INDONESIAN CUISINE

Stop Dreaming Start Action Support

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:52:00 +0700

Sebenarnya blog ini tidak terdaftar sebagai peserta kontestan SEO Stop Dreaming Start Action yang diadakan oleh Joko Susilo, tetapi blog ini hanya sebatas mendukung memberikan backlink kepada salah satu blog saya yang terdaftar dalam Stop Dreaming Start Action SEO kontes.

Mengingat tiap hari, atau bahkan tiap menit ada banyak sekali pertambahan hasil pencarian di google.co.id dengan keyword "Stop Dreaming Start Action". Ini sudah wajar mengingat hadiah dari kontes ini sangat besar yaitu totalnya senilai Rp. 25.000.000,-.

Bukan semata-mata kontes yang melombakan keyword "Stop Dreaming Start Action", tetapi diharapkan juga dalam kehidupan sehari-hari kita jangan hanya Dreaming saja tanpa melakukan Action.

OK mungkin hanya itu saja posting saya kali ini. Saya juga tidak nolak kalau misalnya anda juga membantu saya memberikan backlink (hehehhe....) untuk www.citraglobal.com. Terima kasih...

PEMPEK PALEMBANG

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 5 Dec 2008 23:37:00 +0700

Pempek or Empek-Empek is a delicacy from Palembang which is made of fish and sago. Pempek is eaten together with a dark sauce called cuka or cuko (in bahasa Palembang). Cuko is produced from adding brown sugar, chili pepper, garlic, vinegar, and salt into hot boiling water.

There are many variety of pempek and the most famous pempek is "pempek kapal selam" ("kapal selam" means "submarine" in English). This pempek is actually made of egg (usually chicken), wrapped together with the pempek dough and being deep fried. Scientific says that pempek kapal selam is the most nutritious, high in vitamin, protein, mineral, and carbohydrate. Besides "pempek kapal selam", there are also "pempek telur kecil", "pempek keriting", "pempek pistel (or pastel(?)", "pempek kulit ikan", "pempek adaan", "pempek lenjer", and "pempek tahu". Pempek pastel is pempek which has groceries, inside its own body.

According to legend, around 1617 there was an old Chinese Man who lived nearby Musi river. He noticed abundant fishes caught by the local fishermen, however this indigenous people did not know how to cook the fishes properly. During that time, most of the indigenous people only fried the fishes instead of adding with some other ingredients to make new dishes. This old Chinese Man began a new alternative by mixing with sago and some other spices. He sold this newly created dish around the village by riding his bicycle. As the indigenous people began to call this old Chinese Man "pek ... apek" ('Apek' is a Chinese slang for an old man), thus the food is known as empek-empek or pempek today.

The most famous pempek outlets in Palembang can be found in Jalan Slamet Riyadi, 10 Ulu. some of the famous pempek outlet in palembang are "warung pempek Pak Raden", "warung pempek Dempo", "warung pempek Saga", "Pempek Nony", etc. Actually, pempek can be found easily in every side of Palembang. There are numerous pempek sellers in Palembag most of these use what is called "cheap fish". Easy to detect as the smell is quite strong. For the best pempek seek out those who use "Belido Ikan", expensive but the most delicious of all. The most popular pempek outlets in Palembang are: - Cafe Nawa No1 Pempek, Pempek Nony and Pempek Candy.

ROJAK (Rujak)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 5 Dec 2008 23:14:00 +0700

Rojak is a fruit and vegetable salad dish commonly found in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia (where it is called Rujak). The term "Rojak" is Malay for mixture, is also used as a colloquial expression for an eclectic mix, and in particular is often used to describe the multi-ethnic character of Malaysian and Singaporean society.

In Indonesia, especially among Javanese, rojak is an essential part of the traditional prenatal ceremony called "Nujuh Bulanan" (literally: seventh month). Special fruit rojak is made for this occasion, and later served to the mother to be and her guests (mostly her female friends). It is widely known that the sweet, spicy and sour tastes of rojak are adored by pregnant women. The recipe of rojak for this ceremony is similar to typical Indonesian fruit rujak, with the exceptions that the fruits are roughly shredded instead of thinly sliced, and the jeruk bali (grapefruit) is an essential ingredient. It is believed that if the rojak overall tastes sweet, the unborn would be a girl, and if it is spicy, the unborn baby is a boy.

