| COUNTRY | INDONESIA |
| Dishes | Nasi Goreng (vegan), Gado Gado salad |
| Time | 1 hr |
| Effort | 5/10 |
| Rough cost | £4 |
| COUNTRY | INDONESIA |
| Capital | Jakarta |
| Population | 270,203,917 (4th largest) |
| Land mass | 1,904,569 km2 (14th largest) |
| Languages | Indonesian |
| Religions | 86% Islam, 10% Christianity |
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Indonesia is a South-east Asian nation consisting of over 17,000 islands which makes it the world’s largest island country. Java is the country’s most populous island and is home to half the population. The nation state of ‘Indonesia’ emerged after the 350-year period of Dutch colonial rule came to an end in the mid 20th century. Today, Indonesia is a middle power in global affairs and has a strong economy.
Indonesian cuisine is one of the most diverse and flavourful cuisines in the world. Due to the vastness of the island nation, there is a lot of unique regional cuisines – each with their own flavour influences. The national dish is called tumpeng, which is this amazing-looking pyramid of rice surrounded by lots of veg side dishes.
Mwara made gado gado salad – a crunchy, spicy, nutty fresh salad – which was absolutley delicious. Bridget made nasi goreng, which is a classic rice stir-fry dish. It traditionally contains prawns and eggs but leaving these out for a vegan version was still delicious!
RECIPES
Gado Gado salad
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp veg oil
- 200g tofu, in small chunks
- 250g cooked potatoes, chopped into chunks
- 3 eggs
- 100g green beans, halved lengthways
- 250g cabbage (ideally Chinese cabbage), finely shredded
- 100g beansprouts
- ½ cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, shredded
- SERVE: a handful of coriander leaves, a handful of crushed prawn crackers, 4 tbsp crispy onions
For the dressing:
- 50g peanut butter
- 3 tbsp kecap manis (substitute with 2.5 tbsp soy sauce + 1/2 tbsp honey)
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp shrimp paste
- 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 red chillies, finely chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- 150ml coconut milk
METHOD
- To start, heat the oil in a large frying pan / wok and boil some water in a small saucepan. Fry the tofu for a few minutes on each side until crispy, and then transfer to a plate. Then do the same to the potatoes, frying for a few minutes until starting to crisp, and then set aside to cool.
- Boil the eggs in the water for 7 mins, and then cool them straight away in cold water. Refill the saucepan, bring to the boil and cook the beans for 2-3 mins. Drain and run under cold water to cool.
- Make the peanut dressing by mashing up the peanut butter and kecap manis together with a fork until smooth. Then whisk in the remaining ingredients!
- To assemble the gado gado, put the tofu, potatoes, beans, cabbage, cucumber, beansprouts, carrot and coriander in a large bowl or arrange on a platter. Drizzle over half the dressing, and keep the rest in a wee jug for people to help themselves. Sprinkle over the prawn crackers and crispy onions, peel and quarter the eggs and place on top. Toss everything together just before serving and ENJOY!
Nasi Goreng *vegan
INGREDIENTS
- 300g long-grain rice
- 3 tbsp veg oil
- 100g green beans, cut in half
- 200g shallots, thinly sliced (or 1 large onion)
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 red chillies, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tbsp kecap manis (substitute with soy sauce + honey)
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 8 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 1 lime, juiced
- SERVE: 1/2 sliced cucumber, crispy onions, peanuts
METHOD
- Cook the rice as you wish and set aside to cool.
- Cook the beans into a pan of boiling salted water for 3 mins until just tender and cool under cold water.
- Then heat 1 tbsp veg oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat. Add in the shallots / onions, chillies, garlic, and carrots, and stir-fry for 2 mins until the carrot is just tender. Add the tomato purée, kecap manis, cooked rice and green beans, and stir-fry over a high heat for 2 mins. Next add the soy sauce, spring onions and and mix everything together. Finally, squeeze over the juice of the lime and mix in.
- SERVE: spoon the nasi goreng onto the plates, garnish with cucumber, spring onions, crispy fried onions and peanuts!
Terima kasih and see you in Iran! M + B x
Internoshnal Grubtrotters 