Sate Ambal with 'Tempe Sauce'

A few years ago, cooking-grilling sate seemed an impossible mission for me. I didn't even have a courage to imagine about it or pick up the recipe to learn.
Grilling? I had no idea how to start.

About 2 years after I got married, my mom gave me a simple grilling pan that ended up under my kitchen table for a couple of years. The funny thing is... the grilling pan followed us wherever we moved; from cities  to towns back to cities, from one country to another, and it was unopened, virgin!

I couldn't remember when exactly I started being so 'brave' and got familiar with simple grilling, but I think it happened when we lived in Mumbai...It's about 10 years after I got married! Surprisingly, I started with grilling 'sate padang', not a simple 'sate ayam'.

Now...here I am, a confident home-cook, who regularly grills delicious sate for my family (only).
Yup, we have a family 'bbq day' almost once a week. Normally, on Friday late evening we sit around the 'simple grilling pan' (that was given by my mom) at our back terrace, enjoying the smokey air, watching the discoloration of the meat, listening sizzling symphony, and ...smelling the fragrant aroma from the grill.
After a week cooking in the kitchen, I know how refreshing it is to take my cooking endeavors outside.
*last 2 weeks I grilled sate in the middle of the week, to give 'a sense of Friday' to my family. Hahaha...

It's last week...
I was looking for another type of chicken sate for dinner, not the one that I usually make and had become the all time favorite in our home, the one that using a simple 'secret' ingredients; sweet soy sauce and spoonful crunchy peanut butter (pssstt..and also... I treat the chicken and other ingredients in its best way!), the one that always send me to the higher part of the sky when my husband and kids say,'oh this is the best chicken sate in the world' and every time we have 'not homemade' chicken sate, they keep saying,'I prefer mom's chicken sate'. uhlala!

Oh,... let's have a bit of open minded, and get out from the comfort zone!
I grab my best sate recipe book so far, 'Primarasa Satai Nusantara'. I posted 2 recipes from that book before; Sate Maranggi and Sate Bali. Both beef sate were successful and convinced me to trust this book. Highly recommended.

I was looking for 'chicken' sate recipe, and the first recipe on the book won my heart...
Sate Ambal. I had never heard it before. An unique name, have a long list of spice ingredients, and it is served with no peanut sauce, no soy sauce, but... tempe sauce! Let me repeat to avoid a typo: tempe sauce. Big WOW for me, very interesting!

Searching about this dish, I got the information that the name of 'Sate Ambal' came from a place called 'Ambal' that is located in Kebumen Regency, Central Java Province, and the dish is very popular in this place.
Hhm... why this delicious dish is not really popular in this country? *curious.

... ready, set,... grill!
I started by preparing tempe sauce, and I decided to make 2x recipe in one go. We can predict the flavor from the ingredient list and I thought it would be interesting to have left over sauce to be enjoyed with other food, such as fritters, or probably omelette, latter on. Yup, all the ingredients mixed and turned to be delicious aromatic tempe sauce. Yellowish color, come from the turmeric, slightly sweet from the palm sugar. Clever recipe!

The sate, not difficult to be prepared.
Make sure you have all complete fresh ingredients, it'll turn to a perfect dish. I cut the chicken meat slightly bigger (about 1x1x1.5 cm) and marinated for about 3-4 hours, because I prepared this meal on the afternoon during my other activities and had time to grill for dinner in the evening.
Happy ending... rich of flavor, perfect dish for dinner.

That's it... do try this dish.
Let your family appetite is fired by delicious traditional chicken sate.



