Gado-gado 3

 4 garlic cloves

1 lemongrass stalk

2 tbsp sambal oelek

2 small pieces galangal or peeled ginger

4 medium shalots

1/3 cup oil

2 tsp salt

7 tbsp sugar

1/2 tbsp sweet paprika

2 tbsp thick tamarind water

1 1/2 cups roasted unsalted peanuts

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup coconut milk

1 tsp turmeric

2 potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges

1/2 cabbage, in chunks

1 cup bean sprouts

1 cup green beans, trimmed

1 small cucumber, thickly sliced

4 hard boiled eggs, quartered

4 oz firm tofu, in slices

cassava chips or fried croutons or wonton skins

3 tbsp cilantro

fried shallots

Puree garlic, lemongrass, sambal, galangal, and shallots, adding a little oil if needed. Cook paste on low heat for 40-50 min or until the oil starts separating, stirring regularly. Add salt, sugar, paprika, and tamarind water. Cook 10 min more.

Crush peanuts roughly in a food processor, simmer with a little water 20-25 min or until the water has mostly evaporated. Add to the spice paste, then add coconut milk, keep warm.

Put turmeric in water, cook potatoes in turmeric water until tender, drain. Blanch cabbage for 1 min, blanch bean sprouts 30 sec, blanch green beans 4 min.
Pile everything together and serve.

Source: Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

Magadip

Aromatic Chicken

1/4 c. thin-sliced onion
2 tsp salt
1 c. water
1 tbsp coriander
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 2-inch cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 slice ginger (about 1 tsp)
One 3 1/2-lb chicken, cut into frying pieces (Dan's note: or just chicken cubes, or lamb cubes)

In a blender, make a smooth sauce of the onion, salt, and 1/2 c. water. Mix the spices (not the ginger) in a dry saucepan. Toast lightly over medium for about 2 minutes. Add the onion sauce and the rest of the water (1/2 cup) to the pan, along with the ginger and the chicken pieces. Cook over medium for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and half the sauce has evaporated.

Source: The Indonesian Kitchen by Copeland Marks with Mintari Soeharjo

Lapis Daging Bogor

Sliced Steak Fry

1/2 lb flank/sirloin steak, sliced thin
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c. thin-sliced onion
1 clove garlic, sliced thin
1 tbsp butter
1/4 c. water
1 tbsp sweet soy sauce
1 1-inch cinnamon stick
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 c. coarse-chopped tomato

Coat the steak slices with the egg. Fry the onion and garlic in the butter for 2 minutes. Add the steak, fry for 2 minutes more, or until the pink color begins to change. Then add the water, sweet soy sauce, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and tomato. Mix well, continue to fry for five minutes, or until sauce has thickened.

Source: The Indonesian Kitchen by Copeland Marks with Mintari Soeharjo

Mangut Ikan

Palembang Fish in Coconut Milk

1 lb Sea bass or other similar fish, cleaned, with tail and head intact (Dan's note: I've used salmon fillets too)
5 tbsp peanut or corn oil
1 tsp dried red hot chili
1 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 kemiri nuts, crushed
1/4 tsp shrimp sauce/paste
1 1/2 c. coconut milk
1/4 c. sliced onion
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 c. sliced red/green peppers
1/2 c. fresh/canned pineapple cubes
1 salam (bay) leaf
1 piece of laos (galangal)

Fry the fish in 1/4 c. oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side, or until crisp/brown. Remove and set aside.
In the blender, prepare a sauce of chili, coriander, cumin, salt, sugar, turmeric, kemiri, shrimp paste, and 1/2 c. coconut milk. Fry the paste in the remaining 1 tbsp oil for one minute.
Add onion, garlic, peppers, pineapple, salam, laos, and the rest of the coconut milk. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring well.
Add the fried fish to the sauce and cook, basting frequently, for 5 minutes. Sauce will thicken.

