Tauco Kerang ( Cockles in Fermented Soy Bean)

This is the old time favorite dish is Medan.....

Siapakah yang tak suka tauco kerang? Makanan ini sering dimasak oleh orang tua kita, mungkin sekarang sudah jarang kita masak karena banyak pekerjaan, mencuci kerang, merebus dan mengupasnya!!! apalagi kalau kerangnya kecil-kecil seperti ini. Tapi kerang kecil lebih manis dan tidak liat dibanding yang besar.

Bahan yang diperlukan / you will need

1 kg Kerang basah, rebus dan kupas

        Fresh cockles, quick boil and shelled

10 bawang merah, rajang

      Shallots, thinly sliced

2 siung bawang putih, rajang

      Cloves garlic, thinly sliced

50 gr Cabe merah Dan Cabe hijau, potong miring, 

       Red and green chili, sliced

 2 buah Tomat, kupas  Dan dipotong dadu

       Tomato, peeled and diced

1 batang sereh

       Stalk lemon grass

2 cm Jahe, rajang halus

        Ginger, thinly sliced

3 lbr daun salam

       Salam leaves, substitute with bay leaves if you can not find one  

1 sdm gula merah (atau sesuai selera)

       Palm sugar or just white sugar

3 Sdm Tauco, cuci Dan tiriskan

       Yellow fermented soy beans, usually sold in jars. Yeo's is available in most Asian Supermarket

3 Sdm minyak utk menumis

Cara memasak / preparation

Tumis bumbu rajang, sampai harum

         saute all the sliced ingredients till fragrant

Masukkan bumbu lainnya

         add the rest of the ingredients

Masukkan kerang dan air

         put the cockles and the water in

Aduk sampai matang

         Stir well until the seasoning and the cockles incorporated.

Sajikang dengan nasi hangat..... pedas, asam, asin, manis... semua jadi satu......

Srikaya ( Coconut Milk Curd )

If in the Uk, we have lemon curd for breakfast, in Medan we have coconut milk curd.  The texture is similar, smooth and rich, we just replace the butter with thick coconut milk and use pandan instead of lemon. We are in the tropic after all, coconut milk is used in many things.

Selai srikaya yang bertekstur lembut dan rasa yang kaya santan, sangat populer di P.  Siantar Dan Medan. Biasanya dioleskan di atas roti maupun toast untuk sarapan pagi hari. 

Beberapa Minggu lalu saya belajar membuat lemon curd dari kakak Mertua. Melihat bahannya hampir sama, hanya saja butter kita ganti dengan santan dan lemon sebagai perasa kita ganti dengan pandan. 

Ada beberapa cara membuatnya, Ada yg di Tim, Ada yang double boil, tapi ini saya buat dengan cara yang sama dengan membuat Lemon curd a la aunty Joe.

Bahan/ Ingredients

1. 550 ml, santan kental dari 2 butir kelapa (jangan dicampur air)

                      Thick coconut from tin or freshly squeezed from 2 coconuts

2. 400 gr gula 

                        Sugar

3. 8 butir kuning telur ditambah 2telur ayam 

                        Egg yolk and 2 whole eggs

4. 2-3 lembar daun pandan (disimpul)

                        Pandanus leaves or substitute with 1 vanilla pod

5. 25 gr butter atau  mentega cair (untuk memperindah warna)

                        Unsalted Butter

Cara membuat  /  Method

Masukkan gula, pandan Dan santan dalam panci, masak dengan api sedang sampai gula meleleh. Kecilkan api

        In a pan mix thick coconut milk and sugar on medium heat until the sugar dissolve. Turn the heat to very low.

Kocok telur dengan garpu, kemudian saring

       Beat the eggs lightly,  strain

Masukkan kocokan telur kedalam panci perlahan dan aduk terus (api kecil sekali) sampai tinggal 2/3 ( kira-kira 30-40 menit)

       Put the eggs into  the pan very slowly and stir constantly until reduced into 2/3  (about 30-40 min)

Masukkan butter dan terus aduk selama 5 menit

           Add in the butter, continue stirring for another 5 minutes.

Angkat dan biarkan mendingin selama beberapa menit kemudian masukkan ke dalam jar yg sudah disterilkan.

        Leave to cool for a few minutes then put in sterilized jars.

Tahan satu bulan jika disimpan di dalam kulkas

        Will keep for 1 month in the fridge

Sajikan dengan roti atau toast

        Very good to serve on fresh bread or toast

Tips 

Sewaktu memasak, api harus tetap kecil, jika terlalu panas akan menggumpal dan tekstur kurang halus.

Keep the heat low at all time, it will curdle when it is too hot.

Rengginang ( Sticky Rice Crackers)

My mother's rengginang is the best. She used to make and sell them for her little pocket money. I and my sisters were obliged to help. Like many teenagers I used to do it reluctantly, but regret it now wish I had her recipe...., I still remember the taste vividly. I tried this recipe twice to make as close as my mother's.