INDONESIAN RUJAK

Indonesian Fruit Rujak

The typical Indonesian fruit rujak consists of slices of assorted tropical fruits such as jambu air (water apple), pineapple, raw mangoes, bangkoang (jicama), cucumber, kedondong, and raw red ubi jalar (sweet potato). Sometimes Malang variants of green apple, belimbing (star fruit), and jeruk Bali (grapefruit) are added. The sweet and spicy-hot bumbu rujak (dressing) is made up of water, gula jawa (coconut sugar), asem jawa (tamarind), grinded sauted peanuts, terasi (shrimp paste), salt, cabe rawit, and red chili. All of the fruits are sliced to bite-size, and put in the dish. The bumbu rujak or thick sweet spicy rujak dressing is poured on the fruit slices. An addition of sambal garam powder (simple mixture of salt and grinded red chilli) is put on side as the alternative for those who love a salty taste for their rujak.

Rujak Tumbuk (Rujak Bèbèk)

This is another variant of Indonesian fruit rujak. The ingredients are almost the same as typical Indonesian fruit rujak, with the exception that all the ingredients are mashed together (tumbuk or bèbèk in Indonesian) in a wooden mortar. The dressing is not poured on the fruit, but already mixed together with all the ingredients. Rujak tumbuk is served in individual smaller portions on banana leaf plates called "pincuk".

Rujak Serut

This literally means "shredded rujak", and is another variant of Indonesian fruit rujak. As with rujak tumbuk, the ingredients are similar to Indonesian fruit rujak, with the exceptions that the fruits are not cut into bite-sized pieces, but shredded into a rough almost paste-like consistency.

Rujak u` Groeh

A delicacy from Aceh province, the rujak consists of very young and tender coconut meat, young papaya,cabe rawit,sugar, ice, palm sugar,salt and a dash of lime. Best eaten cold.

Rujak Pengantin

"Pengantin" means bride/groom in Indonesian. This rujak is reminiscent of Indonesia's colonial cuisine. It contains slices of boiled eggs, potatoes, fried tofu, pineapple, carrot, bean sprout, pickles, chili, lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, emping crackers, roasted peanuts, peanut sauce and has a little vinegar to it. Some variants mixed the peanut sauce with mayonnaise.

Rujak Kuah Pindang

A Balinese snack, a variation of the Indonesian fruit rujak, but instead of the the normal rujak dressing. The fruits are soaked in a spiced fish broth. The broth it self consists of terasi (shrimp paste), salt, cabe rawit, and red chili and fish broth.

Rujak Cingur

Literally meaning mouth in Javanese, "cingur" is a variant of rujak from Surabaya. This specialty rujak from East Java has a "meaty" taste. It contains slices of cooked buffalo or beef lips, bangkuang, young raw mango, pineapple, cucumber, kangkung, lontong (glutinous rice cake), tofu and tempe, all served in a black sauce made from petis (black fermented shrimp paste, similar to terasi), and ground peanuts. It is topped with a sprinkle of fried shallots and kerupuk (Indonesian cracker).

Rujak Petis

This is another variant of rujak from Surabaya. It contains slices of bangkuang, unripe raw mango, cucumber, kangkung, kedondong, tofu, and soy bean sprouts all served in a black sauce made from petis (black fermented shrimp paste, similar to terasi), fried shallots, salt, palm sugar, unripe banana and ground peanuts. Traditionally it is served on a banana leaf, but today it is more commonly served on plates.

Rujak Juhi

Juhi means salted cuttlefish in Indonesian; this rujak contains fried takwa tofu, fried boiled potatoes, fried cuttlefish, cucumber, noodle, lettuce, cabbages, peanut sauce, vinegar, chili, and fried garlic.

Rujak Shanghai

Named after China's most populated city, Shanghai, this dish is created by the Indonesian Chinese community. This variant of rujak can be found in Indonesian Chinatowns in cities such as Glodok and Jakarta. Rujak Shanghai contains seafood, as does Rujak Juhi. Boiled and sliced gurita (octopus) and teripang (sea cucumber) is served with kangkung (water plant commonly used as vegetable), bengkoang, and served with thick red sweet and sour sauce, mixed with pineapple juice, chilli, and sauted ground peanuts.