Sate Ambal
Bahan / Ingredients
500 gr daging ayam / 500 gr chicken meat
4 sdm minyak goreng / 4 tbsp cooking oil
20 buah tusuk sate, rendam dalam air, tiriskan / 20 sate skewer, soaked in the water, drained

Bumbu Halus / Spices (ground)
6 sdm bawang merah goreng / 6 tbsp fried shallot
2 sdm bawang putih goreng / 2 tbsp fried garlic
2 sdt ketumbar sangrai / 2 tsp coriander, roasted
1/2 sdt merica bubuk / 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 sdt pala bubuk / 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 sdt jintan sangrai / 1/2 tsp cumin, roasted
4 butir kemiri sangrai / 4 candlenuts, roasted
2 cm jahe / 2 cm ginger
1/2 sdt garam / 1/2 tsp salt
3 sdm gula merah / 3 tbsp palm sugar

Iris daging ayam ukuran 1/2x1x1 cm. Campur minyak goreng bersama bumbu halus dan ayam iris, aduk hingga rata. Sisihkan selama 60 menit atau lebih agar bumbu meresap.

Tusuk 4 iris daging ayam dalam setiap tusuk sate, lakukan hingga semua daging ayam menjadi sate.

Panggang sate di atas bara api sambil diolesi bumbu, balik-balikkan agar matangnya rata, angkat.
Sajikan sate bersama saus tempe.
-----------------------------------------------------

Method
Cut the chicken into 1/2x1x1 cm size. Mix well the cooking oil with the ground spices and chicken. Leave for 60 minutes or more to allow the chicken meat absorbing the flavors.

Skew 4 pieces of chicken meat in each bamboo skewer until all chicken dices are consumed.

Place skewers on the heat grill. Bake with a back and forth and rubbing seasoning until cooked, remove from heat.
Served with the Tempe Sauce.



Saus Tempe / Tempe Sauce
Bahan / Ingredients :
100 gr tempe / 100 gr tempe (soy bean cake)
2 siung bawang putih / 2 cloves garlic
4 butir bawang merah / 4 shallots
3 buah cabai merah / 3 red chilli
1 cm kunyit / 1 cm turmeric
3 sdm minyak goreng, untuk menumis / 3 tbsp cooking oil, for stir fry
250 ml santan encer / 250 ml thin coconut milk
2 sdm gula merah, sisir / 2 tbsp palm sugar, grated 
1/2 sdt garam / 1/2 tsp salt

Kukus tempe selama +/- 20 menit, tumbuk setengah halus selagi panas dalam cobek, sisihkan. Haluskan bawang putih, bawang merah, cabai, dan kunyit, lalu tumis dengan minyak goreng hingga harum.

Masukkan tempe tumbuk, santan, gula dan garam, aduk. Kecilkan apinya, masak terus sampai bumbu mengental dan berminyak, angkat, sisihkan.
-----------------------------------------

Method
Steam the tempe for +/- 20 minutes, half-smooth mashed in a mortar while still hot and set aside. Ground the garlic, onion, chilli, and turmeric, and stir fry with cooking oil until fragrant.

Add the half-smooth mashed tempe, coconut milk, palm sugar and salt, mix well. Lower the heat, cook until the sauce is thick and slightly oily, set aside.

Have a good Sunday Night.

Kue Sus, our Friday Evening Treat.

Friday evening.
My children arrived home earlier than other normal school days. 1.5 hours earlier.
As soon as they've arrived home, usually they will do everything quickly, without any reminder nor instruction; from cleaning their school bags, emptying their lunch boxes, having shower, drinking afternoon milk (and asking for snacks), ...before doing what they really wait for. 
My teen daughter wants to watch the 3 PM show at Cartoon Network, and my 'not-so-little-anymore' boy chooses to be busy playing Xbox game.

... That happens almost every Friday in our home.

Before they arrive home, usually I start to plan preparing 'sweets' for them.
Something quick and easy snack is the 'target', and not a 'first time' trial. For the last couple of weeks, the sweets were dominated with something chocolaty; brownies and chocolate molten cake is the favorite. So, this time I decided to prepare other sweets with no chocolate on the ingredients. Then I realized that it has been a while I didn't bake Kue Sus, 'choux pastry with custard filling' that very familiar in this country.

