Ayam Kalasan (Javanese kalasan marinated chicken)

Ayam kalasan is one of my favorite Javanese cuisines that has sweet flavour and  aromatic scent.  The sweetness comes from coconut water that used to simmer the chicken. 

Chicken becomes tender and moist because the double cooking processes.
Let´s now start the cooking :)

a sweet flavor and an aromatic scent.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_8399390_marinate-chicken-coconut-milk.html

a sweet flavor and an aromatic scent.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_8399390_marinate-chicken-coconut-milk.html

Ayam Kalasan (6 serves)
Ingredients:
2 kg chicken thigh (marinated in lemon juice)
1 L coconut water 
+++Tips: as substitute for coconut water, you can use 200 ml of canned coconut milk (of 60%-70% coconut extract), 1 tbsp palm sugar (or granulated sugar) and 800 ml water. +++

100 gr peeled shallots ( ca. 15 asian shallots)
40 gr peeled garlic (ca. 9 cloves)
2,5 cm fresh ginger or 1 tbsp (teaspoon) ground ginger
5 cm fresh galangal or 2 tbsp (tablespoon) ground galangal
3 salam leaves or bay leaves
6 kaffir lime leaves *** 
3 stalks lemongrass  or 1,5 tbsp ground lemongrass
1 tsp ground black pepper

Salt
Vegetable oil 

Method:
1. Crush lemongrass, galangal and ginger. Then take out the center vein from kaffir lime 
    leaves.
2. Mash shallots and garlic
3. Heat cooking oil over medium heat and sauté all the spices until fragrant.
4. Add coconut water and bring to a boil over medium - high heat.
5. Once the coconut water has boiled, place the chicken in the pot and add black pepper
    and 4 tbsp salt.
6. Lower the heat and cook the chicken in a simmer.
7. About 30 min the chicken is done. Don´t forget to drain the chicken before frying it.
8. Fry the chicken over medium heat about 5-10 min until it becomes golden brown or
    roast the chicken in preheated oven (150°C/302°F, fan forced) about 20-25 min.
+++Tips: After 15-20 min roasted in oven, add some sweet soy sauce to the chicken to
make it tastier.+++
9. Served with rice, your favorite raw veggies and sambal (chilli sauce).
 
Note:
a. We can use the rest of broth to make marinated tempe/tofu (bacem tempe or bacem
    tofu).
b. Ingredient with sign `***´ mean that they can be skipped because some of them are
    hard to find.

I think, it is so simple to make this full of flavor dish!
So let me know your opinion :)

Kue Dadar Gulung (Pandan Crepes roll with coconut filling)

These sweets is originated in Java.  Green colour of the crepes comes from pandan extract, which gives such a contrast with brown colour of the coconut filling mixed with javanese palm sugar.  Not to mention an exotic and fresh aroma that came from the combination of pandan, palm sugar and grated coconut. So heavenly :)

I was simply curios about the difference between the usage of pantan paste and homemade pandan extract.  That is why I´ve made some experiments, with these two food colourings option.

Now we come to the recipe, 

Dadar Gulung
Serve: 15-18 pieces

Ingredient:
For batter:
300 gr all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt 
2 eggs
200 ml coconut milk 60% coconut extract (as substitute: milk 3,8% fat)
500 ml water

For food colouring:
1 tsp of pandan paste/ green food colouring
or
Homemade pandan extract:
12 pandan leaves
200 ml water (reduce the amount of water from batter´s ingredient) 
method: 

• Cut the leaves into small pieces
• Using blender or food processor blend the leaves with 200 ml water (water from batter´s ingredient)
• strain the pandan extract

For filling
200 gr fresh grated coconut or unsweetened desiccated coconut (coconut flake)
180 gr palm sugar (or granulated sugar)
500-600 ml water
1 pinch of salt
1 stick cinnamon
pandan leaf (optional)

Vegetable oil or margarine

Cooking method:

1) For coconut crepes: 

• Combine flour, salt, eggs, coconut milk and water. Beat well.  Then add 1 tsp pandan paste or homemade pandan extract. Whisk until smooth. Set aside (better if you let it rest to 1 hour).
• Grease an 8-inch or 20 cm non stick pan with vegetable oil or margarine and heat over medium heat.
• Pour 3 tbsp of batter into hot pan, swirl the pan to distribute the batter evenly, to make sure you spread the batter into thin layer.
• Fry for a minute (until you can see craters on your crepe and the edges already hardened) then turn over and fry for another 30 seconds.

2) For coconut filling:

• Mix sugar, coconut flake or grated coconut, salt, water, cinnamon stick and pandan leaf.  If fresh grated coconut is used, halve the amount of water in filling´s ingredient (250-300 ml).
• Cook the mixture over low to medium heat, stirring continuously until all the sugar has melted and the mixture is dry.
• Take out the cinnamon stick. Set aside.