Rujak Soto

A delicacy from Banyuwangi, East Java, a unique blend between beef soto and rujak cingur. A local specialty in which the rujak is poured with soto. The rujak cingur it self doesn't contain petis as one of it's ingredient. Created at 1975 by Usni Solihin.

SOTO

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 5 Dec 2008 21:59:00 +0700

Soto, sroto, tauto or coto is a common dish to be found in various regional variations of Indonesian cuisine, a soup mainly comprised of broth, meat and vegetables. The meats that are most commonly used are chicken and beef, but there are also variations with offal, mutton, water buffalo meat and pork. The soup is usually accompanied by rice or compressed rice cakes (ketupat or buras). Sotos are commonly differentiated by the meat ingredient in them, i.e. soto ayam (chicken soto) and soto daging (beef soto). Offal is a very common ingredient in soto, and is considered as a delicacy: the rumen (blanket/flat/smooth tripe), reticulum (honeycomb and pocket tripe), omasum (book/bible/leaf tripe) and the intestines are all eaten.

Other ingredients of soto include soon alternatively spelled as sohun (rice vermicelli), mung bean sprouts and scallion.

Soto spices include the following: shallot, garlic, turmeric root, galangal, ginger, coriander, salt and pepper.

Soto can have a clear broth, a yellow transparent broth (coloured with turmeric) or a milky coconut-milk broth.

Another way to classify sotos is by their regional style. Many metropolitan areas have their own regional soto versions:

* Betawi soto, made of beef or beef offal, cooked in a whitish coconut-milk broth, with fried potato and tomato.
* Bandung soto, a clear beef soto with daikon pieces.
* Medan soto, a milky chicken soto, with the chicken pieces fried before being mixed with the other ingredients.
* Banjar soto, spiced with lemongrass and sour hot sambal, accompanied with potato cakes.
* Makassar soto or coto Makassar, a beef and offal soto boiled in water used to wash rice, with fried peanut.
* Madura soto or soto Sulung/soto Ambengan, made with either chicken, beef or offal, in a yellowish transparent broth.
* Semarang soto, a chicken soto spiced with candlenut and often eaten with sate kerang (cockles on a stick)
* Kudus soto, made with water buffalo meat due to local taboos of the consumption of beef.
* Lamongan soto, a popular street food in various Indonesian metropolitan areas, a variation of the Madura soto.
* Pekalongan soto or tauto Pekalongan, spiced with tauco (a fermented miso-like bean paste).
* Banyumas soto or sroto Banyumas, made special by its peanut sambal.

Soto in Malaysia and Singapore is the clear chicken broth type. Like many dishes, it may have been brought into the country by the many Javanese migrants in the early part of the 20th century.

The following accompaniments are often eaten alongside soto.

* Stewed quail eggs or chicken eggs
* Cockles on a stick (sate kerang)
* Fried chicken giblets
* Prawn crackers, sometimes crushed and mixed with crushed fried garlic as koya in Madura soto
* Gnetum seed crackers (emping)
* Fried tofu or tempeh
* Potato cakes (perkedel)

Condiments common to soto dishes include hot chili sauce (sambal), sweet soy sauce, fried shallot and lime.

GADO-GADO

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 5 Dec 2008 21:51:00 +0700

Gado-gado is a traditional dish in Indonesian cuisine, and comprises a vegetable salad served with a peanut sauce dressing. It is widely served from hawkers carts, stalls (warung), and small restaurants up to star hotels restaurants in Indonesia, and in Indonesian restaurants in other countries.

Gado-gado is part of a wider family of Indonesian peanut sauce - salad; with lotek, pecel and karedok. Some of salad's peanut sauce is made in individual batches, fresh in front of the customers (like the picture on the right - which should say the way lotek is prepared), however gado-gado sauce is made a head of time and cooked in bulk). Compare to Western salads, gado-gado has much more sauce in it (the vegetable should be well coated in the sauce)

For the convenience of modern world, both gado-gado and pecel sauce is available in block of dried sauce that can easily be made liquid by adding warm water.