Since my very first trial to make Kue Sus, I always use this recipe that I got from a 'very old edition' of Femina Magazine. I'm not exactly sure which year it was published; 14-15 years ago I guess.
With the simple ingredients that always available in my kitchen cupboard, I never fail baking this delicious treat. For me, this is exactly the type of Kue Sus that my Mom used to make when her children were still young.

So, after almost 2-3 years I haven't made this treat, I decided to serve it as my children Friday snack. Both of my children are crazy of custard. So I let them to put the filling by themselves, and enjoying through the evening. I made it a lot, almost 3 dozens. My husband was out of the city... and those dozens were gone on the next morning. The kids love it! so do I...

Little tips that I need to share:
* I used two steel spoons to shape the round pastry, in this way my mom shaped the dough, not using nozzle. I like to see the 'natural shape' of the pastry instead of the uniform 'star' shape.
* I baked the the pastry for 15 minutes in 200 C, then I lowered down the temperature to 160 C for another 10 minutes baking.
Why not 30 minutes? Because I made the pastry balls smaller than the average size (diameter 4 cm). It needs shorter baking time.
The first 200 C is the time for the dough to puff up, than another 10 minutes baking is to strengthen the pastry structure, to hold the hollow that have been formed. Same case when I'm frying 'kerupuk jange' or 'tahu sumedang'. ha..ha... sounds too engineering.

So... that's all for now.
I don't want to make you confuse reading my babble.

Have a Good Night.

Kue Sus isi Vla
Source : Femina Indonesia Magazine

Bahan / Ingredients
Kulit Sus :
200 ml air / 200 ml water
125 gr margarin / 125 gr margarine
1 sdm gula pasir / 1 tbsp caster sugar
150 gr tepung terigu / 150 gr all purpose flour
4 butir (200 gr) telur ayam / 4 medium eggs (200gr)

Isi / Filling :
2 kuning telur / 2 egg yolks
50 gr tepung maizena / 50 gr maizena/corn starch
500 ml susu cair / 500 gr milk
75 gr gula pasir / 75 gr caste sugar
1 sdm rum / 1 tbsp rum

(optional) Taburan / Topping :
50 gr gula bubuk / 50 gr powder sugar



Kulit Sus
1. Didihkan air, masukkan margarin dan gula pasir. Masak diatas api kecil hingga margarin meleleh. Masukkan tepung terigu sambil diaduk-aduk hingga adonan matang dan kalis*. Angkat dan biarkan uapnya hilang.
2. Masukkan setiap 2 butir telur ke dalam adonan kulit sus, aduk cepat dan rata hingga menjadi adonan yang lembut.
3. Masukkan adonan kulit sus ke dalam kantong yg dihubungkan dengan spuit bentuk bintang**. Semprot adonan di atas loyang datar bersemir margarin dan bertabur terigu dengan cara melingkar.
Beri jarak di antaranya***. Panggang dalam oven panas bersuhu 200 C selama 30 menit, angkat. Sisihkan.


Choux Pastry, the'skin'.
1. Boil water, add margarine and sugar. Cook over low heat until the margarine melts. Add the flour, stirring continuously until the dough is cooked and smooth*. Remove from the heat and let the steam is gone.
2. Gradually add 2 eggs into the dough, beating well between each addition, until well combined, and producing a soft dough.
3. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag with a star nozzle. Pipe rounds/circular onto baking trays that rubbed with margarine and sprinkled with flour.
Leave enough space among them***. Bake in a hot oven temperature of 200 C for 30 minutes, remove from heat. Set aside.



Isi Sus (Vla)
Aduk rata kuning telur, tepung maizena dan 50 ml susu. Sisihkan.
Didihkan sisa susu (450 ml) dan gula pasir sambil aduk-aduk di atas api kecil hingga gula larut.
Tuang larutan telur-maizena sambil aduk cepat dan rata hingga menjadi adonan kental dan mengkilap. Tambah rum, aduk rata.