3) Place 2 tbsp coconut filling on the edge of crepe nearest to you and fold them like you 

    make an envelope and roll. Serve best when it is warm.

I prefer the crepes with homemade pandan extract, they have more natural colour and taste more delicious:)

Note: If you produce too much crepes, they can be stored in the fridge. Before serving, warm the crepes in the oven or microwave.

Kue Onde Onde ( Sesame ball)

This Chinese pastry is crispy outside yet chewy inside with sweetened mung bean paste as filling.  It is called onde-onde in Indonesia . In many asian countries like China, Vietnam and Philippine, sesame balls can be found with different names and also variety in filling. 

You can buy onde-onde in almost every asian store in Germany which costs 0,90 cent/piece.  

Because I can´t get enough of this lovely pastry, I try to make it at home.  And when it comes to homemade onde-onde, there is a challenge, that it could cracked or exploded while you deep fry it. We will get tho this challenge further, after I share the recipe.

serve: 10-12 pieces

Ingredients: 

For the filling :

refer to my last post mung bean recipe 

ca. 25 gr for each filling ball

For the Dough:

200 gr glutinous rice flour

30 gr white rice flour

60 gr mashed potato

60 - 70 gr sugar ( ca. 5 tbsp)

2 pinch of salt

150 - 200 ml warm water (depend on on the quality of the glutinous flour)

50 gr white sesame seeds

Cooking oil for frying

Cooking method:

1. Dissolve sugar and salt in 100 ml warm water. Set a side.
+++Tips: The amount of sugar is an important factor to avoid dough cracking accident  while frying.  It should  
     be around 1: 3 of the glutinous flour ammount.  For you guys who wants not to sweet dough, just
     reduce the sugar but becareful while frying.+++

2. In a mixing bowl, mix the glutinous rice flour, white rice flour and mashed potato.

3. Gradually add syrup and the rest of water and knead the mixture until it forms a 
    smooth non sticky dough.

4. Divide dough into 10 -12 equal portions. (ca.35 gr for each ball) and form it into ball 
    shape

5. Flatten the dough, the edges of dough should be thinner than the middle.

6. Place the mung bean ball  in the middle, wrap the dough around the filling ball by   

    pinching the edges together and then roll it into a ball shape.
+++Tips: From many trials, the filling ball size should be around 2 : 3 of the dough.  In this case my filling ball 
      is ca. 25 gr and the dough ca. 35 gr.+++

7. Coat the ball with sesame seeds.  

+++Tips: Place 2 tbsp sesame seeds and the balls into plastic bag, then shake and roll it to 

     coat thoroughly.  Don't forget to give some pressure so that the sesame seeds will stick to the balls.
     In my experience, 2 tbsp sesame seeds are enough to coat 4 balls.+++

8. Over medium heat deep-fry the sesame balls. Keep rolling the sesame balls while 

    deep-frying. After the balls float to the top you should reduce the heat little bit and 
    keep rotating the balls. When the balls turn brown remove them from oil and let them 
    rest on paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

+++Tips:

• To check if oil is ready to use, dip a chopstick in the oil or drop some sesame seeds in it, if it forms bubbles, the oil is hot enough.
• Do not over crowd pan, so there is enough room to rotate the balls during deep frying.
• The balls could cracked or exploded during deep frying. To avoid this, make sure the heat levels at medium. You may also keep rotating the balls during frying. If you apply too low heat,onde-onde will be greasy.+++

9. Serve onde-onde while it is still warm, but becareful, you don't want to burn your tongue :)  

I admit, it is so challenging to make onde-onde.  Don't get traumatic just because of the cracking thing.  Don't worry, it is still tasty even though cracked.  

Cracked Onde-Onde

So let me know your experience with homemade onde-onde.

Mung Bean Paste (Pasta Kacang Hijau)

In many asian cuisines, beans like black bean, red bean and mung bean are used as ingredient such as filling in asian pastry. Bean paste gives a creamy sweet taste. The smooth texture in your mouth can make you fly over the moon:)

If you are living in western country, you can find canned prepared bean paste in local asian store, but the taste would not be the same as the homemade one.  I always make my own bean paste and I'd like to share how I make bean paste.

In my Youtube video I used mung bean. You can also apply this recipe to red bean as well as black bean.  Please keep in mind, when you use other than split peeled mung bean, it would take much time and effort to prepare the paste. I will add some tips with ''+++'' sign, how to handle it.