Hari Raya sudah dekat, makanan ini cukup digemari diantara banyak kue hari Raya yang dihidangkan untuk teman dan saudara yang berkunjung. Banyak resep rengginang yang dapat dijumpai baik di buku resep maupun internet. Resep ini saya buat mendekati rasa yang biasa dibuat ibu saya dulu.

Bahan yang dibutuhkan  /  You will need

500 gr beras ketan
                 Gelatinous rice
10 siung bawang putih
                 Clove garlic
150 - 200 ml air
                 Water
     Stock cube ( optional )


Cara memasak /  Preparation


Cuci beras ketan sampai bersih, kemudian rendam satu malam
Rinse the rice under running water, soak over night

Tiriskan beras, kemudian kukus selama 15 menit atau sampai setengah masak 
Drain and steam for 15 minutes

Haluskan bawang putih kemudian campur  dengan air, Garam Dan penyedap
Put the garlic in a blender together with salt, stock cube and salt

Pindahkan beras ke dalam baskom dan campur dengan air bawang putih, aduk sampai merata
Place the rice in a bowl and mix well with garlic mixture

Masak kembali salama 15 menit, atau sampai matang

Put the rice back in the steamer for 15 minutes or until the rice is well done

Cetak rengginang sesuai ukuran yang diinginkan (saya membuat kecil-kecil diameter 2.5 cm, diatas tampah yang dilapisi plastic atau talam. Jangan terlalu ditekan sewaktu mencetak, agar rengginang bisa mekar sewaktu digoreng.

Shape the rice about 1 inch diameter on a tray. Do not press too hard while shaping to make the rengginang expand as large as possible when you fry them

Keringkan dibawah sinar matahari ( biasanya perlu seddikitnya 3 hari supaya benar2 kering
Sun dry the rengginang, in normal shiny day, it will take 2 days or more to get completely dry.

                                     

Jika sudah benar- benar kering, goreng dengan minyak panas

When they are really dry, deep fry in hot oil

Untuk rasa udang  /  For Prawns flavour

5 Sdm Udang kering
   Tbsp  Dried shrimp
10 Siung bawang putih
   Clove garlic
3 Sdt terasi
   Tsp shrimp paste

Rendam udang kering dalam air hangat sebentar

Soak the dried shrimp in luke warm water, for a few minutes

Giling atau blender udang dan semua bumbu sampai halus

Grind or put in a blender all the ingredients

    

Ndole ( Cameroon Dish)

I would like to share the Ndole recipe, which is The Cameroon dish. The smooth texture and the rich taste is really Delicious.

On the holiday we met our old friend from Cameroon (we used to live in this country), we were talking about the nostalgia and of course about "Ndole", our favourite dish. Yes, I can make it at home (Medan) since all the ingredients are available but of course we do not have Ndole leaves (bitter leaves), but we can replace it with spinach, which I used to do it anyway while we were in Cameroon. You can replace the prawns with any meat or smoked fish or even do it as vegetarian dish , omit the prawns...

Here is the recipe, let's try

Liburan yang lalu kami bertemu teman lama dari Cameroon (9 tahun yang lalu kami tinggal di sana), kami mengobrol tentang masa lalu dan tentu saja tentang makanan. Ndole adalah sayur khas negara ini, rasanya agak manis dengan tekstur lembut (tentu saja kita bisa tambah cabe jika kita suka pedas). Kami sekeluarga menyukainya. 

Saya ingin berbagi resep ini karena semua bahan tersedia disini, tentu saja daun Ndole tidak ada disini (mungkin ada tapi belum ketemu), jadi saya ganti dengan pucuk bayam. Waktu kami di Cameroonpun kami selalu menggunakan pucuk bayam. Bagi yang advanturous...., silahkan mencoba

 You will need

Bahan yang dibutuhkan

200 gr Spinach

          pucuk bayam
2-3 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

          minyak goreng
1 large onion, finely chopped

          bawang bombay, cincang halus
2 cloves garlic, crushed

          bawang putih, dihaluskan
1 cm ginger, finely grated

          jahe, parut halus
2       fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped

         tomat, dikupas dan dicincang
100 g peanut, without skin or use natural peanut butter

         kacang tanah, buang kulit atau dapat diganti dengan peanut butter
200 g  prawns

         udang

Cabe (jika dibutuhkan)

        Chili (optional)

1 L    Beef broth or use stock cube dissolve in water

         Kaldu daging sapi, atau dapat digunakan maggi cube

Salt and pepper to taste

Garam secukupnya

 

Preparation / Cara memasak

• Wash the spinach, thinly sliced, blanched and drain, set aside
• Cuci bayam, rajang halus dan rebus sebentar, tiriskan dan sisihkan

• Boil the peanut until done, drain and put it in a blender (put some water if necessary ) until smooth resemble a paste
• Rebus kacang tanah sampai masak, tiriskan kemudian diblender (gunakan air jika perlu) sampai halus

• Saute the onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant
• Tumis bawang bombay, bawang putih dan jahe sampai harum
• Now add the peanut paste and the broth simmer for another 5 minutes, constantly stir to avoid sticking on the base of the pan
• Sekarang masukkan kacang tanah dan kaldu, masak lagi selama 5 menit, aduk terus supaya tidak melekat di panci.