Custard Filling
Mix the egg yolks, cornstarch and 50 ml of milk. Set aside.
Boil the remaining milk (450 ml) and add sugar while stirring over low heat until sugar dissolves.
Pour the egg-cornstarch mixture quickly and evenly while stirring until the custard becomes thick and shiny surface. Add rum and stir well.
_________________________________

Penyelesaian;
Belah tiap kue sus membujur dengan pisau tajam, tidak sampai putus.
Beri 1 sdm adonan isi.

To Assemble :
Cut the pastry in half horizontally using a sharp knife.
Spoon 1 tablespoon filling onto the base of pastry, and sandwich the remaining top.

* It's signed by : the mixture come away from the sides of the pan.
** I used 2 spoons to shape the round dough, not using the nozzle.
***...so they have room to spread out and puff up!

[event & review] Food-blogger Gathering @ Ten Ten, Plaza Indonesia

Casual.
Stylist.

That is my first impression when I arrived in Ten Ten, Tempura House in Plaza Indonesia, 2 weeks ago. I joined the Indonesian Food-Bloggers gathering (again), meeting 20-something friends, having a cooking class, food tasting and non stop chit-chat.

Dominated by natural wood, the restaurant interior is a perfect spot for our casual get-together. Japanese ambiance can be felt by vertical linings of wood as the wall panels to obstruct vistas. Downlights on the ceiling produce 'just enough' light.

Overall, all the elements create a calm and cozy feeling for customer who are looking for a relaxing atmosphere, warm feeling.
That's a good one, since this restaurant is located in one of the famous big shopping malls in center of Jakarta.





Facts about Ten Ten;

* The culinary concept of the restaurant: Tempura House. So ...the specialties menu is...TEMPURA!

* Using premium Black Tiger Prawn, the Tempura is cooked with special technique, using special fryer machine to produce consistent textures and delicious best quality tempura.

* The signature menu in the restaurant is Tendon. 
In that menu tempura (ebi, bisu fish, green beans, pumpkin, sweet potato, and oba leaves) is served as the topping for the dish and served with miso soup.

* Other than tempura, there are also variant menus from salad, small bites, ala carte, donburi, rice dish, noodle, combo selection, dessert and drink.
In total... there are 164 choices of menu in Ten Ten!!

* There are 2 restaurant outlets; one at Plaza Indonesia and another one is at Pondok Indah Mall 1.

* Kids Menus are available...*very good news. It means this restaurant is 'family friendly' place. High Tea program is available on weekdays, 2-5pm

* Ten Ten is owned by Boga Group.





The Gathering ...
After a nice opening by our friend Tika Hapsari, followed with a welcome speech by Rika Fardani, the marketing manager of Boga Group, we began to learn something interesting.

...We had a Cooking Class,
conducted by Chef Dian Kusyanto, we learned how to prepare and cook good tempura, also to make delicious omurice, the Japanese omelette rice.

Making Tempura

Making Omurice

...Preparing, cutting, 'massaging' the prawn... continue by coating with a 'special flour'.
Then... frying the prawns and all the vegetables that cut with same thickness.
The keys for crunchy, non-greasy tempura are the proper technique and the best ingredients. Interesting.

Then we learned how to prepared the tantalizing omurice. Same thing; ingredients, technique and the cooking time is the key *it's not difficult :). Finally, the fried rice covered by 'thin' omelette, served with tomato sauce, crunchy tempura and demi-glace sauce (rich brown sauce).

...At the end of cooking class, we divided to group of 4-5, and had a cooking competition!
See the pictures below; it is our team so called "The Dream Team" and our "Dreaming Omurise".

L-R, me, Sefa Firdaus, Tika Hapsari, Elsye Suranto

It's always nice to enjoy good food together with friends, sit down together, took pictures, chit-chat...
Oow... there was a 'Pannacotta' cooking demo before lunch :)
for sure I'll try to make it at home *looks easy*



It was lunch time already, we started to grab up our omurise when our order came to our table.
Starting with Ebi Yose Katsu, the appetizer. Probably it'll be easier to understand when I call it 'Shrimp Nuggets', served with some chopped vegetable and mayonnaise. It was slightly too dry, since we ate it after watching 'Panna cotta cooking demo'.



