Vegetables and Fruits – KiosKana

Poached Pears in Spiced Red Wine

Rurie — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:42:21 +0000

I made this for Christmas lunch dessert, it was easy (remember easy is my middle name) but with a stunning result as if you spent a lot of time on it. Well actually what I needed to do was peel the pears and boil them with the rest of ingredients for couple of hours.

Ingredients:

– 1 vanilla pod

– 1 bottle red wine (use the cheapest one, it doesn’t really matter)

– 225 gr caster sugar

– 1 cinnamon stick, halved

– 1 thyme spring (I didn’t use it)

– 6 pears, peeled but kept whole with stalk intact

Directions:

Halve the vanilla pod lengthways, scrape out the black seeds and put in a large saucepan with the wine, sugar, cinnamon and thyme. Cut each piece of pod into three long thin strips, add to pan, then lower in the pears.
Poach the pears, covered, for 20-30 mins, making sure they are covered in the wine. The cooking time will very much depend on the ripeness of your pears – they should be tender all the way through when pierced with a cocktail stick. You can make these up to 2 days ahead and chill.
Take the pears from the pan, then boil the liquid to reduce it by half so that it’s syrupy (I didn’t do this I actually like the syrupy part). Serve each pear with the cooled syrup, a strip of vanilla, a piece of cinnamon and a small thyme sprig.

Source: BBC GoodFood

(Masbar) – Nasi Ayam Bali (Balinese Mixed Rice with Chicken)

Rurie — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 00:05:25 +0000

In Bali there are many delicacies that you have to try including this famous Nasi Ayam. There are many places where you can savour this dish and each warung (food stall) will have their own variation but the main theme still would be deliciously spicy chicken dishes. Make sure you wouldn’t miss this next time you visit paradise island of Bali.

My nasi ayam consists of:

– Steamed white rice

– Jukut Urap (Balinese Vegetable Salad with Coconut Dressing)

– Telor Pindang (Boiled Marbled Egg)

– Tum Ayam (Balinese Steamed Chicken in Banana Leaves)

– Ayam Pelalah (Balinese Spicy Shredded Chicken)

– Siap Mesanten (Chicken in Coconut Milk Sauce)

– Sambal Matah (Balinese Raw Sambal)

– Kacang Goreng (Fried Peanuts)

I have indeed posted all the other recipes except Siap Mesanten and Telor Pindang, if you would like to find out the other recipes, just click on the link above.

This Siap Mesanten recipe came from my best friend in Indonesia. We have known each other since the 1st grade of SMP (Junior High School), and yes it’s been a long time. As I write this I remember all the memories, all the ups and downs we’ve passed through together. Now she is a mom with two beautiful daughtesr as well a super great home cook especially with Balinese dishes. Yes I miss her dearly (and her cooking too) ^^

Siap Mesanten

Ingredients:

– 300gr chicken pieces

Base siap:

– 2 cloves garlic, bruised

– 2 cm turmeric, bruised

– 1/2 tsp salt

– Sprinkle of sugar

Base Kele:

– 1 tsp black pepper

– 3 cloves garlic

– 1 cm lesser galangal

– 2 cloves candlenuts

– 2 lime leaves

– 2 salam leaves

– 1 lemongrass, bruised

– Sambal Embe

– 200 ml thick coconut milk

– 2 tsp vegetable oil

Directions:

– Boil chicken pieces base siap and enough water to cover the chicken pieces until done, set it aside

– Pound Base kele ingredients until smooth except the leaves and lemongrass.

– Heat vegetable oil in a pan and fry pound spices until fragrant and done.

– Pour thick coconut and let it boil. Add chicken pieces with some of the broth.

– Let it cooked until done, adjust the taste.

– Serve with sambal embe.

Telor Pindang

Ingredients:

– 6 eggs

– 1 daun jati (teak leaves) (I didn’t have these instead I used 4 black tea bags)

– 2 tbsp shallots skin

– 1 galangal, bruised

– 2 salam leaves

– 1 lemongrass, bruised

– 1 tbsp salt

– Sprinkled of sugar

Directions:

– In a deep pan placed all ingredients along with enough waters to cover the eggs.

– Boil for 15 minutes until the eggs is hard, take the egss one by one while continue cooking. Tap the egg gently on a surface until it cracked but the skin still intact with the egg, return to the pan.

– Continue cooking with low fire for 1 hour until water has evaporated, peeled and ready to eat.

