Ramadhan Fast Breaking 3: Food Market

After introducing Indonesian home cooking fast breaking, another thing that also interesting is: traditional food market. Food market of Kotagede in the southern part of Jogjakarta, Indonesia is famous for its variety: sweets, cakes, drinks, chips, cooked food and of course deep fries. Buying cooked meals is one of efficient ways for busy families to prepare the fast breaking.

This business opportunity then naturally built this impromptu market. Yes impromptu, it means that this is only during Ramadhan, in the afternoon from around 3 up until 8 in the evening. The activity in the market is increasing prior to the end of Ramadhan, where more foods variety typical to the celebration will come.

Effectiveness is the main reason for customer of this market, since most of Indonesian foods are slow cooked. They are at least two systems that are applied in the business: direct selling and consignment. Direct selling means a vendor in the same time is the one who produce the food, while consignment means that the vendor is only the broker. A vendor will have the kiosk and food suppliers.

Cakes and sweets vendor for example, they will have 30 to 40 different types of food. These are just too many for a vendor to provide all of them. So, a clever solution is to get the food from suppliers. As the market is impromptu, this will applies also for the supplier. Everybody is welcome to become the supplier as long as they have good food to sell: household moms or women groups, or just cooking talented person, just everybody who has good tasted food and eager to earn some extra money.

One supplier will send the food that they make to several vendors. So it is just like a win-win impromptu solution. The holy month apparently is not only spiritually a blessing to the community but in the same time it is also economically empower the people. Everybody is happy and everybody is being helped. This is the beauties of the holy fasting month.

A JOURNEY OF INDONESIAN TASTE: SATAY!!

The archipelago of Indonesia is the largest archipelago and one of most populous country in the world, with its more than 17 thousand islands and 230 million inhabitants. Indonesia stretches along the equator, whereas beaches, mountains, rivers, tropical forest, mega-politan cities, villages are enriching the beauty of the country.

Its vary ethnics background influences the cuisine culture of Indonesia for sure. One of the most popular dishes of the country is SATE or SATAY. Diced or sliced seasoned meat that is grilled in a skewer, made from bamboo, coconut palm frond or metal. The barbecued meat then is served with sauce from various spices and seasoning mixture.

US President Obama, who spent his childhood in Jakarta the capital of Indonesia, has mentioned SATAY as one of his memorable food, when he visited Indonesia in 2010. Each region in Indonesia will have their own characteristic for their SATAY, and here we shall start the journey!

SATAY PADANG (West Sumatera)
What is prominent from this beef satay is its thick spicy sauce. The sauce is a mixture between turmeric, ginger, garlic, coriander, galangal and cumin. To blend all of these spices then rice flour and water is added. There are actually three types of SATAY PADANG, from three different regions in West Sumatera. They are differentiated by the color of the sauce: yellow, red, orange. The ingredient of the sauce and its taste of course are different.

SATAY AMBAL (Central Java)
It is name of a District in Central Java. Once again, it is about the sauce. It has been from generation to generation that people in Ambal District has used tempeh (fermented soya cake) as the base for the sauce. Tempeh is grounded together with chili, shallot and garlic. It is uncommon, because usually most people will use peanuts. However, the free range chicken needs to be marinated for about two hours to ensure the flavor before they go to the grill.

SATAY BANDJAR (South Borneo)
Banjdar is the name of a tribe in the southern part of Borneo. They live in a city called Banjarmasin. Satay Bandjar is a very popular variant of chicken satay. The amount of chili that is used in the recipe quite a lot that make this kind of satay is quite hot. The dish is usually served together with rice cake.

SATAY BOEMBOE RUDJAK (East Java)
Another name is Satay Komoh, it is made from beef with sweet-spicy flavor, whereas the chunk of the beef is usually (or to be precise: must be) big pieces. To marinate the meat, we use shallot, garlic, red hot beauty chili, lime leaves and lemongrass that are blended together with a little bit of tamarind juice. It is such a bustling taste that is compatible with the characteristic of East Java People who speak and laugh loudly! This is a must element during the East Javanese feast. To grill the SATAY, the limb of banana leaves is used in each skewer to balance the heat from the grill.

SATAY LALAT (The Island Of Madura)
LALAT/Laler is local dialect to refer flies! What? Yes flies. Worry not, it is just the title of the food. It is actually chuck of lambs that are cut into very small pieces just like flies flash. In one portion consists about 25 satay skewer. You will not getting full having these 25 skewers of super small pieces of lamb that looks like flies.
Originating from the island of Madura, the base of the black sauce is made from sweet soya sauce with palm sugar, garlic, deep fried shallots, peanut paste and shrimp paste. Raw thinly sliced shallot and chilies are the common condiment.

SATAY LILIT (The God Island of Bali)
Balinese cooking is famous with its strong taste due to the use of some strong ingredients such as galangal, lime leaves, ginger, lemon grass. A satay variant with strong taste from Bali named Satay Lilit. It is made from mince fish that is mixed with the strong spices above together with grated coconut then wounded (lilit) around bamboo stick or lemongrass stick. This Satay is served plain, to emphasize the taste of the exotic spiced meat bursting in mouth.

SATAY KARI VEGETARIAN
After exploring various taste of satay from several regions in Indonesia, it is time for me to go back to my kitchen. My mission of the day is to re-interpret satay that I enjoyed from around Indonesia. I combine some elements: the basic ingredients, the marinade seasoning, sauce seasoning and its condiment.