Source: The Indonesian Kitchen by Copeland Marks with Mintari Soeharjo

Tahu Kering

Soy bean cake fry

4 chinese tofu cakes
1/2 cup peanut or corn oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 c. sliced onion
2 semihot red chilies, sliced thin diagonally
1 salam (bay) leaf
1 piece laos (galangal)
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp tamarind, dissolved in 1 tbsp water
1 tbsp sweet soy sauce

Cut the tofu, 1/4 inch thick and 3/4 inch square. Fry in oil for 5-7 minutes or until light brown and dry. Set aside.
Remove all but 1 tbsp oil. Fry garlic, chilies, onion, salam, and laos until brown. Add tofu slices, sugar, salt, tamarind liquid, and sweet soy sauce. Fry for 5 more minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated and the flavors are distributed.

Source: The Indonesian Kitchen by Copeland Marks with Mintari Soeharjo

Sayur Lodeh

Eggplant Stew
1 red pepper, cubed
1/4 c sliced onion
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 salam (bay) leaf
1 piece galangal
1/4 tsp shrimp paste
1/2 tsp tamarind in 1 tbsp water
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 kemiri nut, crushed
1 cup chicken or beef broth
1 cup coconut milk
1 lb eggplant, in 1-inch cubes

Put everything except the coconut milk and the eggplant in a saucepan, boil, cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and the coconut, cook 10 more minutes, basting frequently.

Source: The Indonesian Kitchen by Copeland Marks with Mintari Soeharjo

Acar

Cucumber and potato salad

4 large potatoes (about 1 1/2 lb)
1/2 c. peanut or corn oil
5 hard-boiled eggs, yolks and whites separated
1/2 c. smooth or crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 c. water
3 c. peeled and thin-sliced cucumbers

Peel and slice potatoes into long, thin pieces. Fry in oil until brown and soft. Drain well, set aside.
Make the sauce by mixing egg yolks, peanut butter, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and water.
Slice egg whites, mix with cucumbers, potatoes, and sauce. Serve at room temperature.

Dan's note: This was mostly great, but a few times I'd get a bit of something that was really bitter and metallic and bad. I don't know what it was. ... look out for that.

Source: The Indonesian Kitchen by Copeland Marks with Mintari Soeharjo, p. 185-186

Sayur Manis

Coconut creamed vegetables

2 c. coconut milk
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 c. sliced onion
1 slice ginger (about 1 tsp)
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp salt
3 red or green semihot chilies, sliced in half
1 stalk lemon grass
1 lb long Chinese string beans, broken into 2-inch pieces
1 lb Chinese broccoli, stems trimmed and discarded

Put everything but the beans and broccoli in a saucepan, boil, add green beans, and simmer 5 minutes. Then add broccoli, cook 10 minutes. You can add some tomato cubes if you like.

Dan's note: it's pretty salty. I think that's the point. Keep the salt in, though, it makes it good.

Source: The Indonesian Kitchen by Copeland Marks with Mintari Soeharjo, p. 184-185

Sambal Goreng Tomat

Tomato Stew

1 lb ripe, firm tomatoes, cubed
1/4 c. sliced onion
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tsp dried red hot chili
2 tbsp peanut or corn oil
1 c. coconut milk
2 bay leaves
2 pieces of laos
1/4 c. dried shrimp, soaked for 10 minutes and drained
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. tamarind, dissolved in 1 tbsp water

Fry onion, garlic, and chili in oil. Add everything but the tomatoes. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, cook for 3 more minutes, basting frequently. Don't overcook; make sure the tomatoes stay firm.

Source: The Indonesian Kitchen by Copeland Marks with Mintari Soeharjo, p. 183-184

Orak arik jagung

Scrambled corn and assorted vegetables

2 tbsp thin-sliced onion
2 cloves thin-sliced garlic
1 tbsp peanut or corn oil
1/4 lb small shrimp
1/2 lb ground beef
1 green semihot chili, sliced thin
1 c. shredded cabbage or broccoli, in 2-inch pieces
2 scallions, sliced thin
12 oz corn (or a few ears' worth)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c. carrots, cut in matchsticks
2 eggs, beaten

Saute the onion and garlic in the oil for 1 minute. Add shrimp and beef, fry for 3 minutes or until beef browns.
Add everything but the eggs, fry for 5 minutes. Add the eggs, fry for 3 minutes more or until dry but not overcooked.