(MasBar) Pisang Rai (Balinese Boiled Banana with Grated Coconut)

Rurie — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:21:06 +0000

When I was making the batter for this dish yesterday, Masbul thought immediately whether I was making pisang goreng (fried banana). The batter for this dish was indeed similar with the one for pisang goreng but instead of frying the batter, we boiled it. This dish is not as popular as it’s fried version, I suppose Indonesians prefer fried snack than boiled. It’s too bad since I find it’s as nice as pisang goreng while being not too heavy and greasy but nevertheless Masbul made a point after having tasted this dish that he prefered pisang goreng than this one. *Sigh

For 2 portions:

– 1 banana (if you could grab plantain, that’s even better)

– 75 gr rice flour

– 100-150ml water

– Some drops of pandan essence

– 1 pandan leaf

– Steamed grated coconut (I used instant grated coconut)

– Pinch of salt

Directions:

– Cut banana into bite size pieces. Mix rice flour, salt, pandan essence and water into thick consistency.

– Coat banana generously with the batter, meanwhile boil a pan of water with the pandan leaf.

– When the water has boiled, dip the banana batter and boil with low fire for approximately 10 minutes.

– Drain with slotted spoon and served with steamed grated coconut.

Orak Arik Sayur Asin (Stir Fry Pickled Green Mustard)

Rurie — Sun, 09 May 2010 20:52:40 +0000

I usually have some ideas of what to cook in the weekend when I go to the market and decide on what do we want to eat that particular week, but being a spontaneous girl that I am (or at least I tried) I always manage somehow to slip out from my list. Like that day I saw this recipe and I was so intriqued by what Mbak Rachmah has said there, savory, sweet and sour, spicy, how can you say no to food sounds so good like that. I just HAD to try it myself and good that the ingredients were not difficult to find on my pantry and fridge.

Serves 4 persons

Ingredients:

– 1 small package of pickled mustard green, drained and cut into bite sized pieces
– 1 small package of mung bean vermicelli (soaked in hot water and drained)

– 1 egg

– 50 gr minced meat (if you don’t have it on hand, just omit this)

– 2 green chili, sliced

– 5 bird’s eye chili, sliced

– 3 shallots

– 3 garlic

– 2 tbsp kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)

– 2 tbsp soy sauce

– 3 tbsp vegetable oil

– Salt

– Sugar

Directions

– Pound shallot and garlic until smooth. Heat oil and fry pounded spice until fragrant.

– Add mincet meat, fry until the meat turned color, add egg.

– Add soy sauce, green chili, bird’s eye chili, fry until the chili are wilted.

– Add pickled green mustard, add salt and sugar, fry with high fire, mix nicely and turn the fire low.

– Add mung bean vermicelli and kecap manis, adjust the taste to your liking.

Source: Rachmah Setyawati

(Masbar) Crisp Spinach Tart

Rurie — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:47:00 +0000

Everytime I found a recipe that I thought was interesting and worth to try I always always managed to change them whether it’s slightly or radically. Like this recipe, it supposed to contain squash served on the side but since I was not a fan of squash and lazy to do it I just omitted it. Besides that there were also some other ingredients that I replaced with something else or completely removed. For the original recipe, just click on the link.
But all in all my “creativity” paid off, an easy quick yet satisfying meal. And since the food didn’t look that bad to look at, I thought we could also take it to a party or pot luck party, therefore this is my contribution for this month’s Masbar, a virtual pot luck party for Indonesian food blogger. If you would like to join us, do click here

Ingredients:
– 3                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           eggs, beaten
– 250g                                                                                                                                                                                                                            tub ricotta (I used garlic cream cheese)
– 200g                                                                                                                                                                                                                            frozen leaf                                                                                                                                                                  spinach                                                                                                                                        , defrosted, squeezed dry and chopped
– 1                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     spring onion                                                                                                                                                            , finely sliced
– ½ a 145g tub                                                                                                                                                                                                                  fresh basil                                                                                                      pesto
– ½ a 240g pack                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     SunBlush tomatoes                                                                                                  in oil, roughly chopped (omitted)
– 270g                                                                                                                                                                                                                            pack                                                                                                                            filo pastry
– knob of                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                butter                                                                                                                     , melted                                                
Directions:
 – Mix together the eggs and ricotta (garlic cream cheese), then add the spinach, spring onion and pesto.
– Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.  Unwrap the pastry and cover with a just-damp piece of kitchen paper.
– Brush the butter mixture over 1 sheet of pastry, then place in a 23cm tart tin. Brush another piece of pastry with butter and place slightly further around the tin. Keep brushing and lining the tin (keeping the pastry covered when not using) until you have used up the pack and the tin is completely covered. Trim away any pastry overhanging the edges of the tin, then bake for 5-10 mins until starting to crisp. Spoon the spinach mixture into the tin and scatter with the tomatoes. Cook for 20-25 mins moreuntil the tart is set.
Source: www.bbcgoodfood.com

