Indonesian egg sambal and nasi goreng are popular dishes eaten in this country of 234 million.
Spicy and flavourful Indonesian food borrows from the Chinese, the Indians and the Dutch.
There's a myriad of sweet and sour dishes, fish and seafood plates, tomato-based creations, curries and doses of cumin, cilantro and lemongrass.
Since it is close to Malaysia, many dishes will be reminiscent of the tastes of Malaysian food, which borrows the best of Indian, Chinese and Malay cuisines.
Here are two delicious recipes to try: Egg Sambal and Nasi Goreng, often eaten daily by Indonesians.
Egg Sambal Recipe
- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 2 crushed garlic
- 1/2 tsp dried shrimp paste
- 1 tbsp sambal oelek (garlic-tinged chili relish) or chopped red chilies
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 5 macadamia nuts, pounded
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- salt
- 3 tbsp lime juice
Method:
- Have eggs at room temperature or gently warm them in tepid water before cooking them.
- Stir for the first few minutes, then simmer for up to 9 minutes. Cool in a bowl of cold water. Tear off shells and halve lengthwise.
- Heat oil and fry onion and garlic until onion is soft and golden. Add shrimp paste, sambal, ginger and nuts. Keep frying and stirring, until you can smell the aroma.
- Add sugar, coconut milk, salt and lime juice and simmer, stirring frequently, until oil surfaces. Put in eggs and cover with sauce.
SERVES 4 to 6.;
*********************************************************
Nasi Goreng Recipe (from 99Bali.com)
- 6 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 shallots, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- 200 g (6 1/2 oz) chicken meat, sliced
- 150 g (5 oz) medium-sized shrimp, peeled
- 1/4 small cabbage, shredded
- 1/2 cup Sambal Tomat (recipe below)
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 750 g (1 1/2 lb) cold cooked rice
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sliced bird's-eye chillies
- 2 tsp fried shallots
METHOD:
- Heat vegetable oil in wok or heavy frying pan until very hot. Add shallots and garlic and fry for I minute until golden yellow.
- Add chicken and shrimp and fry for I minute, then add cabbage and fry for I minute. Add Sambel Tomat and mix well.
- Add eggs and continuously stir for 30 seconds. Increase to very high heat, add rice and salt. Fry for 3 more minutes, stirring continuously. Add chillies, mix well and serve immediately, garnished with fried shallots.
TIP: The cooked rice must be absolutely cold to make sure it does not become soggy during frying.
Sambal Tomat
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 3 shallots
- 2 long red chilis (cut lengthwise and remove seeds)
- 7 small red chilis
- 1/4 tsp salt
Stir-fry tomato, chilis, and shallots in a little oil. Crush them together with the salt.
