock to a boil, add king oyster mushroom and the full body prawns, cook for 10 minutes.
2. Add the headless and skinless prawns, prawn fat, shittake mushrooms, and the rest of the kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass.
3. When the prawns are just done (take care not to overcook the shrimps), turn the heat off. Season with fish sauce, lime juice, sliced bird eyes chilies, Nam-prik Pao, and sliced pak chee farang.

Note:
* Throw extra whole chillies, so you can smash them up if you like hotter taste. In case, you serve for other people, this way everyone can control the heat. The taste should be sour, salty, hot, with a slight sweetness at the end.
*Just like other Thais, I enjoyed this with steamed white rice.

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Gado-Gado Surabaya - Guest Blogging at Rasa Malaysia

To begin with, I was surprised that Rasa Malaysia has chosen me to be the guest writer of Indonesian cuisine on her blog. Rasa Malaysia is one of my inspired blogs among the Asian specialty blogs. We share the same passion for Asian food as we came from the same region, Malay Peninsula where Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Malaysia are from the same language root. Some of the food terms are the same, few are different.

In Indonesia, Gado-gado is not a salad dish group, it is a one dish meal. With 17,000 islands and 300 ethnic groups in the country, it has impacts on food varieties; so does gado-gado. Varieties of Gado-gado were developed based on the region.

You can take the girl out of the country but not the country out of the girl. Follow my recalled to Classic Gado-Gado Surabaya recipe at Rasa Malaysia along with the glossaries.

Ps. Thank you, Bee for the opportunity.

Disclaimer: For the shot's purpose, Gado-gado Surabaya on this picture has less sauce than the normal one.
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(Almost) Forgotten Indonesian Culinary Heritage Event

My foodie fellow, Rurie is inviting us to join a foodie event. It's not just foodie event, it's a contest too. Share your food knowledge and photo, and get the prizes. So, what are you waiting for? Come and join to "know your Indonesian culinary heritage".

The food that we have to share is Indonesian cuisine that is almost disappeared from the market and society. Let me make it clear here, you may notice when you were a kid, you had that food/beverage so often. You might eat them from your grandmother's kitchen. As you grew up, you barely see the dish or it is only seen once a while in a special/traditional feast or ceremonial. The dish can be rice, fish, meat, and vegetable. Dessert, snack and beverages are acceptable too. It doesn't have to be an extravagance dish, show us what you have got in your hometown (or used to have) or may be a childhood memory dish that your grandmother used to make but nobody hardly make it anymore.

For more information, please click here.

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For Malaysian Readers

As I promised to mas Budi (mas is a polite form to refer to one guy and also meant brother in Javanese) to give a space on my blog to promote his new books. He is one of my foodie fellows who also a cookbook authors in Indonesia. The books were been published in Indonesia with title "Panduan Tepat untuk Diet Golongan Darah (A, B, AB dan O)".

For my Malaysian readers who interests to get one of these books, you may see already at book stores in Malaysia.

Title : Siri Panduan Diet Golongan Darah - PANDUAN DIET UNTUK GOLONGAN DARAH (A, B, AB dan O)

Publisher: Synergy Media - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Authors: Budi Sutomo, S. Pd & Dr. Yoanita Ristyaningrum

Price: RM.14.90

Right pic: Indonesian edition. Left Pic: Malaysian edition.

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Cream of Mushroom and Dill Soup

Temptation to make a vegan version of mushroom and dill cream soup was held for moment and I couldn't resist anymore. Plus, I didn't have a class on Monday. The purpose of making vegan cream mushroom soup was to let my husband enjoy the soup as well. My husband is not a vegan, but his allergic to cow's dairy products made me come up with this idea.

Three various kinds of edible mushrooms were blended together to enrich this cream of mushroom and dill soup. A good stock is important to make a good soup that is what I believe. A fresh roasted vegetables stock that I made a head was being involved in this recipe.

The original recipe was taken from Wolfgang Puck, Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen that is appeared on Food Network website. By adding dill, creamy soya preparation for cooking, different various edible mushrooms, coconut oil and omitting butter and parsley, I made my own version.