Bakwan Jagung (Indonesian Corn Fritter)

Rurie — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:37:00 +0000

According to Wikipedia, corn is no. 3 most important crop in the world after wheat and rice. In Indonesia where the soil is not suitable for growing rice, they grow and eat corn as a main source of carbohydrate. Meanwhile in Java we eat rice as a main source of carbohydrate and make corn into something else like this tasty corn fritter.
Ingredients:
– 2 corn on the cob (remove the kernels from the corn and use the edge of a spoon to scrape the sides of the cob to remove any remaining pulp). If you couldn’t find fresh corn, canned corn would do too.
– 1 stalk sprint onion, finely sliced
– 1 stalk Asian celery, finely sliced
– 3 lime leaves, julienne
– 1 red chili, finely sliced
– 1 egg
– 5 tbs flour (or more depending on the consistency of the batter)
– Some water
– Vegetable oil for frying
Spice paste:
– 3 shallots
– 3 garlic
– 1 tsp coriander
– Salt
– Sugar
– Pepper
Directions:
– Pound spice paste ingredients until smooth.
– Mix corn with spice paste, spring onion, Asian celery, chili, lime leaves and egg. Add water and flour until desired consistency, the batter should be somewhat thick.
– Heat vegetable oil in the pan, drop the batter with a tablespoon and fry each side for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
Source: My mother

(Masbar) Serombotan (Balinese Mixed Vegetables with Two Sauces)

Rurie — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:14:00 +0000

Time for masbar again and this month’s theme is really healthy and also real nice. Why healthy because it’s vegetable and nice because it’s Indonesian. Oh how I love Indonesian food (lebay-mode-on).
Talking about this dish, it’s really popular in Bali. It’s originated from the eastern part of Bali which is Klungkung but you could easily find it in other part of Bali. I used to buy it for just Rp. 1000,00 a package (though not sure about the price now?) at the pasar senggol (night market) and it was more than enough for two persons to accompany rice.
I warn you though, if you’re not so fond of -oh-darn-it’s-so-hot-makes-my-mouth-on-fire-kinda-food- then better ask less of the sambal koples (peanut sauce). But for me the hotter the better.
Oh how I miss Bali….sob sob…..

For 4-6 persons

Ingredients:
– 750 gr of mixed vegetables such as; yard long beans, water spinach, bean sprouts, spinach, winged beans, cut, cleaned and blanched
– 100 gr green aubergine
– 50 gr pigeon pea (kacang gude) (I used red beans), boiled
– 50 gr fried peanuts
– 50 gr short bean sprouts, washed
– 50 gr soy beans, boiled

For the Sambal Koples (Peanut Sauce)
– 75gr roasted peanuts
– 3 red chili
– 2 tsp dried shrimp
– Juice of 1 leprous lime (or kaffir lime if unavailable)
– 100 ml water
– 100 ml coconut oil
– Salt

For the Sambal Kelapa (Coconut Sauce)
– 1 garlic, finely chopped
– 2 cm fresh galangal, finely chopped
– 2 cm fresh lesser galangal, finely chopped
– 3 red chili, finely chopped
– 10 bird’s eye chili, finely chopped (less or more depending on your taste buds)
– 1 tsp dried shrimp
– 1 tsp palm sugar
– Salt
– 150gr freshly grated coconut

Directions:
– To make the peanut sauce, use a pestle and mortar (me: food processor) to pound the peanuts, chilies and shrimp paste into a fine paste. Add the lime juice, water, coconut oil and a little bit of salt and mix well.
– To make the coconut sauce, use a pestle and mortar to pound the garlic, galangal, lesser galangal, chillies, shrimp paste, sugar and a little salt to a paste. Mix in the grated coconut.
– Just before serving, mix the vegetables and sauces together.