Ingredients:
175 gr peeled mung bean
100-120 gr sugar (personal choice)
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp vegetable cooking oil
Water
Pandan leaf (optional)

Cooking method:
1)Clean the bean (rinse the beans with water 2 times) 
2)Soak the bean overnight or minimum for 2 hours 
3)Boil the mung bean with low heat (simmering)
  The amount of water we use, enough to cover all the mung bean (not to much) 
  Water´s height should ca. 1 cm above the mung bean surface
+++ If you use other than split peeled mung bean +++
     You will need more water, the best ratio would be 1 : 3 ( 1 portion of bean : 3 
     portion  of water).
     Cook it with medium to high heat. (But not forget to check the water content)
4)Add pandan leaf (this is optional, just for the sake of aroma)
5)Stir and check water content, if the water is already reduced, you   
  should lower the heat. Take out the pandan leaf.
6)Add sugar, salt and vegetable oil
7)Mash with hand blender (or you can use spoon), if it soaked         
  overnight, you can skip this process
  The paste at this time is thinner, so you can increase the heat, but keep on 
  stirring
8)If the paste is thickened, lower the heat. Keep stirring until you 
  have the right consistency and then remove it from heat and let it   
  cool down
9)Transfer it into an airtight container or into a jar and store in 
  the fridge

This paste will last 5-7 days in the fridge

+++ Of course you can use the paste as filling directly, but if you want a better result (as   
      filling, the bean paste should be firm enough), here are some tips for you +++
      It should be cooled down at room temperature first, then portion the paste on to 
      desired size, and let it sit in the fridge for 30-60 min before you use it as filling

Soto Ayam Medan (Medanese Chicken Broth with Coconut Milk)

Since I'm living in Germany, the homesick feeling force me to cook Indonesian food.  

But then I start to enjoy cooking. I love to cook dishes, which we (I and my husband) missed the most.  One of it is soto ayam medan, which is a chicken broth with coconut milk and lots of spices.  

To make your loved one happy is one of the greatest feeling in the world.  That is the reason  why I try to make this dish as original as possible (containing all of the spices that some are hard to find in Germany). After several trials, even though still lack of some spices, I could make soto ayam that has close taste as the original one. So for you guys, who live in western country, where spices are hard to find.  I will put some spices with ‘***’ sign, which means they can be skipped, if you can’t find it.

Now its time to share!

My soto ayam Medan  recipe (6-8 serves)

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken thigh
1500 ml water

400 ml coconut milk (68%)

2 stalks lemongrass, outer layers discarded, bottom part crushed or 1 tbsp ground lemongrass

6 kaffir lime leaves *** 

6 salam leaves or bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick ***

2 star anise pods ***

3 cardamom ***

3 cloves ***

Vegetable oil 

Salt

Sugar

Spice paste

60-75 gr peeled shallots ( ca. 10-12 asian shallots)
30 gr peeled garlic (ca. 5-6 cloves)
3 candlenuts, roughly chopped
1 inch (2,5 cm) fresh galangal, peeled and sliced or 1tbsp (tablespoon) ground galangal
1,5 cm fresh ginger, peeled and slice or 1 tsp (teaspoon) ground ginger

Ground spices
1 tsp ground cumin ***
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp ground turmeric or 2 cm fresh turmeric, peeled, sliced, grind

Condiments : 

Egg, bean sprout, glass noodles, potatoes, lime, spring onion, fried shallots

Method:

1. Grind all the spice paste to a smooth paste in a mortar or food processor.   Add one to two tbsp vegetable oil or water if needed to keep the mixture turning.

2. Heat cooking oil in a soup pot over medium heat and sauté the spice paste until fragrant.

3. Add lemongrass, lime leaves, bay leaves, cinnamon, anise, cardamom, cloves and chicken. Stir fry until the paste completely coats the chicken, ca. 1 minute.  Then, add water and bring to a boil. 

4. Add 1 1/2 tbsp salt and 1 tbsp sugar into the pot. (#optional: add some chicken stock).

5. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes (#optional: add potato). 

6. At this time chicken (and potato) is tender and cooked thoroughly.  Add coconut milk bring to a boil again.  

7. Take the chicken (and potato) out from the pot. Adjust the seasoning with more salt or sugar ( or chicken stock) as desired and turn off the heat.  The soto soup is done!

8. Shred the chicken meat and stir fry it.

9. Prepare the condiment:

• 6-8 eggs, hard boiled, cut in half
• 100 gr bean sprout, soaked in hot water for 5 min, drained
• 100 gr glass noodles, soaked in hot water until tender, drained
• 250 gr potatoes, boiled cut into small pieces, stirred
• 3 pcs tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 2 pcs limes, cut into wedges
• spring onions, finely chopped

10. Arrange the shredded chicken meat and other condiments in a bowl and serve.


Note:

1. Some ingredients with sign `***´ mean that they can be skipped because some of them are hard to find. Without those spices, your soto will still turn out to be OK.  
2. Actually, I prefer to use less of cumin or not all. Because I don't like the smell of this spice.
3. When it comes to canned coconut milk, there are two types of it. A thicker type is about 48% to 68% coconut Extract. In asian local store in Germany, I can find the thinner types like 6%, 17% and 30% extract.  

If you try this recipe, I would be very happy to hear from you guys.  

Let me know your experience.