Ayam Goreng Kuning (Fried Chicken)

Posted by Lisa on Saturday, February 24, 2007. Filed under:
4 Comments

This is the traditional and the most common way of Indonesians preparing Fried Chicken. The main spices used in this style of fried chicken is garlic, ginger, candlenuts, coriander, pepper and of couse turmeric that will gives the yellow colour. You can go with only those spices I mentioned if you cannot find the other spices required in the real recipe.

There are two phrase of cooking the chicken. First is simmering the chicken along with the paste-spices and water. And the second one is the deep-frying. The simmering part make the chicken already cooked and tender. We just need a short deep frying to make it dry.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 piece of lemongrass, take only the white part, and crush it.
2 salam leaves (indonesian bay leaves)
salt
1 cup of water
oil for deep frying

Grounded spices:
6 garlics
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 inches fresh turmeric (1/2 tsp turmeric powder)
3 inches galangal
2 inches ginger
1 tsp white pepper

Marinate the chicken pieces in the pasted-spices for about 1 hour. In a pot, boil the chicken along with the spice paste with low heat. Add salt, lemon grass, salam leaves and water. Cook with a lid until all the water has gone in low heat.

Remove from stove and let it cool.

Heat enough cooking oil in a pan. Deep fried the cooked chicken pieces until golden yellow. Remove from oil, and drain it with kitchen towel.

The best way to enjoy this dish is with hot steamed white rice, accompanied with 'lalap' (fresh raw vegetables : cabbage, cucumber, kemangi leaves, and sliced tomato). And don't forget the hot red chilli Sambal (remember... Sambal not Sambar ;-p).

Cah Bok Choy (Bok Choy with Oyster Sauce)

Posted by Lisa on Friday, February 16, 2007. Filed under: ,
8 Comments

As I wrote in my previous post about Gobi Manchurian, there are some differences in taste between chinese dishes prepared in Indian hotels and the one that I knew in Indonesia. This in one of the most common taste of chinese dishes in Indonesia. You can find it everywhere from home-dinner table to the five stars hotel and restaurants.

Last week when I was shopping in one supermarket in Cochin, to my surprise I found Bok Choy on the vegetables racks. Yes, right. That was the first time for me to find it in Cochin for tha last 3 years I live in Cochin. Panicly, I bought all Bok Choy they had... I was so worry I could not find it next time (and it's true. I came to the same supermarket 3 times after that, and never find the same vegetables). So I guess that was my luck and make me able to post this entry.

Once I was told by my chinese friend about the main ingredients for making chinese dish you should have. First is of course Soy sauce. If you were in Indonesia, choose the Salty Soy Sauce, as we have another kind of Soy Sauce: Sweet Soy Sauce. The second one is Sesame Oil. This oil have a specific taste and aroma that will make the dish special.

Ingredients:
2 Bok Choy, clean and remove it's stalks
125 grams cleaned prawns (or squids, cut into small pieces)
1/2 Onion, finely minced
2 garlics, minced
1 cm ginger, crushed
2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp corn flour
salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, powdered
200 ml water
1 tsp sesame oil

In a pan, bring to boil some water and a pinch of salt. Add Bok Choy and cook for 1 minute. Remove from pan and drain it. Put the cooked Bok Choy in a plate, set aside.

In a frying pan, heat a little oil. Add minced garlic, Onion and ginger. Stir fry them until the aroma comes. Add prawns and fry until they slightly pink in color.

In a bowl, mix together: Oyster sauce, corn flour, salt, black pepper, sesame oil and water. Pour the mixture to the frying pan. Bring to boil and cook until the gravy thicken. remove from pan and pour the sauce over the cooked Bok Choy. Serve hot.

Upma

Posted by Lisa on Saturday, February 10, 2007.
2 Comments

Since I learned to preapre this Upma, it always save me when I'm confused what to prepare for breakfast. This is the common type of Upma.

1 cup Rava
1 Onion (medium), finely chopped
2 Green Chillies, slit lengthwise
1/2 inch long Ginger, minced
1 medium size carrot, diced into smal cubes
1/2 tsp Salt
A few of Curry leaves
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
2 tspGhee
Coriander leaves

Dry roast the rava in a pan till it becomes light brown. Keep aside.
In another pan, heat ghee and fry the mustard seeds. Add curry leaves, chopped onions, chillies, minced ginger, carrot and coriander leaves to it and fry for 2 - 3 minutes.
Add 1 1/2 cups of water and salt. Let it boil. Last, add rava to the boiling water little by little, stirring the water properly. Cook until it is soft and lumpy.
Serve hot.


Simple Fried Rice

Posted by Lisa on Friday, February 2, 2007. Filed under:
21 Comments

Fried Rice is always be the favourite dish for most Indonesians. It's hardly to find someone who doesn't like it.

Since most of us make the dish in urgency hours or whenever we're lazy to cook a complete meal (well, not always like that but mostly.. ;-p), the simpler the method of preparation is the better.

Couple days ago I was chatting with my friend in Jakarta right after I had my breakfast. We had an intense conversation (funny, I don't even remember what was the topic ;-p) when finally I feel very hungry and I realize it's almost lunch time..!

So this is what she suggest me to get the instant but delicious lunch. The Fried Rice was a perfect one for me. It's simple and easy to make and the taste is excellent. You can add whatever you have in your refrigerator to the rice. Vegetables are always the best choice. But of course diced chicken, prawns or chooped meatballs will make the fried rice taste more delicious. Try this one.

Ingredients:
2 portion/plates of cooked white rice
2 garlic, smashed roughly
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 medium size carrot, dice into small cubes
1/2 cup frozen green peas
salt as you desire
white pepper powder
1 tbsp soy sauce ( you can use salty or sweet soy sauce, as you desire)

Heat a little oil in a pan, toss garlic until the aroma comes out. Add the beaten eggs and stir fast on high flame follow by vegetables and stir fry them for some times (if you like, no need to over-cooked the vegetables).

Add to the mixture salt and white pepper powder, mix well. Then pour in cooked rice, stir all and make sure there is no lumps of rice. Add soy sauce, mix well. Let it cook for few minutes without stirring. Remove from flame and serve hot.

If you wish to add diced chicken or prawn, and them after tossing garlic. Make sure they all cooked before you add the eggs. Enjoy...

Next Entries »
« Previous Entries