The Indonesian cuisine is something of a combination of Indian and Chinese cooking and absolutely delicious. A complete Indonesian Rice Table with all its side dishes is quite a culinary experience. If you visit Holland or Indonesia I can definitely recommend for you to dine in an Indonesian restaurant and try the many different dishes.Of course, in Indonesia the cooking varies from island to island. In Holland one serves a strong dark beer with Indonesian food.

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Bahmi Goreng ( Noodles) Substitute Ketjab Benteng Manis Nasi Goreng ( Rice) Acar Bening ( Cucumber salad ) Saté Babi ( Pork ) Spicy Soya Sauce Dip Opor ayam ( Chicken in mild sauce ) If there is an Oriental shop in your neighbourhood, look for Conimex products and you will find the necessary ingredients there. But you can easily substitute with fresh ingredients and other dried spices.

Bahmi Goreng Ingredients left-over meat, like chicken, pork, beef , cut up in very small cubes 1 Pk Chinese egg noodles ( Mie) 3 cloves garlic, crushed onion, cut up into very small cubes carrot, cut into very small cubes cabbage, cut up in small cubes celery, cut up small 1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger root, crushed chive, cut up small 1 great leek ( if available) salt, pepper Indonesian soy sauce ( Ketjab Benteng Manis- a Conimex product) 3 eggs butter for frying 1 teasp. sambal oelek ( a Conimex product),( or chili pepper flakes) shrimp paste ( optional) kroepoek ( shrimp crackers) for garnishing oil for frying shrimp crackers small whole dill pickles for garnishing

Method 1) Boil egg noodles in salted water and drain 2) Put garlic, onion, carrot, cabbage, celery, ginger root, chive, leek, salt, pepper and a little shrimp paste in a large mortar and crush with pestle until all flavours are nicely blended 3) In a large skillet or wok, heat up butter and sauté vegetable blend for a few minutes 4) Add cut-up meat, sauté again for a minute or two 5) Add boiled and drained noodles and mix thoroughly 6) Add 1 teasp. sambal oelek ( chili pepper flakes ), Ketjab Benteng manis 7) Take off fire and put into serving bowl, keep warm 8) Fry an omelette from the three beaten eggs with a little salt and pepper and cut into long thin strips and decorate top of the Bahmi with them 9) Cut dill pickles in half, lengthways and then cut one side in little strips ( but leave attached ) like a fan, press slightly down to spead the fan and decorate Bahmi 10) Deep-fry shrimp crackers until fully expanded and decorate top of Bahmi Go back up

 

Substitute for Ketjab Benteng Manis To make about 1 1/2 cups Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 1 1/4 cups light Soy 2 garlic cloves, bruised 2 large star anise pods a little molasses ( experiment with taste)

Method In a heavy medium saucepan, cook the sugar over low heat, stirring occasionally until it melts and caramelizes to a rich brown Add soy, garlic, star anise, molasses and 1/4 cup of water Cook, stirring until the caramel and soy are blended Simmer until slightly thickened ( about 15 mins.) Let cool, then pour into a wide-mouth jar, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 years Go back up

 

Nasi Goreng Ingredients 4 tablespoons butter 3 cloves garlic 2 onions 1/2 lb cooked meat ( maybe leftover , like chicken ( no bones), pork, beef - cut up in very small cubes ) 3 cabbage leaves 4 shallots 2 red peppers or 2 chilis 1 cup beansprouts 1 1/2 lbs rice, steamed or boiled thin omelettes ( recipe given below) 2 tablesps soya sauce ( Ketjab Benteng manis, see Bahmi Goreng recipe above) 8 oz prawns, (shelled, deveined and fried briefly in butter and seasoned to taste with salt and pepper , garlic and ginger root) 1 small cucumber Prawn crackers

