Try Some Coconut Recipes from Indonesia

"Coconut M ilk Primadonna in Rich Indonesian Dishes"

ndonesian, as do people na­ added during the cooking pro­ tive to Sri Lanka, India and cess but served separately as an further down to the South­ additional sauce. In Central I Java, especially in Yogyakarta, east Asian-Malaysian and Pa­ cific region, consider the coco­ thick coconut milk cooked nut palm as the tree o f life giv­ slowly into a creamy substance ing everything from habitation, called "areh", pronounced "ar­ vessels, food and drink and also ray", is poured over many dishes play a significant role in deep- like jackfruit curries or braised rooted traditional ceremonies. grilled chicken. Aromatic but In Java and in many other re­ softly spiced with some corian­ gions in Indonesia, artistically der and brown sugar from the banners of intricately woven coconut sap, areh is indeed a "janur" or young coconut leaves Editor-in-Chief, superb finishing touch! the SELERA magazine are out at the entrance of the Santan is also used to en­ house where a wedding cer­ rich many traditional sweet deli­ emony will take place and in cacies or "kue-kue", puddings Bali, plates and trays are mostly adorned with a sheet of coco­ nut palm mats when offerings are carried in procession to the temples. For those passerby suf­ fering from intense heat and looking for thirst quenchers to give back lost energy, can drink refreshing coconut water or "air kelapa muda" right from the nuts sold in the stalls with heaps of of young coconuts alongside of the roads. In Indonesian cooking

however, the "santan", juice Photo by Suryatt Gao N obtained by squeezing the grated coconut flesh, is still the primadonna among the culinary ingredients and enhances the rich flavor of many dishes Sometimes santan is not only A yam b u m b u Bali

38 COCOINFO INTERNATIONAL, VOL.2, NO. 1, /995 and drinks. Nowadays technology has made it possible to have santan on hand by using santan powder or ready-to-use coconut milk in bottles or containers, which are all helpful to todays very busy housewives, but if you ask me. nothing can beat the thick aromatic sweet coconut milk pressed freshly from a just grated coconut!

Ayam Bumbu Bali Chicken curry Balinese style

Ingredients: 1 chicken. 1 kg 1 tsp salt, 4 g (or to taste)

'/2 tsp ground pepper ( or to taste) Photo by Suryoti N.Gani 1 tbs lime juice 300 ml cooking oil, for fry ing 3 shallots. 30 g 2 cloves garlic, 10 g 3 fresh or dried red chillies, 30 g 1 fresh green chilli, 10 g 5 candlenuts, 25 g Pudding Lapis Ubi 1 tsp fried trassi, 5 g 10 g fresh turmeric Pudding Lapis Ubi Method: 2 salam leaves Two layered sweet potato pudding • First layer: Cut suji and screwpine 2 purut lime leaves leaves in small pieces, put in blender 300 ml thick coconut milk Ingredients: and add water. Blend finely, then ‘/2 tsp salt (or to taste) First layer: strain. 10 suji leaves, 10 cm each • Mix screwpine juice with thick co­ Method: 3 screwpines leaves, 15 cm each conut milk, sugar, gelatin powder, egg • Clean chicken, cut it in serving 200 ml water yolks and salt. Let come to a boil pieces, pat dry and rub with salt, pep­ 250 g sugar whilst stirring. Add mashed sweet per and lime juice. Let stand to mari­ 1 sachet colorless gelatin powder potates and mix well. nate for 20 minutes. 2 egg yolks, 40 g beaten • Rinse a suitable pudding form with • Fry chicken until brownish, set V* tsp salt ( or to taste) cold water and pour in sweet potato aside. 500 g steamed sweet potatoes, mixture. Put in refrigerator until set. • Grind shallots, garlic, red and green peeled, mashed whilst hot • Second layer: Mix thick coconut chillies, candlenuts, fried trassi. and milk, sugar, gelatin powder, egg turmeric into a paste. Stir fry in the Second layer: yolks, screwpine leaves, and salt. Let remaining 2 tbs of oil until aromatic. 600 ml thick coconut milk come to a boil whilst stirring. Add Add salam and purut lime leaves and 250 g sugar mashed sweet potato, mix well. pour in thick coconut milk. Let come 1 sachet orange colored gelatin • Discard screwpine leaves and pour to a boil, whilst stirring to prevent co­ powder mixture over the first layer. Put back conut milk from curdling. 2 egg yolks, 40 g beaten in refrigerator until second layer is • Add fried chicken pieces and sea­ 2 screwpine leaves, 15 cm each also set. son with salt. Continue cooking over % tsp salt (or to taste) • When serving, take pudding out and low flame until sauce thicken. 500 g steamed sweet potatoes, serve cool. peeled, mashed Note: Note: 20 servings 6-8 sewing I f suji leaves are not available, use 4 Some cooks omit frying process of drops of green food coloring as the chicken pieces. subtitute.

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