Source: The Indonesian Kitchen by Copeland Marks with Mintari Soeharjo

Sambal Goreng Ati

Chicken Livers Saute with Snow Peas

1/4 lb fresh snow peas
1 lb chicken livers
2 c. water
1/4 c. thin-sliced onion
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 tbsp peanut or corn oil
1/2 red sweet pepper, sliced thin
1 c. coconut milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp shrimp paste
2 salam (bay) leaves
1 piece of laos (galangal)
1 tsp tamarind, dissolved in 1 tbsp water
1 tsp dried red hot chili

String and refrigerate the peas in water, drain.
Boil the livers in water for 2 minutes. Drain and cut into lobes.
Fry onions and garlic for 1 minute, add the sweet pepper and fry for another minute. Add everything else but the peas. Cook 5 minutes, basting to distribute flavors. Add peas, cook for 2 minutes more.

Source: The Indonesian Kitchen by Copeland Marks with Mintari Soeharjo, p. 91

Veal sambal

Veal Sambal Recipe

http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipedetail2.jsp?recipe_no=23213

Ingredients:
2-lbs. lean veal stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups water
1 tsp. salt
2 carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled, sliced into thin sticks
2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 stalks celery, sliced into thin sticks
1/2 large red onion, quartered
1/2 large red onion, finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 large can diced tomatoes, undrained
4 large fresh Jalapeno peppers, seeded, finely chopped
2 large fresh fingerhot peppers, seeded, finely chopped
2 thumb-size pieces of fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped
1 tbs. lime juice
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 tbs. molasses
2 tbs. dark sesame oil
1 large mango, pureed
1 large bok choy, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 box of your favorite Oriental noodles, or spaghetti, cooked al dente.
Garnishes: cilantro sprigs, chopped peanuts, mango slices, tangerine
segments

Directions:
In a 4-quart pan, place the veal, water, salt, 4 cloves garlic, and large pieces of the celery, carrot, and onion. Bring to boil and simmer covered for 1 hour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat and chill until needed.

Strain the broth, discard the veggies, and wash the pan. Return the broth to the pan and reduce the volume to one cup.

Cook the pasta, drain, and add one tablespoon sesame oil to the noodles and toss to coat. Return noodles to the pot and cover until needed.

In the same 4-quart pan with the broth, add all of the remaining ingredients except the veal, sesame oil, mango, bok choy, and noodles. Stir well and adjust seasoning to your taste. Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except the noodles and toss the bok choy in the hot sauce until it is just wilted. Cover, and heat for a few minutes until the meat and sauce are hot.

Add the noodles to a large pasta serving bowl. Add the finished stew to the pasta and toss well. If desired, garnish with any or all of the above selections. Serves 4-6. Enjoy!

--
A stew featuring a fusion of Thai and Indonesian flavors. The very spicy Indonesian sambal sauce is tempered by a Thai tomato-mango base.

Dan's note: good. A little watery, but not really. If you just add the noodles (I used penne) to the broth, it just makes a big soup. But yeah, all the flavors work together well. And I didn't even have any sesame oil or molasses!

Tahu dan Tempe Bumbu Rujak

Tahu dan Tempe Bumbu Rujak
(Indonesian tofu & tempeh in spicy coconut sauce)

Yield: 4-6 servings
6-7 shallots, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, crushed
3-5 tbsp Sambal oelek
5-6 candlenuts or almonds
1 tbsp tamarind pulp
1 tsp turmeric powder

2-3 tbsp oil
3 stalks lemongrass, white part only, crushed with a mallet or knife
4-6 Kaffir lime leaves
1" piece Galangal, sliced into thin discs
1 lb tempeh, cubed
1 lb tofu, firm, cubed
2 cups coconut milk
2 tbsp sugar
salt, to taste

METHOD
Basic Steps: Puree ? Sauté ? Simmer

1. Place the shallots, garlic, sambal oelek, nuts, tamarind and turmeric into a blender or food processor and puree. Add a little water if necessary to bring the ingredients together.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or wok over medium high flame. Add the shallot puree and sauté till fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Add the crushed lemongrass and lime leaves and sauté 1-2 minutes more.
3. Add the tempeh, tofu and coconut milk. Season with sugar and salt, reduce heat and simmer until coconut milk has thickened, 15-20 minutes. Serve with rice.