Ingredients

Vegetable salad

The exact composition of the vegetable salad varies, but usually comprises some form of mixture of

* blanched - shredded, chopped, or sliced green vegetables such as cabbage, watercress, and bean sprouts, young boiled jack fruit, and string bean, bitter melon; in other places even carrot is added;
* uncooked - sliced cucumber and lettuce
* fried tofu and tempeh;
* sliced boiled potatoes; and
* peeled and sliced boiled eggs.
* kerupuk and emping (indonesian style fried crackers, the latter is made from melinjo)
* fried onion

In addition to the vegetables, several kinds crackers and fried onion are added to give crunchiness to the dish. One of the most important ingredient is Limo lime. Without this lime, gado-gado does not have the smell of a real gado-gado, at least for the Jakarta style gado-gado.

In Indonesia gado-gado is a main dish and is usually served with rice, lontong (rice cake in banana leave wrapped) or ketupat (rice cake in bamboo wrapped). In western style setting it is usually served with nothing else as salad.

Peanut sauce dressing

What distinguishes gado-gado from a plain vegetable salad is the peanut sauce dressing, which is poured on top of the vegetable salad before serving. The composition of this peanut sauce varies as well. One may use a commercial Indonesian peanut sauce or satay sauce, or make the sauce oneself. For making the sauce, the common primary ingredients are as follows:

* ground fried peanuts with most of the oil drained off
* spices
* coconut sugar/palm sugar (can substitute brown sugar)
* chilies (according to taste).
* limo lime juice (this is indispensable).
* terasi (dried shrimp/fish paste)
* tamarind water.

Note the above is for Jakarta style gado-gado.

RENDANG

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 5 Dec 2008 21:41:00 +0700

Rendang is a dish which originated from the Minangkabau ethnic group of Indonesia, and is now commonly served across the country. One of the characteristic foods of Minangkabau culture, it is served at ceremonial occasions and to honour guests. Also popular in Malaysia and Singapore, rendang is traditionally prepared by the Malay community during festive occasions. Though rendang is sometimes described as being like a curry, and the name is sometimes applied to curried meat dishes in Malaysia, authentic rendang is nothing like a curry.

Rendang is made from beef (or occasionally chicken, mutton, water buffalo, duck, or vegetables like jackfruit or cassava) slowly cooked in coconut milk and spices for several hours until almost all the liquid is gone, allowing the meat to absorb the spicy condiments. The cooking process changes from boiling to frying as the liquid evaporates. The slow cooking process allows the meat to absorb all the spices and to become tender. The spices may include ginger, galangal, turmeric leaf, lemon grass and chillies. Chicken or duck rendang also contains tamarind and is usually not cooked for as long as beef rendang.

There are two kinds of rendang: dried and wet. Dried rendang can be kept for 3–4 months, and it is for ceremonial occasions or to honour guests. Wet rendang, also known as kalio, can be found in Minangkabau restaurants, and without refrigeration, it should be consumed within a month.

Rendang is often served with rice in Indonesia, but in Malaysia it is also served with ketupat (a compressed rice cake) and lemang (glutinous rice barbecued in bamboo tubes).

SATAY (Sate)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 5 Dec 2008 21:12:00 +0700

Satay or sate is a dish consisting of chunks or slices of dice-sized meat (chicken, goat, mutton, beef, pork, fish, etc.) on bamboo skewers (although the more authentic version uses skewers from the midrib of the coconut leaf). These are grilled or barbecued over a wood or charcoal fire, then served with various spicy seasonings (depends on satay recipe variants).

Satay may have originated in Java, Indonesia, but it is also popular in many other Southeast Asian countries, such as: Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, as well as in The Netherlands which was influenced through its former colonies.

Satay is a very popular delicacy in Indonesia and Malaysia, with a rich variety among Indonesia’s diverse ethnic groups’ culinary art (see Cuisine of Indonesia). In Indonesia, satay can be obtained from a traveling satay vendor, from a street-side tent-restaurant, in an upper-class restaurant, or during traditional celebration feasts. In Malaysia, satay is a popular dish - especially during celebrations - and can be found throughout the country. A close analog in Japan is yakitori. shish kebab from Turkey, chuanr from China and sosatie from South Africa are also similar to satay.

Although recipes and ingredients vary from country to country, satay generally consists of chunks or slices of meat on bamboo or coconut-leaf-spine skewers, grilled over a wood or charcoal fire. Turmeric is a compulsory ingredient used to marinate satay and to give it a characteristic yellow color, especially for beef, chicken, mutton and pork. Meats used include: beef, mutton, pork, venison, fish, shrimp, squid, chicken, and even tripe. Some have also used more exotic meats, such as turtle, crocodile, and snake meat.