Vegan Cream of Mushroom and Dill Soup
recipe by Wolfgang Puck, modified by me

Ingredients:
1/2 pound mixed crimini and shittake mushrooms, cleaned
3 large king oyster mushrooms, cleaned
1 medium lemon
3 tbsps extra virgin coconut oil
3 tbsps minced shallots
1/4 tsp fresh thyme
2 tsp minced dill
1 bay leaf
seasalt as desired
freshly ground pepper as desired
250 ml creamy soya preparation for cooking
600 ml homemade roasted vegetables stock
1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbsp of water
dill sprigs for garnish



Directions:

1. Sprinkle the mushrooms with lemon juice. In a food processor, coarsely chop them.

2. In a heavy saucepan and lightly saute the shallots with coconut oil. Add the mushrooms, thyme, dill and bay leaf and saute over moderate heat for 10 minutes, or until the liquid disappears. Add the salt, pepper, creamy soya, and homemade roasted vegetables stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Add the cornstarch to the soup and continue to simmer 10 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Correct seasoning to taste.

4. Serve in warm bowls. Sprinkle with dill sprigs.

Cook's Note:
This recipe is applicable for non vegan version.

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[Indonesian Culinary] Krengsengan Kambing // Eastern Javanese Stewed Goat

Dhi of Cooking Etcera has made me craved for something with Petis which I used to have almost everyday while I was still in Sidoarjo, the city of Petis. A number of dishes in East Java province are enriched with Petis. Sidoarjo is one of the East Java cities that is used ample petis.

As a person who grew up in East Java, I know 3 variants of Petis. Petis Udang (Shrimp Paste), Petis Kupang (Tiny Shellfish Paste) and Petis Ikan (Fish Paste). I am very familiar with Petis Udang and Petis Kupang rather than Petis Ikan. Petis Ikan is well-known in Madura island (a small island in East Java province). Unlike Terasi or Belachan, Petis has a darker colour, gooey texture, stronger and richer flavour.



I still remember, when I was in elementary school. We went to canteen and bought kerupuks (Indonesian crackers) that were cooked with hot sand not fried with oil. The kerupuks were enjoyed with Petis Kupang sauce. We use petis for salad dressing mixture, dipping sauce of any fritters such as tofu, tempe, bakwan shrimp and vegetables fritters, and other Eastern Javanese dishes. Krengsengan Kambing is one of them that can be translated as Eastern Javanese Stewed Goat. About two years ago, I posted Krengsengan Daging, another style of Krengsengan with beef as the meat.


Krengsengan Kambing //Eastern Javanese Stewed Goat
Recipe by Cak Nono's family, modified by me




Ingredients:
500 gr goat for stew
2 tbsp Indonesian sweet soy sauce ( I'd rather use Cap Bango than ABC, but since I can not find Cap Bango for purchase in Winnipeg, I use ABC instead)
1 tbsp black shrimp paste (Indonesian: petis udang)
3 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil to saute
300 ml homemade shrimp broth
3 red chilli peppers, discard the seed, finely sliced

Grind:
6 shallots
3 cloves garlic
6 bird's eye chilies
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 large tomato
seasalt as desired

Directions:
1. Marinate goat with sweet soy sauce and petis udang for 15 - 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, add gound/pureed mixture, saute until fragrant. Add goatt, stir thru until the goat stiff and add broth. Cover the skillet with lid and cook in medium heat, stir occasionally until the meats are tender and the water almost evaporates.
3. Uncover the skillet, keep stirring until the oil of meats come out.
4. Add red chilli peppers, stir until soft. Remove from heat and serve with warmed rice.

Cook's Note:
To get faster cooking process and tender meat, use pressured cooker.

Related Posts of Petis:
Krengsengan Daging - Eastern Javanese Stewed Beef
Tahu Tempe Bumbu Petis - Tofu and Tempe Briased in Petis Udang Sauce
Grilled Mackerel with Shrimp Paste and Sweet Soy Sauce Sambal

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Homemade Vegetarian Stock

Homemade Vegetarian Stock is easy to make, especially if you are really concerned about your diet. By making your own stock, at least you know what the ingredients are. A number of store-bought stocks contain MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) which I have problem with.

I have followed this recipe twice. Just throw the vegetable you have in a roast pot. As you notice, most of my recipes are barely used store-bought stock or broth, I usually make my own stock and keep it the freezer.

This vegetarian stock is modified from Canadian Living magazine issued on October 2006. Great stock for your mushroom cream soup.