VARIATIONS

* The cubed tofu can be deep-fried first if you like. Pre-fried tofu cubes can be found at many Asian markets.
* One medium-sized white onion can be substituted for the shallots.
* Use all tofu or all tempeh if you prefer.
* Ayam Bumbu Rujak: Use one chicken, about 2 1/2 lbs and cut into serving pieces, in place of the tofu and tempeh. The chicken can be browned first in hot oil if you like.
* Telur Bumbu Rujak: Use 6 or 7 hard-boiled eggs in place of the tofu and tempeh.

NOTES

* This simple vegetarian dish uses tempeh, a fermented soybean cake, that is popular in Indonesian cuisine.
* The lemongrass, lime leaves and galangal are for seasoning and are not meant to be eaten. They can be removed before serving if you like.
http://whats4eats.com/recipes/r_ve_tahutempebumbu.html

Dan's notes: I forgot the galangal. The lemongrass and lime leaves made it very lemoney, and that wasn't so good; I'd cut down the lemongrass.
It is good with one stalk of lemongrass and only a couple lime leaves, and all tofu, no tempeh.

Selada

Cucumber and Egg Salad

(Selada)

SERVES 4

This refreshing salad is commonly served at Minangkabau wedding ceremonies in Indonesia. Hard-to-find ingredients can be found at your local Asian market.

5 pickling cucumbers, peeled, trimmed, and
thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Peanut oil
2 medium waxy potatoes, peeled and thinly
sliced
4 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tsp. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar
2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled, whites and yolks
separated, both sliced
1 oz. raw shrimp chips, fried (Krispy Kritters)
1/2 oz. raw melinjo nut chips, fried (Krispy Kritters)

1. Toss cucumbers and 1 tsp. of the salt in a colander and set aside to drain for 1 hour. Meanwhile, pour oil into a deep skillet to a depth of 1" and heat over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in 2 batches, fry potatoes, stirring often, until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Fry shallots in same oil, stirring often, until deep golden and crisp, 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

2. Put vinegar, pepper, sugar, and the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt into a medium bowl. Squeeze out excess water from cucumbers, add to bowl, and toss well. Scatter egg whites over cucumbers, then scatter yolks, then potatoes, then shallots on top. Set salad aside at room temperature for 1 hour. Garnish each serving with fried shrimp and melinjo nut chips and serve with Steamed White Rice, if you like.
First published in Saveur, March 2002

Dan's notes: nice. Buy raw shrimp chips and fry them, it's awesome, they puff up super-fast. This got greasy, but just because I didn't really know how to fry the potatoes.

Sayur Lodeh

Sayur Lodeh
(Indonesian vegetables in coconut curry)

Yield: 4-6 servings
INGREDIENTS PREP AMOUNT
3 Tbsp oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp galangal or fresh ginger, minced
1-3 chili peppers, sliced
1 piece lemongrass, white part of stalk only, minced
1 tsp coriander seed, ground
1/2 tsp turmeric

Coconut milk 2 cups

1 potato, peeled, diced
1 carrot, peeled, sliced into rounds
1 cup green beans
1 onion thinly sliced

1 cup chinese or Napa cabbage, chopped
2-3 scallions, chopped in 1" pieces
Salt & pepper, to taste

METHOD
Basic Steps: Stir Fry ? Boil ? Simmer ? Season

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan or wok over medium flame. Stir fry first set of ingredients 2-3 minutes.
2. Add coconut milk and bring to a boil.
3. Add potatoes, carrots, green beans and onions. Lower heat and cover. Simmer till potatoes are almost cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.
4. Remove cover and add cabbage, scallions and salt and pepper. Simmer just till cabbage is tender, about 2-3 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve.