It may be served with a spicy peanut sauce dip, or peanut gravy, slivers of onions and cucumbers, and ketupat (rice cakes).

Pork satay can be served in a pineapple-based satay sauce or cucumber relish. An Indonesian version uses a soy-based dip.

Satay is not the same as the Vietnamese condiment, “sate”, which typically includes ground chili, onion, tomato, shrimp, oil, and nuts. Vietnamese sate is commonly served alongside noodle and noodle-soup dishes.

Satay variants and outlets of note

Known as sate in Indonesian (and pronounced similar to the English), Indonesia is the home of satay, and satay is a widely renowned dish in almost all regions of Indonesia and is considered the national dish. As a result, many variations have been developed throughout the Indonesian Archipelago.

Sate Madura
Originating on the island of Madura, near Java, is a famous variant among Indonesians. Most often made from mutton or chicken, the recipe's main characteristic is the black sauce made from indonesian sweet soy sauce/kecap manis mixed with palm sugar (called gula jawa or "javanese sugar" in Indonesia), garlic, deep fried shallots, peanut paste, fermented "terasi" (a kind of shrimp paste), candlenut/kemiri, and salt. Sate Madura uses thinner chunks of meat than other variants. It is eaten with rice or rice cakes wrapped in banana/coconut leaves (lontong/ketupat). Raw thinly sliced shallot and plain sambal are often served as condiments
Sate Padang
A dish from Padang and the surrounding area in West Sumatra, which is made from cow or goat offal boiled in spicy broth then grilled. Its main characteristic is yellow sauce made from rice flour mixed with spicy offal broth, turmeric, ginger, garlic, coriander, galangal root, cumin, curry powder and salt. It is further separated into two sub-variants, the Pariaman and the Padang Panjang, which differ according to taste and the composition of their yellow sauces.
Sate Ponorogo
A variant of satay originating in Ponorogo, a town in East Java. It is made from sliced marinated chicken meat, and served with a sauce made of peanuts and chilli sauce and Garnished with shredded shallots, sambal (chili paste) and lime juice. This variant is unique for the fact that each skewer contains one large piece of chicken, rather than several small slices. The meat is marinated in spices and sweet soy sauce, in a process called "bacem" and is served with rice or lontong (rice cake).. The grill is made from terracotta earthenware with a hole in one side to allow ventilation for the coals. After three months of use, the earthenware grill disintegrates, and must be replaced.
Sate Tegal
A sate of yearling or 5-month-old kid meat; the nickname for this dish in Tegal—balibul is an acronym of “just 5 months”. The skewer has four chunks — two pieces of meat, one piece of fat and then another piece of meat. It is grilled over wood charcoal until it is cooked between medium and well done; however it is possible to ask for medium rare. Sometimes the fat piece can be replaced with liver or heart or kidney. Each kodi, or dish, contains twenty skewers. This is not marinated prior to grilling. On serving, it is accompanied by sweet soya sauce (medium sweetness, slightly thinned with boiled water), sliced fresh chilli, sliced raw shallots (eschalot), quartered green tomatoes, and steamed rice, and is sometimes garnished with fried shallots.
Sate Ambal
A satay variant from Ambal, Kebumen, Central Java. This satay uses a native breed of poultry, ayam kampung. The sauce is not based on peanuts, but rather ground tempeh, chilli and spices. The chicken meat is marinated for about two hours to make the meat tastier. This satay is accompanied with ketupat.
Sate Blora
A variant originating in Blora, located in Central Java. This variant is made of chicken (meat and skin) pieces that are smaller compared to the other variants. It is normally eaten with peanut sauce, rice, and a traditional soup made of coconut milk and herbs. Sate Blora is grilled in front of buyers as they are eating. The buyers tell the vendor to stop grilling when they are finished with their meal.
Sate Lilit
A satay variant from Bali, a famous tourist destination. This satay is made from minced beef, chicken, fish, pork, or even turtle meat, which is then mixed with grated coconut, thick coconut milk, lemon juice, shallots, and pepper. Wound around bamboo, sugar cane or lemon grass sticks, it is then grilled on charcoal.
Sate Makassar
From a region in Southern Sulawesi, this satay is made from beef and cow offal marinated in sour carambola sauce. It has a unique sour and spicy taste. Unlike most satays, it is served without sauce.
Sate Maranggi (Satay Maranggi)
Commonly found in Purwakarta, Cianjur and Bandung, two cities in West Java, this satay is made from beef marinated in a special paste. The two most important elements of the paste are kecombrang (Nicolaia speciosa) flower buds and ketan (sweet rice) flour. Nicola buds bring a unique aroma and a liquorice-like taste. It is served with ketan cake (juadah).