And finally, the main course was coming.
There were 3 choices of meals that available during the food tasting.
I confidently ordered Spicy Beef Kinoko Don. I thought we had enough frying food during the cooking class, so let's try other dishes that is prepared with different cooking method.





Spicy Beef Kinoko Don, is a bowl of rice that is served with 'saute' spicy beef and mushroom, and some sliced/chopped vegetables. So happy, I made a right choice. The beef was soft enough, and the spices absorbed nicely into the beef and mushroom. Perfect.
Miso Soup, gave a refreshing tasty warm liquid to the mouth.
My problem is, for me the rice is too much :))



I got a chance to try my friend's Tenbara. A bowl of rice covered by frying chopped chicken and mushroom, with sauce and chopped nori. It's quite good. The size of the topping is perfect for accompanying one spoonful of rice. The combination of all the flavor is very harmonized.



The sweet ending...
they served 2 different dessert cups.
Foret Noir cup and Cookie and Cheese cup. Our sweet tooth started to be busy.
I decided to share the dessert with Elsye, so we can try half of each dessert. Clever!




Foret Noire actually is a kind of chocolate cake that popular in French and Germany. Probably it's like Black Forest. But this cups, contain creamy, mousse texture, dark chocolate dessert. If you like some thing dark, deep, and not too sweet, this one is a good choice.

Me? I prefer Cookie and Cheese Cup. 
Not too sweet, have a creamy texture combined perfectly with crunchy cookie.
A very beautiful ending for our lunch and gathering.

One thing that I really want to mention, I do like all the cutlery. It's very Japanese :)



Once again, thank you to 'Boga Group' for arranging our gathering.
It's always nice to meet many new friends, enjoying a very good lunch together, ... full of laugh.
--------------------
TEN TEN outlets
Plaza Indonesia, Level B.
Pondok Indah Mall 1, Level 2.

The Reasons Why You Should Enjoy Indonesian Street Food

Exotic and timeless.
These are the first words that come in my mind when I have to describe about Indonesian street food.
Street food always steals my attention, makes my eyes busy rolling and my sense of smell working harder, especially when I get in a new place, exploring corners of cities, towns or villages.
They are unique, they are colorful, and very appetizing.

Living or only visiting this country, without tasting our street 'soul' food... ohh No!
It'll be an incomplete mission.
Let me tell you 9 reasons why you should try Indonesian Street Food, and having a sensational gastronomy adventure here.

Sate Ayam (Chicken Satay) @Jl. Malioboro, Jogjakarta.

Easy to be found
In this culinary nirvana, street hawkers spread from metropolitan cities to a corner of humble villages. Not only on the streets, the hawkers also can be found in markets, public areas and some of them walking around with their carts or carrying their yoke on their shoulders in housing compounds.
The interesting thing; we can find traditional food from different regions of Indonesia; from different islands, different tribes, and the sellers speak different languages, just around us.
Remember, Indonesia is the largest archipelago country in the world.
The famous Empek-Empek from Palembang (South Sumatra), Mie Kocok Bandung, Tahu Gejrot Cirebon and many many more can be found in the streets of Jakarta. Don't you think it's cool ?
The diversity of freshly made food to choose are almost unlimited.

Reflection of the Culture
For most of Indonesians, not eating rice means not eating yet! So a plate of rice (regardless the way it is prepared) is the most popular breakfast in this country. It's a big complete meal in one dish.
So, don't be surprised to see Chicken Porridge, Lontong Sayur, Kupat Tahu or Nasi Uduk sellers in morning time. It's all about habit, custom and tradition.

As the rice is the 'national' main course, during lunch and dinner time... again the 'rice' with more complete side dishes are the most wanted target. From Nasi Goreng, Pecel Lele (served with rice), Sate Padang (with Ketupat/Lontong) to Nasi Gudeg in Yogyakarta.
Here, the eating culture in this country is represented by the food that available on the 'street'.