Method 1) Melt butter and stir-fry crushed garlic and chopped onions for 1 minute 2) Add meat, and continue to stir-fry 3) Add very thinly sliced cabbage, shallots ( cut in 1 inch pieces), thinly sliced peppers or chilis and keep stirring 4) When well-mixed, add beansprouts, then rice and half the omelettes ( cut into small pieces) and the Ketjab Benteng ( soy sauce) 5) Add cooked prawns and mix well You have to add more butter while frying if mixture is getting too dry. Place in a serving bowl and decorate with crossed strips of omelette, cucumber and prawn crackers ( deep fry prawn crackers until fully expanded). Thin Omelettes for garnishing Beat 3 eggs lightly with 3 tablesps milk or the same amount of water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Brush frying pan with butter. When hot, pour in enough egg mixture to make 1 very thin omelette. Tip pan sideways to thin out omelette. When cooked, roll omelette and slice into thin strips. Repeat until egg mixture is finished. Go back up

 

Acar Bening ( Cucumber salad ) Ingredients 1 large cucumber or several small cucumbers 1/2 teasp salt 1 tablesp vinegar 1/2 teasp sugar 1 fresh chili pepper, sliced thinly 1 shallot stalk ( the white part), sliced into thin rings

Method: 1) Peel cucumber- slice very thinly- sprinkle salt over it, then squeeze out excess liquid from cucumber slices 2) Mix vinegar and sugar and add to cucumber 3) Add chili and shallot stalk and mix well- Chill until needed   Go back up

 

Saté Babi Ingredients 1/2 lb lean pork, cut into cubes 2 full teasp boemboe sesaté ( saté spices, a Conimex product) or fresh: 2 cloves garlic, 1 onion, quartered, 2 chilis, 2 macademia nuts 2 inch piece ginger root, 1 teasp coriander, 1/2 teasp turmeric- ground into a smooth paste 1/8 slice goela djawa ( Javanese sugar)- if available, or 1/4 teasp brown sugar 2 teasp Ketjab Benteng ( soy sauce) 1 cup coconut cream salt to taste saté sticks ( wooden skewers) oil

Method 1) Fry boemboe sesaté (or freshly made paste )in 3 tablesps oil on a low fire, add salt to taste 2) Add sugar, soy and a cup of coconut cream 3) Keep sauce boiling until thick, then cool down 4) Put cubed meat into sauce and knead thouroughly, then let it stand for 1 hour , so sauce can be absorbed by the meat 5)Thread 4 or 5 pieces of meat on a wooden skewer or bamboo stick 6) Grill meat on skewers in a large frying pan, using about 5 tablesps of oil. Heat oil and sear the saté Served with peanut or soya sauce Peanut Sauce Dilute 3 tablesps gado gado ( peanut sauce from Conimex , or substitute with cunchy peanut butter) with same quantity of water. Boil it up until sauce thickens. Pour sauce over saté and serve. Spicy Soya Sauce Dip Mix 3 tablesps Ketjab Benteng ( or its substitute, see Bahmi recipe above) with 1/2 teasp sambal oelek ( ground hot chili peppers ), some lemon juice and 1/2 teasp onion powder or 1 teasp very finely ground fresh onion. Pour sauce over saté and serve. Go back up

 

Opor Ayam (chicken in mild sauce) Ingredients 1 large chicken 4 candlenuts or macademia nuts 3-inch piece fresh ginger root, finely chopped 2 onions, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 tablesps coriander 1/2 teasp ground laos ( root spice, like ginger root) 1/2 teasp cumin 1 piece lemon grass, if available fresh( or dried) 2 salam leaves , if available, or substitute with bayleaf or curry leaf 2 tablesps oil salt, pepper to taste 4 cups coconut milk 2 tablesps tamarind juice

Method 1) Cut chicken into serving pieces 2) Grind candlenuts, green ginger root, onions and garlic into a fine paste ( in the blender ) 3) Stir-fry the paste, coriander, laos, cumin, lemon grass and salam leaves in hot oil in a large saucepan to bring out the flavour and aroma of the spices 4) Add chicken pieces, season with salt and pepper, stir well 5) Cover saucepan and let simmer for 10 mins 6) Add coconut milk and slowly bring to the boil, stirring coconut milk with a down-up-over motion to stop it from curdling 7) Cook over medium heat until the chicken is tender, adjust seasoning 8) Add tamarind juice just before finishing the cooking Go back up