Serves 6-8
Spice-kissed and lemak (rich), this Indonesian dish
makes a mean one-dish meal.
½ cup cooking oil
2 cups fresh coconut milk
½ head cabbage, leaves separated and cleaned
200g long beans, cut into 5cm pieces
1 carrot, cut into sticks
3 firm soybean cakes (tau kwa), cut into half and fried
10 slices rice cakes (ketupat)
For the grated coconut (serundeng)
1 cup grated coconut, skin removed
2 tbsp sambal oelek (or any other bottled sambal chilli)
1 tbsp grated gula Melaka
pinch of salt
For the spice paste (rempah)
10 shallots, peeled
2 stalks lemongrass
1cm-piece ginger, peeled
1cm-piece galangal (lengkuas), peeled
8 candlenuts (buah keras)
10 red chillies, sliced
1cm-piece turmeric (kunyit), peeled
1 tbsp ground coriander (ketumbar)
2 tbsp fermented shrimp paste (belacan)
4 garlic cloves, peeled
60g dried prawns, soaked in water for 10 mins and drained
5 dried chillies, soaked in hot water for 10 mins and drained
Lontong
1. To make serundeng, mix all the ingredients in a bowl, tossing to ensure everything is evenly coated. Transfer the ingredients to a foil-lined baking tray and bake at 100C for about 1 hr, or until golden and toasty. Stir the mix occasionally to ensure everything gets toasted evenly. Once cooled, the serundeng can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 months.
2. Blend all the rempah ingredients to a fine paste.
3. Heat ½ cup oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the rempah and fry for about 15 mins, till it starts to release some of its oils.
4. Reduce heat and stir in the coconut milk. Cook over a gentle heat to prevent the coconut milk from curdling.
5. Add the cabbage, long beans and carrot and cook till the vegetables are very tender, about 25 mins.
6. Add the tau kwa and ketupat and simmer for another 5 mins.
7. To serve, ladle into bowls and top with the serundeng.