Sate Kere (L), Getuk Potong (R) @Solo, Central Java.

Exotic Food.
Indonesia has rich culinary heritages, including exotic street food which are defined as the food that is 'not common'. Not all of street food is exotic, though.
They are unique, they are special, I like call it as treasures, something that always teases & invites us to try. Yes, they are looked unusual, but for sure they are edible.
The range of food types that available in street hawkers are very wide. There is always something new out there to try! Do try Sate Kere from Solo, Rujak Cingur from Surabaya or Oncom Leunca from West Java.
We have many-many exotic food available to try.

Authentic Taste
The authentic taste of Indonesian cuisine is best captured in street food. Some hawkers sell the food for many years, from generation to generation. They know the best ingredients, they cook with proper cooking method and for sure the 'secret' authentic recipes.
Their commitment to quality and purity of the ingredients produce authentic delicious food.
For me, nothing can beat the perfect 'Serabi Oncom' from Pasar Punclut in Bandung where an old lady prepares the dough almost every morning for many years, or the tasty 'Mutton Fried Rice' in Kebon Sirih Jakarta, that have been selling the fried rice since 1958!
Yes, they know exactly how to produce the best food.

Wedang Ronde @Malioboro, Jogjakarta.

Timeless traditional street food
Like fashions, food also has its own transformations, and we're on a decade of food trends. They come and go... but traditional street food has its special place in our heart and tummy for sure.
Their original natural flavor, using local ingredients, consistent with the quality making them stand up straight. It's not strange to see that Wedang Ronde hawkers and Sate Ayam sellers have many customers from evening to night at the end of Malioboro street, Jogjakarta. Or Mie Bakso sellers who always go home with his empty cart at late evening.

Evoke Nostalgia
I was struct by waves of nostalgia when found out there are Sekoteng (Indonesian traditional ginger based hot drink) hawkers walk around in our housing complex (here in Jakarta). Almost every night I used to call him and ordered some bowls like there is no tomorrow. My sense of smell took me down memory lane of my school time in Bandung many years ago.
As smells and tastes can evoke the past, so food that is present in street carts can be easily bring back our memory of childhood or just years before. For anyone who grows up in Indonesia, spent their childhood here, will always miss the street food that used to be popular while they are young.

Es Dawet @Pasar Gang Baru, Semarang, Central Java.

Delicious Food with Reasonable 'cheap' Price for Everyone
The food hawkers survive because customers keep coming, ordering and eating.
The customers keep coming, because the food is delicious and meet their budget, affordable.
... We call it 'symbiosis mutual-ism'.

From the bite size finger food, cold and hot beverages, to the complete set of meal... It's a public secret that Indonesian Street Food are so good. Delicious, tasty, have a nice harmony of flavor..  you name it!
With affordable price, those delicious food can be enjoyed by all levels of the community.
Here, no caste; a bank manager may sit down together with a taxi driver eating Bubur Ayam. All are welcome. Everyone can sit down together, enjoying the beauty of being street food customers.

Cooking Entertainment
I never get bored to watch the 'street cooking entertainment'.
One of the most enthralling sight is the making of Martabak. Balls of oily dough are stretched with a few deft kneads with the heel of palm on a well-oiled stainless steel or marble surface, before it is magically transformed into a large sheet of sheer, membrane-like skin....and continue by frying, pour the filling, folding, frying, cutting, and finally, serving.

The making of Martabak @Ciwidey, West Java

Or watching the making of Kerak Telor; step-by-step the seller put eggs, raw rice, mixing and bake on the upside down pan. It's awesome, isn't it?
There are many more entertainment by the hawkers.

This is a big bonus, ... free entertainment before we enjoy the food.

The making of Kerak Telur @ Kemang Festival, Jakarta.

Preserving the traditional local culinary

At the end...

I have to say that the presence of street food is an important part of every society living in this country. It's a part of our cultures.