• Put in  the  spinach and the prawns, last is the tomatoes
• Masukkan bayam dan udang, dan yang terakhir adalah tomat
• Continue to cook until the spinach and prawns is ready
• Masak lagi sampai bayan dan udang masak

Serve while it is hot with steam rice...., yummm
Sajikan selagi panas dengan nasi hangat....

Sayur Asam Medan ( Sour Mix Vegetable )

We are back from holiday in the UK. After cooking and experimenting Western, now I am starting with Medan food again. This vegetable dish is very common in Indonesia, every region has their own version. Medan style is certainly very distinct by using Asam Gelugur ( dried Garcinia fruit) as the source of the sourness and the use of torch ginger buds to steep the taste. 

If Asam gelugur is not available of course you can substitute with tamarind or even cider vinegar, the main thing is to achieve the sour taste.

Most people love this dish specially in very hot days, to complement the dish we usually serve with fried salted fish and sambal belachan ( shrimp paste sambal )

Hampir semua orang menyukai sayur asam, apalagi jika hari panas. Rasanya yang keasam-asaman dan kuah yang bening memberi rasa segar, akan nikmat sekali jika ditemani dengan ikan asin goreng dan sambal terasi.

Sayur asam Medan berbeda dengan kebanyakan sayur asam lainnya karena menggunakan asam gelugur atau asam potong sebagai sumber rasa asam bukan asam Jawa. Penggunaan kincung memberi rasa khas dan segar.....

You will need

Bahan yang diperlukan

for the paste / bumbu yang dihaluskan

7 suing  Bawang merah

            shallots

2 suing  Bawang  putih

            garlic

2cm      Kunyit

            Turmeric

2cm     Jahe

           Ginger

Garam secukupnya

           Salt to taste

Bahan lainnya / other ingredients

2keping. Asam gelugur

             Dried Garcinia fruit

1batang  Serai ( dimemarkan )

             Lemon grass

2buah    Kencong ( dibelah dua )

             Torch ginger buds, cut in half

3buah    Cabe merah

             Red chili, cut length wise

2cm       Lengkuas ( dimemarkan )

             Galangal, bruised

3 tbsp    Udang manis

             Dried shrimp ( you can grind it together in the paste or leave it whole)

2 L        Air

             Water

            

The vegetable / Sayuran

10helai   Daun melinjo

             Young Melinjo leaves, replace with cabbage if it isn't available

1ons.     Gori ( dipotong kecil )

             Young jack fruit ( diced )         

1 buah   Jagung ( dipotong- potong menjadi 5  )

             Sweet corn, cut into 5

50 gr      Melinjo

             Melinjo

100 gr   Janten

            Baby corn

1 buah  Labu jipang muda, potong kotak

            Chayote, diced (marrow is a very good substitute)

100 gr   Kacang panjang, potong kira-kira 6 cm

            Long bean ( or replace with green bean cut in 2)

50 gr    Kacang tanah muda

           Peanut

1 buah Tomat ( dipotong dadu )

           Tomato, peeled and cut in chunks

Preparation / Cara memasak 

- rebus air 2 liter,lalu masukkan bahan yang di blender dan gori.

Bring the water to a boil and put in the paste together with jack fruit for 5 minutes
-tambahkan juga Asam gelugur,serai,Kencong,Cabe merah,lengkuas dan Udang  manis.

Now add all the other ingredients
-setelah gori lembut masukkan melinjau,jagung,kacang tanah,janten, labu jipang,kacang panjang,daun melinjau dan tomat, masak kembali sampai semua sayur matang.

when the jackfruit is soft, you can put the rest of vegetable in, bring back to a boil until the vegetables are ready.

Gulai Nangka Pedas ( Spicy Curried Jack Fruit)

Liburan telah usai..... Pulang ke rumah....home sweet home. Ya.... aku rindu makanan Medan.

Gulai nangka Restoran Gumarang sangat digemari teman-temanku. Rasanya yang pedas dan khas selalu membuat kita untuk kembali, akupun rindu makan makanan yang pedas.....

Jadi hari ini kuputuskan untuk memasak gulai nangka muda, lagipula suamiku juga menyukainya.