Homemade Vegetarian Stock
recipe by Canadian Living magazine, modified by me

Ingredients:
3 each carrots, onions and stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1 cup (250 mL) sliced shittake mushroom stems or caps
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp (10 mL) vegetable oil
3 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
3 sprigs sage
10 peppercorns, cracked
2 Indonesian bay leaves (salam leaves)
8 cups (2 L) cold water
seasalt as desired
Rosemary and Wilted Sage

Directions:
In large roasting pan, stir together carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, garlic and oil to coat. Roast in 450°F (230°C) oven, stirring halfway through , until softened and browned, about 40 minutes. Transfer to stockpot.

If you like, add 1 tsp (5 mL) crumbled dried mushrooms for even deeper flavour. Add thyme, sage, rosemary, peppercorns, Indonesian bay leaves, and all but 1 cup (250 mL) of the water to stockpot. Pour remaining water into roasting pan, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, over heat if necessary. Scrape into stockpot and bring to boil; skim off any foam. Reduce heat to medium; simmer for 40 minutes.

Strain through fine sieve, gently pressing vegetables. Stir in seasalt.


Notes:

• Servings: 5 cups (1.25 L)
• Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate, uncovered, in airtight container until cold. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 4 months.
• The original recipe used Bay Leaves which actually have different flavour with Indonesian Bay Leaves.
• Be Creative

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Braised Fish in Hoisin and Chili

To create this dish is very easy, as I still have leftover Thai basil from Vietnamese Salad Rolls. The first trial for this recipe, I made from haddock fillet with no skin on. For me, eating fish without skin is a bit disappointment. I was thinking, it must be good with red snapper fillet.

Most of the Asian markets are sold whole red snapper while in the retail grocers, red snapper fillets are sold without skin. Seeing a package of rockfish fillet with skin at one of the Asian stores, I was so excited to give another trial. Rockfish or Ocean Perch or Sea Perch or Red Perch is a great substitute for red snapper and a low-fat fish of the Pacific Coast.


Braised Fish in Hoisin and Chili
recipe by me

Ingredients:
1 kg rockfish fillets
organic extra virgin coconut oil

Marinate
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/4 tsp fresh grated garlic
seasalt

Hoisin and Chili Sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 red hot chilies, discard the seed*
a small handful of shredded ginger
1 carrot, shredded/fenely julienned
1/4 cup hoisin
1 bottle clam juice (it can be substituted for fish stock, other stock or combination water with fish sauce)
3 tsp sesame oil
chopped Thai basil as desired
1 tsp rice flour dissolved in 1 tsp water



Directions:
1. Rub fish with ginger, garlic and seasalt. Marinate for 15 minutes
2. Heat a medium pan about 3-5 minutes, then add a small amount of coconut oil let the oil hot. Slide in the fish fillets. Turn it down as low as medium for a steak. Let the first side cook two-thirds of the fillet, then flip to finish the rest. Set aside and plate fish.
3. At medium-high heat, add coconut oil in a skillet. Stir fry garlic, ginger and chili for a minute. Add clam juice, and fish. Simmer for 15 minutes over low heat.
4. Remove the fish. Add carrot and raise the heat.
5. Add rice flour mixture stir until sauce thickens.
6. Add sesame oil and chopped Thai basil and gives last stir before removing from heat.
7. Pour sauce over fish and serve. Enjoy with warmed rice and your favourite vegetables.

Cook's Note:
*Do not discard the seed of chilies if you relish more hot.
* Rice flour can be used interchangably with corn starch

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Vietnamese Salad Rolls

I supposed to post Vietnamese Salad Rolls before my Breaded Curried King Oyster Mushroom. Too bad, I didn't have time to take pictures on New Year's eve. On that night, I chose Vietnamese Salad Rolls with Vietnamese Barbecued Shrimp Paste on Sugar Cane as the meat filling. Nonetheless, I made other shots of Vietnamese Salad Rolls on January 3, 2009.

It's very refreshing appetizer and easy to make. The idea of serving Vietnamese Salad Rolls was popped up in my head when I remembered how fun my husband and I had to roll the Vietnamese Salad Rolls. About 2 months ago, we were hunting around a restaurant that still opened after 10 PM. Most restaurants are closed around 10PM here. We ordered Vietnamese Salad Rolls with choice Shrimp Paste on Sugar Cane as the meat filling. The fun part was, they serve all the fillings and rice papers on the round trays, so we had to roll them by ourselves.

