ellen@ucla-cs.UUCP (04/09/85)
Nasi: Rice
There are numerous varieties of rice. Most commonly used in Indonesia is
long grain white rice. Fresh rice, as is found in a typical Indonesian market,
is much more fragrant and flavorful than the overbred hybridized version
known in America, but the variety found in the average supermarket will do.
A sensitive Indonesian nose can often tell where a particular rice was grown
just by its odor.
The unpolished variety is known as red rice and bears NO resemblence to
so-called brown rice in either appearance or flavor. Red rice is decidedly
superior, with a rich fragrant nutty flavor all its own. It can occasionally
be found in Vietnamese markets.
Another variety of rice is nasi ketan, known in English as sweet or sticky
rice. This comes in both white and black. When cooked, the black rice becomes
an inviting shade of purple. This rice is most often used for snacks and
sweets. It also finds its way into ceremonial dishes. The white sticky rice
can easily be found in Japanese markets where is it called mochi. Black sticky
rice can sometimes be found in Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, or Philippino
shops.
** NASI GORENG - Fried Rice (Java-Sumatra) - SERVES 2
This is often eaten for breakfast or as a late-night snack.
It is generally NOT part of a larger meal. It's actually one of my favorite
breakfasts, because the spicy and pungent flavors really waker-upper.
The addition of tomato ketchup is Sumatran, while the rest of the recipe is
basically Javanese. I like the additional flavor, and it gives the rice
an appropriate red color that would normally come from the hand-pureed
fresh red chilis, which are difficult to find here. Ground by hand on a
stone ulek, the chili and seeds become a fine smooth paste which cannot
be duplicated in a blender.
2 Tb. oil 3 eggs, beaten
1 small onion, minced 2 green onions, chopped
1/2 tsp. shrimp paste 2 cups cold cooked long grain white rice
3 cloves garlic, mashed 1/2 Tb. soy sauce, sweet or salty
1/8 tsp. sambal 1 Tb. tomato ketchup
salt to taste
In a wok, heat oil, fry onion til soft. Add shrimp paste, stirring til melted.
Add garlic and sambal, stirring to mix. When cooked, push to the side of the
pan. Pour beaten eggs in the center of the pan, stir til set. Add green
onions, stir. Add rice. Mix well with other ingredients, adding more oil if
necessary to prevent sticking. When warm, add soy sauce and ketchup, mix well
to color evenly. Add salt.
Serve with crisp fried onion flakes, cucumber slices, tomato wedges, krupuk,
roasted (unsalted) peanuts, torn celery leaves. For NASI GORENG ISTIMEWA,
top with a fried egg.
** NASI GURIH - Rich Fragrant Rice (Java) - SERVES 4
This lightly seasoned rice often accompanies Nasi Rames, a sort of smorgasboord
dish served for lunch. Nasi Rames willl consist of a variety of dishes,
small portions of which are placed at the edge of the plate circling the
rice. These will usually include beef, chicken, vegetables, sambal, pickle, and
chips of some sort, but the exact dishes are unpredictable, and usually not of
one's own choosing. You eat whatever is on hand, which is generally quite
tastey and varied. I often ate Nasi Rames at the lunch stop of long bus rides
cross-Java, the price of which was included in the ticket.
1 medium onion 2 daun salam
2 cloves garlic 1 stalk fresh lemon grass
2 tsp. salt a few drops pandan essence
1-1/2 tsp. ground coriander seed 4 to 4-1/2 cups coconut milk
1/2 tsp. ground cumin seed 1 lb. (2 cups) long grain white rice (raw)
1 tsp. powdered laos
Grind the first six ingredients together to a paste. In a large saucepan,
stir the spice paste, herbs, and pandan essence into the coconut milk. Bring
to a boil, stir in the rice, cover tightly, and simmer 15 minutes, til liquid
is absorbed. Let stand covered off the heat for 5 minutes, then fluff gently.
** NASI UDUK Java - SERVES 4
This is a simpler version of Nasi Gurih. In fact, either dish may have either
name.
2 cups long grain white rice (raw) 1 stalk lemon grass
2 cups coconut milk 2 daun jeruk
2 daun salam 1 tsp. salt
In a large saucepan with a tight fitting lid, mix all ingredients. Bring
to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes off
heat. Fluff. (Can be made in a rice cooker)
** NASI KUNING (Yellow Rice) Java - SERVES 4
This rice is usually served on festive occasions. It is also made into a
"Rice Mountain," Nasi Tumpeng, for special ceremonial meals, know as
slamatan, for such things as birth celebration, circumcisions, anniversaries
of the foundation of a business, or religious holidays.
1 lb. (2 cups) long grain white rice 2 daun salam
4 c. coconut milk 2 daun jeruk
1 tsp. turmeric a few drop of pandan essence
1 tsp. salt 1 stalk fresh lemon grass
Mix all ingredients in a saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover tightly, and steam 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let
stand 5 minutes then fluff with a fork. Remove leaves before serving.
Decorate with "soy nuts" (roasted soy beans (from natural food store); hard
cook egg slices; fresh chili strips (&/or red bell pepper strips, since in
Southeast Asia, one can get fresh red chilis); thin omelet strips (make an
omelet of 1 or two eggs, salt if desired, cook pancake style til firm.
turn onto plate. roll up. slice across roll); roasted peanuts; deep fried
potato slices; cucumber slices (first score the skin lengthwise with a fork -
actually, i always peel my cucumbers, cuz the skin here is so bitter, then
score).
This is often served with a sort of coconut-curry chicken or spice-marinated-
&-then-fried chicken and coconut-spiced mixed vegetables. recipes may follow.schrei@faust.UUCP (04/25/85)
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Ellen,
Thanks for these Indonesian recipes. I am looking forward to trying
them. I have cooked a very few Indonesian dishes only because I find the
recipes few and far between. I have also eaten some wonderful meals at
Indonesian restaurants (most recently in St. Martin). I find the cuisine
outstanding and would like to experience more of it, and I have looked for
an Indonesian cookbook, but I have never seen one. Do you know of any?
--Al Schreiber
inmet.faust:schrei