I chose vegetarian as the basic ingredients that also delicious to be grilled. I pick mushrooms, broccoli, eggplant and onions. I will bring together the marinade and sauce seasoning so it is simple and easy (also serve plain like Satay Lilit). The Kari choice is inspired from Satay Padang, but I remove the rice flour. I blend together shallot, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, lemongrass, cumin and very small amount of tamarind (just like in Satay Boemboe Rudjak). I stir fried the blended spices and marinade the veggie inside, put in the refrigerator. Leave it for one hour before they go to the grill.

Yes, it tastes similar to Indian food, but goes well with these grilled veggies. As my condiment made pickles from cucumbers, carrots, shallots (yes right, like slice of shallots in Satay Lalat) and red hot beauty chilies, to perform a combination of spicy-sweet-sour.

Semarang Food Street, part 4 (end): Kecap Mirama, a misses healer soya sauce..

There are so many thing that I could tell about Indonesia.  In terms of culture, nature, philosophy, way of life and of course in term of its wide culinary wealth! One of this country’s  precious heritage is this sweet soy sauce.

Kecap Manis, or sweet soy sauce has been acknowledged since before the 18th century. Sir Thomas Raffles in his book “History of Java” mentioned about this black thick sauce from fermented black soya bean. Each region in Indonesia will have its own signature Kecap Manis. There is a saying:  “all kecaps are number one” that refers to the characteristic taste of kecap from each region that all will occupy the number one position or best rank.

Kwik Sik Giem, a Chinese lady started her soy sauce production in Semarang back in 1935. Kecap Mirama, so she called her product. Years after years, nowadays the manufacturer has developed and turn into a large industry as well as culinary icon of Semarang.

As a legend of the city, this Kechup Mirama has been known and passed down from generation to generation. Children from any generations have tested this sauce as part of their early foods. Therefore, whoever come from Semarang and live abroad, will always ask for Kecap Mirama as a precious gift. It is so delicious and so people will eat rice only with this sauce.

The delicacy of this sauce turn into a misses feeling healer. Misses feeling to their family, their city and to their beautiful old time. And I myself, miss Semarang already, I think I just need to grab my bottle in the kitchen…

Semarang Food Street, part 3: Loenpia, a love story

Once upon a time, in the past time estimated before the years of 1900, in Semarang, Central Java Indonesia, there was a couple of husband and wife from two different ethnic groups: Chinese and Javanese.

Tjoa Thay Yoe was a young man from China who worked as food trader in Johar Market of Semarang who met Wasih a beautiful Javanese young lady who was also another food trader, just next to this young Chinese boy’s food stall.

Tjoa Thay Yoe served a cooking mixture between bamboo shoots and pork in his stall while Wasih sold her signature dish made from potatoes and shrimps. “Witing Tresno Jalaran Soko Kulino,” it is a Javanese proverb means that love will grow through a common regular meetings, these two young couple finally felt in love, got married and have a daughter named Tjoa Nio Po.

This little cute baby girl, years later when she grew up created a fusion recipes between the bamboo shoots, potatoes, shrimp and pork as the manifestation of love from her both parents. The food is Loenpia  or spring roll.

Tjoa Nio Po was the one which later passed down generations of successful Loenpia maker in Semarang. Because of the generations from Tjoa nio Po, Semarang is know known as the Loenpia city.

A spring roll that is stuffed with bamboo shoot cooked with shrimps and chicken, deep fried and served with pickle and savory sauces is this city’s delicacy

Semarang Food Street, part 2: the integrated Lontong Cap Go Meh

A story about the naming of Semarang, one of the largest city in Java Island Indonesia, started at the end of the 15th century. There was a man from the Kingdom of Demak who was appointed as Islam missionary. His name was Sunan Pandanaran that became an Islamic guru for the people in the hills of Pragota. Over time, the region becoming more fertile and from the sidelines appeared the tamarind tree that grew rarely (in Javanese language: Asem=tamarind, arang=rarely. Asemarang=rarely grew tamarind trees), thus giving the title or name of the region to Semarang.

Since the influence of Chinese culture, the cuisine adaptation has occurred in the region. Chinese migrants who lived in the coastal areas of Java have created the Peranakan blend culture.

An evident of this adaptation and assimilation in cooking culture could be found in this signature dish, Lontong Cap Go Meh. To celebrate Cap Go Meh or the fifteenth day of the Chinese New Year celebrations, the peranakan people replace rice flour balls that was usually served during the celebration with Lontong or rice cake. As the side dish, a white chicken curry with other spicy yet delicious cooking from Java culture were also served .

Lontong Cap Go Meh is a special phenomenon in Peranakan-Java only. Those who live in Sumatra, Malacca or Borneo do not recognize the dish. This integration of two culture could be nowadays found in several food stall at Semawis Night Market, Semarang.

Semarang Food Street, part 1: Bakcang! Yumm..

City of Semarang, the capital of Central Java Province, Indonesia is a port city since the early time. Chinese merchants, including Chinese Great Admiral Cheng Ho has already decked his navy army  to the city. In the ancient period of  Hindu-Buddhist Mataram Kingdom in 8th-9th century, it is called Pragota or Bergota.

Chinese influence then spicing the culinary culture of Semarang, in terms of technique, spice, ingredients and cooking method. Bakcang is one of the example. A traditional Chinese food that is made from glutinous rice (or a combination between rice and sticky rice) stuffed with different fillings. Referring to its name “Bak” thak means pork, usually it is stuffed with pork stew. However, nowadays, bakcang that is stuffed with beef, chicken or vegetarian are also common.

This dough, then is  wrapped  in bamboo leaves. They are cooked by steaming or boiling.