VARIATIONS

* You can substitute other vegetables if you like, just add the sturdier, longer cooking vegetables first and the more delicate vegetables in the second simmering. This prevents over or undercooking.
* Add some cubed tofu or some shrimp with the cabbage and scallions if you like.

NOTES

* This dish is also popular in Malaysia.

Dan's notes: All right, but kind of watery and bland. Might help to add some more flavorings (like cloves/bay leaf). Can't simmer longer, though, because the vegetables will get all soft.

Satay 2

Satay #2

Marinade for Chicken:
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts

Spicy Peanut Sauce:
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon red curry paste, or mussamun curry paste
2 teaspoons roasted chili paste (nahm prik pao; optional)
1/2 cup chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter or very finely ground peanuts
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice or tamarind liquid

About 60 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
Tangy Cucumber Pickles

Quick & Easy Thai
by Nancie McDermott from Chronicle Books

This dish looks inviting, tastes fantastic, and is fun to eat. To make in advance, marinate the meat, put the cucumber pickles together, make the sauce, and then cover and chill. Let your first guests skewer the meat and get it grilling while you gently reheat the peanut sauce. This way you will have time to make a quick batch of the traditional satay accompaniment: toast! Thais often serve satay with a side of toast points, the better to enjoy the fabulous peanut sauce.

Combine the coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, and curry powder in a large mixing bowl and stir well. Cut chicken thighs into generous, bite-sized chunks, and cut breast meat lengthwise into 1/2-inch strips. Add the meat to the marinade and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight.

To prepare the peanut sauce, bring the coconut milk to a gentle boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the curry paste and roasted chili paste and cook 4 to 5 minutes, mashing and stirring occasionally to dissolve them. Add the chicken broth, fish sauce, palm sugar, peanut butter, and lime juice and cook 1 minute more, stirring well to make a smooth sauce. Remove from heat, transfer to a small serving bowl, and set aside to cool. The sauce can be served warm or at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate, reheating gently just before serving time.

Thread meat onto tips of bamboo skewers, and cook on a lightly oiled, hot grill or under a broiler, turning often, until browned and cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Serve at once with the peanut sauce and Tangy Cucumber Pickles.

Dan's note: the peanut sauce is very good. Don't need the water, though, I don't think.

Satay

Satay

For marinade:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, (cut in large pieces)
1 tbsp ginger powder
2 garlic cloves (minced)
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Ketjap Manis- sweet soy sauce (thicker and sweeter than regular... found in an Asian grocery store. Or you can try to substitute something like 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp molasses, 1 tsp brown sugar, and 1 tsp water)
2 tbsp water

For peanut sauce:
2 tbsp oil
2-3 tsp cumin
1 onion
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 cup peanut butter (300g)
1 cup ketchup (300g)
milk or water
1 tsp ginger powder
Sambal Oelek (or other spicy pepper sauce) to taste

Slice the chicken into little chunks. Mix the marinade ingredients and marinate overnight, or at least for a couple hours. Grill the chicken on skewers, or just saute it if you don't have a grill.

To make the peanut sauce: heat the oil, add the cumin, then the onion, garlic, and 1 tsp Sambal Oelek. Cook for 5 minutes, add the peanut butter, cook for a few more minutes, and add the ketchup. Add some milk or water if it's too thick. Add the ginger and mix well.

Serve the chicken with the peanut sauce. You'll probably have a lot of peanut sauce left over. Eat it on just about anything- it's pretty good. Or just make less peanut sauce.

Sambal Goreng Telor

Sambal Goreng Telor

A traditional Indonesian egg dish served with a meal.
Ingredients:

5 Eggs
2 Tablespoon Oil
3 Shallots
2 cloves Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Trassi
1 red pepper
2 1/2 cm Galangal root
1 Bay or Salam leaf
1/2 teaspoon Tamarind paste
2 teaspoons Sugar
1/2 cup Coconut milk
100 gr. Shrimps
Preparation:

Hard boil eggs for 10 minutes. Heat oil in Wok or frying pan.
Fry diced Onion, Garlic, Trassi, Pepper and Galangal slowly for 10 Min.
Add Bay leaf, Tamarind, sugar, Coconut milk and œ cup of water and cook for 5 min. Add shrimps and slow cook for a further 5 min. Peel the eggs and heat through in the sauce. Slice eggs in halve lengthwise and arrange on dish.
Pour hot sauce over eggs and serve.