The difference between my version and the restaurant was hoisin sauce. The hoisin sauce that the restaurant served was without chopped chillies and left the fresh chillies on salad roll assemblers since not all people can handle the heat. While, I myself served the hoisin sauce by adding chopped chilies in.


Vietnamese Salad Rolls

Ingredients:
12 - 15 round rice paper wrappers
½ package rice vermicelli
8 barbecued/fried shrimp paste on sugar cane
Fresh Thai basil, fresh chives (optional)
bean sprouts
1 head butter lettuce or regular lettuce



Dipping sauce:
12 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup water

Garnish:
minced peanuts
chopped chilies
shredded carrots (if you like, in this case I didn't add any)



Directions:
1. Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Place rice vermicelli in boiling water and boil it for 5 - 6 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water.

2. Heat a small saucepan, then add olive oil and garlic and simmer for 30 seconds. Add Hoisin sauce and water to the mixture. Stir it frequently until the liquid is mixed. Bring the sauce to a boil again for another 1-2 minutes.

3. Fill a large bowl with warm water. Dip one rice paper in the bowl for 1 second to soften. Lay wrapper flat on a rice paper tray, and place desired amounts of noodles, lettuce, bean sprouts, mint, chives, barbecued shrimp paste, in the center. Roll the edges of the wrapper slightly inward. Beginning at the bottom edge of wrapper, tightly wrap the ingredients. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Dipping Sauce
Pour Hoisin sauce in a small bowl, garnish with peanuts and chopped chilies. Serve the salad rolls with the sauce.

Tips:
One of my readers on Multiply asked me how to avoid broken sheets, since the rice paper is really thin after soften by warm water. I did a trick, by laying a dried sheet on a rice paper tray, then soften the sheet by pouring warm water over.

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Breaded Curried King Oyster Mushroom

First food that I made on January 1, 2009. Seeing King Oyster Mushroom many times at Asian stores, but I hadn't tried yet. I wondered how King Oyster Mushroom tasted like, did King Oyster Mushroom have the same taste as Oyster Mushroom? So far, in Winnipeg, King Oyster Mushroom can only be found for purchased in Asian stores. I haven't seen yet at any retail grocers, such as Superstore and Safeway.

According to recipetips.com, King Oyster Mushroom with a scientific name, Pleurotus eryngii, is a variety of mushroom that grows in clusters developing a trumpet-like shape and appearance as a wild or cultivated mushroom. With a blunt cap above and a stout stem beneath, the King Oyster mushroom develops a thick, white flesh that is firm-textured and meaty from the base to the cap. Also referred to as the King Eryngii, Eringii or Royal Trumpet and a trademarked variety known as Trumpet Royale, this mushroom receives some of its names from its shape. The King Oyster is typically harvested when the stems reach a length of several inches, but can grow to a size of 6 to 8 inches in length. As the mushrooms age for several days and depending on the storage provided, the flesh may darken or turn slightly tan to brown in color, but the quality of the mushrooms should be unaffected.

King Oyster Mushroom can be braised, breaded, broiled, grilled, sautéed, or stewed to be added to soups, stews, sauces, pasta, vegetable dishes, meats, and seafood. If prepared whole, allow a longer cooking time for this meaty mushroom, cooking it until it is nicely browned. When storing, place in a paper bag and refrigerate for use within 10 days. If necessary, Matsutake mushrooms can be used as a substitute.

Since the original recipe was used bacon, I skipped it. I added more seasoning, curry powder garlic powder, and ground white pepper

Breaded Curried Oyster Mushroom
Recipe by Golden Gourmet Mushroom, Modified by me

Ingredients:
6 large King Oyster Mushrooms
Vegetable oil for deep fry
Flour batter (rice flour will be better)

Egg wash
Jamaican curry powder
garlic powder
ground white pepper
2 eggs, beaten

Bread Crumb batter
panko (Japanese bread crumb)

Directions:
Cut mushrooms in half lengthwise with a paring knife. Mix ingredients for egg wash. In 3 steps, flour, eggwash and bread crumb batter the mushroom
Deep fry at 340°F in a pan. Add any favorite sauce/condiment to your taste, I used Indonesian sambal sauce.

Suggestion:
If you like, you can add grated candlenuts into the egg was mixture.

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Happy New Year 2009

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