Holiday is over, back to routine.... It was a very good holiday, we all had a good time. More culinary experience, more new things to discover and learn. 

As much as I enjoyed most dishes we had, I do miss our spicy food, so... today we cook spicy curried jack fruit that is popular in Restauran Gumarang. 

If you can not find fresh jack fruit ( if you are not in Asia), you can find it in most Asian Supermarket in  tins. It taste just as good but you don't need to boil it, just rinse it well.

Bahan-bahan yang dibutuhkan

You will need

500  gr nangka muda

            Jack fruit

3 sdm minyak untuk menumis bumbu

          tbsp cooking oil ( not olive oil)

Santan dari 1/2 butir kelapa

          100 ml thick coconut milk

1 L air

          1 L water

Bumbu yang dihaluskan

For the paste

10 butir bawang merah

             shallots ( or just 5 if they are big)

3 siung bawang putih

             clove garlic

1/2 sdt merica

             tsp pepper corn

5 biji cabe keriting ( dapat dikurangi atau ditambahi sesuai selera)

            red chili, or adjust to your liking

6 biji cabe merah kering (agar berwarna merah), rendam air hangat terlebih dahulu

           dried red chili

4 butir kemiri

           candle nut

3 buah asam sunti (jika tidak ada bisa diganti dengan asam gelugur, tapi biarkan utuh)

           Dried sour carambola, or you can replace anything to add the sour taste

3 cm jahe

          ginger

3 cm kunyit

         turmeric

Bumbu Utuh

Other ingredients

2 buah bunga lawang (pekak)

          star anise

2 butir kapulaga

          white cardamon

3 lembar daun salam

          salam leaves or subtitute with bay leaves

1 batang serai, memarkan

         stalk of lemon grass, bruised

4 cm lengkuas, memarkan

         galangar, bruised

Garam secukupnya

         salt to taste

Cara memasak

Preparation

• Potong kotak nangka muda, kemudian rebus, sampai nangka 1/2 matang
• Cut in small cube then boil until the fruit half done

• Tiriskan
• Drain and set aside

• Tumis bumbu yang sudah dihaluskan sampai harum, kemudian masukkan bumbu utuh lainnya. Aduk sebentar
• Saute the paste until fragrant (2 minutes) and add other solid ingredients
• Masukkan nangka muda aduk sebentar sampai bumbu merata.
• Put the fruit in and stir until all cover with the paste
• Tambahkan air, biarkan sampai mendidih kembali sampai nangka hampir masak
• Add the water and bring to a boil
• Masukkan santan, masak kembali sampai kuah mengental dan nangka masak.
• Put the coconut milk, stir well and simmer for 15 minutes or until the fruit is tender.

• Siap disajikan dengan nasi panas dan ikan asin....
• Ready to serve with steam rice....

Lemon Curd Tart

More recipe from Aunt Joe, her crust pastry is so easy and good. Great for mince pie, she always makes them and send them to us. In this recipe we only use butter, no lard. As I will find it difficult to find it where I live now, but the result is just as good. 

I took the opportunity to learn how to make her famous lemon curd, at the same time...and here it is the "lemon curd tart". The pastry is crumbly combine with tangy and rich lemon curd....yes we all love it.

You can replace the filling with any jam you like with the shape and size you prefer. I even think we can put savoury filling in it.

to make the pastry you will need

1 lb (450 gr) self raising flour
8 oz  (225 gr) fat or butter, diced
3 tbsp sugar
1 egg

(if you make only half recipe, you can omit the egg and replace with 50 ml ice cold water)

how to prepare it

Put all the ingredient into a bowl, chop with knife and rub with the tip of the finger to give air until resemble bread crumbs

Make a well in the middle, and put in the beaten eggs or ice cold water. Fold in gently with a fork

 mix with hand gently until forming a ball or nice dough

Preheat the oven 200 degree

Roll the ball on the board with rolling pin to  3 - 5 mm, sprinkle with flour occasionally

 cut it with the cutter to the size and shape you prefer

Place in baking tin or mold, with a fork make few holes, to stop it rising in the midle while cooking

Put in the oven 10 minutes or until golden

Put them cooling rack, set aside

 Lemon Curd is delicious, the smooth texture and tangy taste makes a perfect spread for your toast in the morning....(not for people with high cholesterol...)

You will need

12 oz (340 gr) unsalted butter
8 oz (225 gr)  sugar
4 eggs
3 - 4 lemons

Method

In a pan melt butter and sugar on medium heat until the sugar dissolve

Add on the lemon juice

Beat the eggs well, strain
Add very slowly and stir slowly and constantly the eggs in the pan, on a very low heat

(This is very crucial time, it might curdle if the heat if too hot)

When you see the sign of boiling, immediately take the pan out of the heat.

Leave it to cool for a few minute, before pouring it into sterilize jars.

It should keep in the fridge up to a month.