Sate Susu (Milky Satay)
A tasty dish commonly found in Java and Bali, made from grilled spicy beef brisket with a distinctive milky taste, served with hot chilli sauce.
Sate Kulit (Skin Satay)
Found in Sumatra, this is a crisp satay made from marinated chicken skin.
Sate Kuda (Horse meat Satay)
Locally known as “Sate Jaran”, this is made from horse meat, a delicacy from Yogyakarta. It is served with sliced fresh shallots (small red onion), pepper, and sweet soy sauce.
Sate Bulus (Turtle Satay)
Another rare delicacy from Yogyakarta. It is a satay made from freshwater “Bulus” (softshell turtle). It is served with sliced fresh shallots (small red onion), pepper, and sweet soy sauce. Bulus meat is also served in soup or Tongseng (Javanese style spicy-sweet soup).
Sate Babi (Pork Satay)
A popular delicacy among the Indonesian Chinese community, most of whom do not share the Muslim prohibition against pork. This dish can be found in Chinatowns in Indonesian cities, especially around Glodok, Pecenongan, and Senen in the Jakarta area.
Sate Bandeng (Milkfish Satay)
A unique delicacy from Banten. It is a satay made from boneless “Bandeng” (milkfish). The seasoned spicy milkfish meat is separated from the small bones, then placed back into the milkfish skin, clipped by a bamboo stick, and grilled over charcoal.
Sate Torpedo (Testicles Satay)
Satay made from goat testicles marinated in soy sauce and grilled. It is eaten with peanut sauce, pickles, and hot white rice.
Sate Telor Muda (Young egg Satay)
This satay is made from immature chicken egg (uritan) obtained upon slaughtering the hens. The immature eggs are boiled and put into skewers to be grilled as satay.
Sate Pusut
A delicacy from Lombok, the neighboring island east of Bali. It is made from a mixture of minced meat (beef, chicken, or fish), shredded coconut meat, and spices. The mixture then is wrapped around a skewer and grilled over charcoal.
Sate Ampet
Another Lombok delicacy. It is made from beef, cow’s intestines and other cow’s internal organs. The sauce for sate ampet is hot and spicy, which is no surprise since the island’s name, Lombok Merah, means Red chili. The sauce is santan (coconut milk) and spices.
Sate Belut (Eel Satay)
Another Lombok rare delicacy. It is made from belut, a native small eel commonly found in watery rice paddies in Indonesia. A seasoned eel is skewered and wrapped around each skewer, then grilled over charcoal fire. So each skewer contains an individual small eel.
Sate Buntel (Wrapped Satay)
A specialty from Solo or Surakarta, Central Java. It’s made from minced beef or goat (especially meats around ribs and belly area). The minced fatty meats are wrapped by thin fat or muscle membrane and wrapped around a bamboo skewer. The size of this satay is quite large, very similar to a middle eastern kebab. After being grilled on charcoal, the meat is separated from the skewer, cut into bite-size chunks, then served in sweet soy sauce and merica (pepper).
Sate Burung Ayam-ayaman (Bird Satay)
The satay is made from gizzard, liver, and intestines of “Burung Ayam-ayaman” (a migrating sea bird). After being seasoned with mild spices and stuck on a skewer, this bird’s internal organs aren’t grilled, but are deep fried in cooking oil instead.
Sate Ati (Liver Satay)
The satay is made from chicken liver, gizzard, and intestines. After seasoning, the internal organs are not fried or grilled, but are boiled instead. It’s not treated as a main dish, but often as a side dish to accompany Bubur Ayam (chicken rice porridge).
Sate Banjar
A variant of satay popular in South Kalimantan, especially in the town of Banjarmasin.
Sate Kerbau
A variant of satay popular in Kudus, where most Muslim believed that it is forbidden to eat beef in order to respect the Hindus. This satay is made with water buffalo meat. The meat is cooked first with palm sugar, coriander, cumin, and other seasoning until very tender. Some vendor choose to even grind the meat first in order to make it really tender. It is then grilled on charcoal, and the served with sauce made with coconut milk, palm sugar, and other seasoning. Traditionally, satay kerbau is served on a plate covered with teak wood leaves.
Sate Kambing
A variant of satay popular in Java, made with lamb or mutton meat. Different than other satay, sate kambing is not usually pre-seasoned or pre-cooked. Raw lamb is skewered and grilled directly on the charcoal. It is then served with sweet soy sauce, sliced shallots, and cut-up tomatoes. Since the meat is not pre-cooked, it is important to choose a very young lamb. Most famous vendor usually use lamb under three to five months old. Lamb from goat is also more popular than lamb from sheep due to milder flavor.