It provides livelihood for the hawkers, it presents affordable delicious food for all levels of community, and also it preserves the authentic traditional culinary.

With the good management from the government, Indonesian street food will always live in our heart and happy tummy. Because...

Tongue never lie!

An evening with Homemade Bandrek and 'flat' Serabi Oncom

Spending 7.5 years for my high school & college time in Bandung, the capital city of West Java province, make me feel very close and familiar with most of their local culinary. I moved from small mining town in South Sulawesi, where I spent my childhood until graduated from Junior High School, made me full of curiosity about other local culinary especially in new places.

I couldn't forget how batagor (stands for 'BAso TAhu GOReng', fried fish dumpling that served with peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce that is popular in West Java) became my staple food for the first couple of weeks in Bandung. There are some famous batagor hawkers in Bandung, but for me the one next to my high school is the best, even the taste and texture of the tapioca flour is much stronger the the tofu or the fish taste..haha.ha..

Pictures were taken at Cikole, Lembang.

Other then batagor, 'sekoteng' (Indonesian traditional ginger based hot drink) became my favorite, as well. During night time, when were busy with our text books & never ending homework,... on quiet night, when we heard the sekoteng seller 'called' us with unique calling noise that is generated by tapping metal spoon gently to a glass bowl... ting..ting..ting... together with other girls who stayed in the same house (each of us rent a bedroom in one house), we ran outside the house with empty cup on each hand, ready to be filled with sekoteng. What a beautiful memory to remember.

Bandung is a city of fabulous food. 
There are countless restaurants (old and new, from five stars to simple humble one) and roadside stalls serving traditional authentic food to fancy international culinary.
This city is also famous as the city of creative people.
Here, lots of new food and beverage inventions, modifications and transformations were born in this city. ... 'creamy' Sus Merdeka, 'cakey' Brownies Kukus Amanda, Pisang Molen Kartika Sari, Picnic Rolls Primarasa, to 'super spicy' Keripik Singkong Mak Icih... and still many more. 

But for me, Bandung's most exciting culinary discovery is the authentic Sundanese cuisine, from their heavy complete menu, snacks, to the simple beverages. Not only because they are so delicious and exotic, but they also bring back the memory of my 'high-school' and 'college' time.
The time when I had to manage the money sent by my parents and chose the food that met my budget. The time when I explored the local culinary in between my school days. The time when I really needed good nutrition, warmed my body in cold Bandung weather, and got delicious fast and cheap food... and for sure, the time when I used to be much smarter :)



Now, let me share two simple recipes of a hot beverage and a simple humble traditional snack that I prepared last Wednesday.

Bandrek; it is a traditional hot, sweet and slightly spicy beverage that is popular from West Java. Using the simple daily ingredients; palm sugar to produce the sweetness, ginger and cinnamon stick for hint of spicy, and enough water. Additional young coconut meat is added in each glass making us busy chewing it and not too fast drinking the hot beverage, preventing our mouth to get burned. Normally, this traditional beverage is served at night during cool weather. It'll tickle our tongue, warm our tummy and ...the whole body. It is believed that bandrek has a healing effect for flu or sore throat.

I decided to serve it with Serabi Oncom.
Actually, serabi is an Indonesian traditional pancake, made by mixing rice flour and coconut milk as the emulsifier. In West Java, this traditional small pancake is served with 'Sambal Oncom' as the topping.
Oncom is local fermented cake made from residue of crushed peanuts after oil has been extracted. Can be made from soy beans and coconut. Bright orange, moldy appearance.

Pictures were taken at Pasar Punclut, Bandung.

In this snack, the oncom was cooked together with some spices and chili before it is used as serabi topping.
The best way to cook serabi is using traditional way; using clay wok and fire wood. It'll produce the 'UFO' shape of pancake, and has a good smell of charred/burned.

At home... I just used my small non-stick pan (normally I use to cook fried egg)... so you can image the result. I only got flat shape serabi, without charred smell. uhuuuu!
Fine... I have to be happy with the result using easier way. Not bad at all.
Our evening were so cozy with satisfying soul snack and beverage.
I love Bandung!