Dan's notes: Tasty, but nothing special. Tastes like the sum of its parts.

Sambal Goreng Kentang

Sambal Goreng Kentang
A very spicy side-dish or snack made from potatoes, mixed with onion, garlic and peppers.
Ingredients:

3 large potatoes
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon sambal oelek
1 dessertspoon palm sugar
1 dessertspoon tamarind paste
1 tablespoon kecap manis
1 dessertspoon chopped parsly
oil

Preparation:

Peel and halve the potatoes. Slice into thin slices or match-sticks. Wash and dry in a tea-towel. Deep fry until golden brown. Set aside.
Finely chop the onions and garlic. Soften in a frying pan or wok, add the sambal ulek, gula djawa, tamarind and kecap manis and fry for a further 3 minutes.
Mix in the potatoes and spoon into a serving dish, garnish with the chopped parsly and serve.
Notes:

For even quicker results the potatoes can be replaced with ready bought potatoe crisp or match-sticks.
The sambal ulek can be replaced with finely sliced chillies, which will have to be fried with the onions & garlic.
The palm sugar can be replaced with a dark brown, soft sugar.
The tamarind paste can either be extracted from a block of pulp, as discribed in my ingredients page, or you can use it from a jar of ready made paste.

Dan's note: tasty- they're superfried, of course they're tasty! But fried potatoes twice seems unnecessary. Maybe you could skip the first deep-frying, and just saute them with the sauce? Hmm...

Rendang Daging

Rendang Daging
(Indonesian beef simmered in coconut milk)

Yield: 4-6 servings
3 tbsp oil
1/2 cup onion or shallots
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3-20 chili peppers, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
2 lb. beef, chuck or round, cut into thin slices

4 cups coconut milk
2-3 rounds ginger or galangal
2 stalks lemon grass, bottom 3-4" only, pounded flat
1 tbsp sugar
salt, to season

1. Blend the onion, garlic, chilies, turmeric and salt to a puree in a food processor or blender. You may have to add a little water.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high flame. Add the onion puree and sauté till fragrant and excess water is cooked out. Add beef and continue to sauté till meat is lightly browned.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 1 1/2 to 3 hours, until beef is very tender and sauce is reduced to a thick gravy. It will be necessary to add a little water now and then if the sauce becomes too dry before the meat is tender.
4. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and sugar and serve with steamed rice or ketupat (rice cakes).

VARIATIONS

* Rendang Kambing: use lamb instead of beef.
* Rendang Ayam: use boneless chicken breasts or thighs.
* Rendang is typically made fiery hot with chilies. Adjust the amount to your liking.
* The onions and garlic can be eliminated. Simply mix all the rest of the ingredients together, skip the sautéing step, and simmer till the meat is tender.
* The following ingredients can be added with the onions and garlic if you like: toasted, shredded coconut, 2 tsp cumin, 2 Tbsp coriander.
* One or more of the following ingredients can be added with the coconut milk if you like: 3-4 kaffir lime leaves, 3-4 whole cloves, 1 tsp cinnamon, curry leaves, 1-2 Tbsp tamarind paste, 2-3 crushed kemiri (candlenuts), 1-2 slices ginger, 2-3 bay leaves.

NOTES

* Rendang is a "dry" meat curry that originated in the Padang cuisine of west-central Sumatra. It has become popular throughout the Indonesian archipelago as well as in Malaysia and Singapore. This intensely flavorful dish is often served on special occasions. The ingredients used to season it vary widely from region to region. Pick and choose as you like.
* The oil will probably separate from the coconut milk and rise to the top of the dish. While rendang is typically served fairly oily, you can skim excess from the top. Some cooks hold back half the coconut milk and stir it in toward the end to minimize oiliness.

Dan's notes: This is great. I added a couple cloves and a bay leaf. When it simmered way down it was really flavorful. It is really oily, though. I skimmed off a bunch of oil and it was still oily.