INDONESIAN CUISINE

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 5 Dec 2008 20:56:00 +0700

Indonesian cuisine reflects the vast variety of people that live on the 6,000 populated islands that make up Indonesia. There is probably not a single "Indonesian" cuisine, but rather, a diversity of regional cuisines influenced by local Indonesian culture and foreign influences.

Throughout its history, Indonesia has been involved in trade due to its location and natural resources. Indonesia’s indigenous techniques and ingredients, at least in the Malay World parts, are influenced by India, the Middle East, China and finally Europe. Spanish and Portuguese traders brought New World produce even before the Dutch came to colonize most of Indonesia. The Indonesian island of Maluku, which is famed as "the Spice Island," also contributed to the introduction of native spices to Indonesian and global cuisine. The cuisine of Eastern Indonesia is similar to Polynesian and Melanesian cuisine.

Sumatran cuisine, for example, often shows its Middle Eastern and Indian influence, featuring curried meat and vegetables, while Javanese cuisine is rather more indigenously developed. Elements of Indonesian Chinese cuisine can be seen in Indonesian cuisine: items such as bakmi (noodles) and bakso (meat balls) have been completely assimilated.

The most popular dishes that originated in Indonesia are now common across most of Asia. Popular Indonesian dishes such as satay, beef rendang, and sambals are also favored in Malaysia and Singapore. Soy-based dishes, such as variations of tofu (tahu) and tempe, are also very popular. Tempe is regarded as a Javanese invention, an adaptation to the loss of forests, which precluded hunting as a source of protein food. Indonesian meals are commonly eaten with the combination of a spoon in the right hand and fork in the left hand, although in many parts of the country (such as West Java) it is also common to eat with one's hands.

Rice is a staple for all classes in contemporary Indonesia, and it holds a central part in Indonesian culture: it shapes the landscape; is sold at markets; and is served in most meals as a savoury and sweet food. Rice is most often eaten as plain rice (nasi putih) with just a few protein and vegetable dishes as side dishes. It is also served, however, as ketupat (rice steamed in woven packets of coconut fronds), lontong (rice steamed in banana leaves), intip (rice crackers), desserts, noodles, brem (rice wine), and nasi goreng (fried rice).

Rice was only incorporated into diets, however, as either the technology to grow it or the ability to buy it from elsewhere was gained. Evidence of wild rice on the island of Sulawesi dates from 3000 BCE. Evidence for the earliest cultivation, however, comes from eighth century stone inscriptions from the central island of Java, which show kings levied taxes in rice. Divisions of labour between men, women, and animals that are still in place in Indonesian rice cultivation, can be seen carved into the ninth-century Prambanan temples in Central Java: a Water buffalo attached to a plough; women planting seedlings and pounding grain; and a man carries sheaves of rice on each end of a pole across his shoulders. In the sixteenth century, Europeans visiting the Indonesian islands saw rice as a new prestige food served to the aristocracy during ceremonies and feasts.

Rice production requires exposure to the sun. Rice production in Indonesian history is linked to the development of iron tools and the domestication of Wild Asian Water Buffalo as water buffalo for cultivation of fields and manure for fertilizer. Once covered in dense forest, much of the Indonesian landscape has been gradually cleared for permanent fields and settlements as rice cultivation developed over the last fifteen hundred years.

Other staple foods in Indonesia include maize (in drier regions such as Madura and the Lesser Sunda Islands), sago (in Eastern Indonesia) and root tubers (especially in hard times).