Bandrek Kelapa Muda
Source : Femina Indonesia Magazine

Bahan / Ingredients
1 liter air / 1 litre water
175 gr gula Jawa, sisir halus / 175 gr palm sugar, finely chopped
10 cm jahe, memarkan / 10 cm ginger, crushed
5 cm kayumanis batang / 5 cm cinnamon stick
2 sdm kopi bubuk / 2 tbsp coffee powder
300 gr daging kelapa muda, serut memanjang / 300 gr coconut meat/flesh

Cara membuat 
1. Jerang air bersama gula, jahe, kayumanis dan kopi, aduk rata. Masak di atas api kecil sambil sesekali diaduk hingga mendidih. Angkat, saring. Sisihkan.
2. Taruh kelapa mudah dalam gelas saji bervolume 300 ml. Tuang bandrek panas ke dalamnya.
Sajikan.

Method
1. Put the water with sugar, ginger, cinnamon stick and coffee, stir well. Cook over low heat while stirring occasionally until boiling. Remove and strain. Set aside.
2. Put coconut meat in 300 ml serving glasses. Pour hot bandrek into it.
Serve.

Serabi Oncom
Source : Primarasa Femina, Dari Kota Kembang Bandung

Bahan / Ingredients
50 gr tepung beras / 50 gr rice flour
200 gr tepung terigu / 200 gr all purpose flour
1 sdt garam / 1 tsp salt
500 ml santan dari 1 butir kelapa / 500 gr coconut oil from 1 coconut

Sambal Oncom 
250 gr oncom / 250 gr oncom
2 sdm minyak goreng / 2 sdm cooking oil
3 buah cabai merah, gerus kasar / 3 red chili, coarsely chopped
1 ikat kucai / some chives (I add it by myself)

Bumbu halus / Spices (ground)
8 butir bawang merah / 8 shallots
2 siung bawang putih / 2 cloves garlic
1/2 cm kencur / 1/2 cm
2 batang serai, ambil bagian putihnya, iris halus / 2 lemongrass, take the white part, finely chopped
2 sdt garam / 2 tsp salt
1 sdt gula pasir / 1 tsp sugar



Cara Membuat 
1. Sambal Oncom : Remas-remas oncom kasar-kasar, sisihkan. Panaskan minyak goreng dalam wajan, tumis bumbu halus sampai harum. Masukkan cabai, aduk hingga layu. Masukkan oncom, aduk hingga oncom matang benar dan agak mengering, angkat dan sisihkan.
2. Campurkan tepung terigu, tepung beras dan garam. Tuangi santan sedikit demi sedikit sambil diaduk rata. Pukul-pukul adonan dengan telapak tangan sampai terasa ringan. Diamkan selama +/- 2 jam.
3. Panaskan cetakan serabi di atas api. Tuang 3/4 sendok sayur adonan ke dalam cetakan, beri 2 sdt sambal oncom.
4. Setelah muncul gelembung-gelembung kecil, tutup cetakan. Panggang sampai matang, kemudian keluarkan serabi dari cetakan. Lakukan hal yang sama hingga adonan habis. Hidangkan segera.

Method
1. Sambal Oncom: Crush oncom coarsely, set aside. Heat oil in a skillet, saute ground spices until fragrant. Add the chilli, stir until wilted. Add the oncom, stirring until completely cooked and slightly dry, remove and set aside.
2. Combine flour, rice flour and salt. Pour the coconut milk gradually while stirring. Tap the dough with the palm hand until it feels soft. Leave it for +/ - 2 hours.
3. Heat a pancake mold on the fire. Pour 3/4 'vegetable spoon' mixture into a mold, put 2 tsp 'chili oncom'.
4. Once small bubbles appear, close the mold. Bake until cooked, then remove from the molds. Do the same thing until the dough finish. Serve immediately.

Have a great Sunday night.