Ethnic food Indonesian feast that blends Hindu and Dutch traditions

Press, 24 February 1987, Page 9

Ethnic food Indonesian feast that blends Hindu and Dutch traditions

MAVIS AIREY

continues her series on the variety of

cooking styles newer arrivals are bringing to Christchurch cuisine. Today Maimunah Foster-Lynam serves an Indonesian celebration meal.

Maimunah FosterLynam loves to talk about Indonesia. She has had a lot of practice at it. A tourist guide for several years, she took groups on the Jakarta to Bali run, and shared with them her enthusiasm for this country of more than 13,000 islands with a history going back to prehistoric man and a culture which embraces 360 ethnic groups, many of them still retaining their distinct languages, traditions, and food.

She told them how the legendary Spice Islands had attracted traders and settlers, colonial powers and warring nations from near and far: Indians, Malays and Chinese, Arabs, Portuguese and Spaniards, English, Dutch and Japanese. All have left their mark, and at various times Indonesia has been the supreme power in South East Asia. One tourist must have been particularly impressed: he asked her to marry him, and after a protracted correspondence and much heartsearching at the prospect of leaving her family — a very strong social unit in her Culture — she agreed. He in turn agreed to be-

come a Muslim and they celebrated a traditional Muslim wedding before coming to live in his country, New Zealand.

She has now been here for 11 years, and has a 1 fl-year-old son, but Maimunah still cooks Indonesian food and enjoys talking to New Zealanders about her country and its food at her stall at the Paddy’s market in Riccarton Town Hall on Saturdays.

There she serves Murtabak, savoury pancakes which show the Indian influence on Indonesian cooking: Satay, Muslimstyle skewered meat; Bami Goreng, fried rice which shows the Chinese influence: traditional snacks such as peanuts coated with sugar, and pickled fruit: Lemper, glutinous rice with shredded chicken and coconut; and Kue Dadar, sweet coconut pancakes. “I’ve always been interested in food,” she explains. “To talk about food is to talk about people and the way they live.”

In honour of readers of “The Press,” she prepares a typical celebration meal in which Hindu and Dutch influences combine: Nasi Tumpeng, a rice cone

with accompaniments, and Ajam Panggang, spicy grilled chicken which is traditionally served at wedding feasts. The bird is split and flattened before cooking and bride and groom each grasp a leg in a symbolic tug of war: whoever pulls away the larger piece will, it is said, be the dominant partner. Maimunah and her husband have tactfully forgotten who won in their case. Here is her recipe for: Ajam Panggang 1 chicken (size 10) 1 medium onion 2 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon chilli powder or 3 fresh chillies 1 slice lengkuas (laos — available from Simco) 1 cm slice fresh ginger 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 tablespoon ground raw candlenuts, macadamias or peanuts 2 kafir (citrus) leaves 1 tablespoon tamarind juice (see method) 14 cup coconut milk salt to taste.

Mix all ingredients together with coconut milk, add the chicken and

simmer until tender. Then split and grill until crisp.

Note: if using tamarind pulp, take a piece the size of a ping-pong ball and soak it in warm -water. Squeeze out the liquid and use as juice. Maimunah’s Nasi Tumpeng consists of a pyramid of yellow rice surrounded by potato and mince fritters, fried spiced tempeh, Indonesian pickle, casseroled beef, and stuffed eggs, garnished with sliced omelette.

Nasi Kuning (savoury yellow rice)

500 g Calrose rice 14 cup coconut milk 2 citrus leaves 2 pandang or salam leaves (substitute bay leaves) 1 stalk lemon grass 1 teaspoon turmeric salt to taste. Wash the rice or rinse rice from the husk if necessary, and drain it. Put the rest of the ingredi-

ents into a pot, add water and bring to the boil. Place rice in another pot, pour over the spiced liquid and boil the mixture until all the liquid has been absorbed. Turn the heat low and leave for a few minutes. Make a cone out of cardboard and pack tightly with the warm rice. Leave to set and remove cardboard carefully.

Perkudel (potato and mince fritters)

500 g topside mince 500 g potatoes 1 egg pinch grated nutmeg 1 small onion 1 clove garlic salt and pepper to taste Boil, skin and mash potatoes. Grind onion, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper with a mortar and pestle or in a blender. Mix with potatoes and mince. Add beaten egg. Form into small balls and deep fry in oil.

Semur Daging (casseroled beef) 1 small onion 1 clove garlic salt and pepper to taste *4 teaspoon ground coriander pinch grated nutmeg (4 cm slice fresh ginger 1 slice lengkuas (see Ajam Panggang) 1 salam leaf (see Nasi Kuning) 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 kg topside Cut meat into cubes. Blend spices and fry in 1 tablespoon oil. Add meat, soy sauce and sugar. Add water to cover. Simmer 1 hour or until cooked. If it gets too dry, add more water. Discard lenkuas and salam before serving. Sambal Goreng Tempe Kering (spiced tempeh) 1 medium onion 1 clove garlic 2 medium tomatoes 1 salam leaf (see above)

1 slice lengkuas (see above) 1 tablespoon brown sugar salt to taste 1 packet tempeh (bean curd, available from health food shops) Slice tempeh into chips and deep fry. Crush garlic and onion and fry in a little oil. Add chopped tomatoes, salam and lengkuas. Add fried tempeh and serve (discard salam and lengkuas).

Sambal Telur (stuffed eggs) 1 small onion 1 clove garlic 1 tablespoon ground candle nuts, macadamias or peanuts 1 teaspoon ground ginger Blend these ingredients.

Add: 1 large tomato, chopped y 2 teaspoon shrimp paste (Belachan, available from Simco) 1 salam leaf 1 slice lengkuas Hard boil some eggs. Shell and deep fry until

brown and crisp. Halve and top with spice mixture (discard salam and lengkuas). Acar Kuning (Indonesian pickle) 54 small cauliflower 2 carrots 1 cucumber Cut into matchsticks. Soak overnight in: y 2 cup white vinegar 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 1 onion, chopped (if desired) Crush together: 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 small onion 1 tablespoon ground candle nuts, macadamias or peanuts 1 slice fresh ginger Fry in 2 tablespoons of oil. Drain vegetables. Mix with spice mixture. Garnish with pickled silver onions and whole chillies, if desired. Make a thin omelette (Dadar telur) and slice in strips for garnish.