Source: Adapted from The Bali Cookbook by Lonny Gerungan

Lontong Sumpil (Eastern Javanese Spicy Vegetable Soup in Coconut Milk with Rice Cake)

Rurie — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:45:00 +0000

A really humble dish from my mother’s hometown in Blitar. It is usually sold in pair with Pecel Punten. A dish that I would always buy or beg my aunt to make when I go there. A sort of comfort food if you may say.
But weirdly since I live here I could cook dishes I never imagine I could cook by myself not even in a million years now that is a good side of living 12.000km away from home. Life is not that bad right You just have to make the most of it.
Back to my dish, I enjoyed it while sitting in my balcony, the sun was shining, the wind was caressing me gently. I closed my eyes and just imagined sitting in the kitchen of my aunt’s house back in Blitar.

For 4-5 people

Rice Cake

Ingredients:
– I used 1 instant rice cake in plastic sachet but of course you are free to use your own method of making rice cake.
– 1 tsp kapur sirih (lime stone) dissolved in a little bowl of water

Directions:
– Boil rice cake in lots of water along with the lime stone water for 2 hours until rice cake is done.
– Cooled rice cake in a colander.

Sayur Lodeh

Ingredients:
– 200 gr Kacang Merah, soaked overnight (adzuki beans, haricot rouge, red bean, Vigna angularis) In Indonesia we usually use kacang tolo (Vigna unguiculata) but I couldn’t find that but the red bean tasted just as nice.
– 200 gr long beans, cut 2 cm long
– 12pcs shallots
– 6pcs garlic
– 3 red chilies (more or less depending on personal taste buds)
– 2 bird’s eye chili (more or less depending on personal taste buds)
– 2 cm galangal bruised
– 3 pcs salam leaves
– 1 tsp salt
– 1/2 tsp dried shrimp paste
– 1/2 tsp sugar
– 2 tsp dried shrimp (ebi) fried
– 200 ml thick coconut milk
– 1 ltr water (more or less depends on how thick or thin you want the end result)
– some oil for stir frying

Directions;
– Grind shallots, garlic, chilies, salt, dried shrimp paste, sugar, dried shrimp into a paste.
– Fry spice paste until fragrant, add galangal and salam leaves.
– Add water and coconut milk, wait until it boils.
– Add kacang merah then after five minutes add long beans.
– After the vegetable is soft add fried tofu.
– Stir now and then and cook until it’s all done.
– It’s even better to eat the next day of cooking.

Feel free to mix and match vegetable of your choice ie; jackfruit, labu siam (chayote), bamboo shoot.

Bubuk Kedelai (Soy Bean Powder)

Ingredients:
– 200 gr soy bean, soaked for 1-2 hours
– 2 clove garlic, sliced and deep fried
– 2 kaffir lime leaves
– 2 cm lesser galangal
– 1 tsp salt

Directions:
– Panbroil soy bean, kaffir lime leaves, lesser galangal until dry and soy bean is done.
– Grind in a food processor until smooth, add fried garlic and salt.
– Sieve with a colander to get a smoother result.

Finishing
– Cut rice cake into bite size pieces, top with vegetable.
– Sprinkle with soy beans powder.
– Serve with krupuk kampung (optional)

Source: My mother

Rujak Kuah Pindang Gula (Balinese Fruit Salad in Pindang Water and Palm Sugar Sauce)

Rurie — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 21:26:00 +0000

Looking for a controversial dish. This could be the one And why is that? If you could guess from the title, this was made from pindang water (fish in brine). The taste and the smell of pindang water is so distictive. Usually only native Balinese (from the southern part, Denpasar and the sorrounding) would like this one, even a Balinese friend of mine who was from western part wasn’t fond of this food. But I grew up in Bali since I was 5 until I was 25 so I grew up with this too. It’s a dish that you either would hate it or love it. For me I love it to bits.

For 2 persons

Ingredients:
– Your choice of favorite fruit; mango, pineapple, jicama, water apple, cucumber etc. (in Bali usually unripe green mango is being used, but it’s difficult to find here)
– 3 bird’s eye chili (less or more depending on your taste buds)
– 1/2 tsp grilled dried shrimp paste
– Pinch of salt
– 1 tbs Indonesian palm sugar
– 150 ml pindang water

Directions:
– Cut vegetable into bite size pieces.
– Pound chili, palm sugar, salt and dried shrimp paste until smooth.
– Pour in pindang water, mix well.
– Pour over the fruit.
– Also lekker to eat with krupuk

Note:
Pindang water could be easily bought in Bali but for us who couldn’t buy it, we could make it ourselves, it’s real easy
– 500 gr Indian mackerel (or other kinds of mackerel)
– 5 tbs coarse salt
– 2 tbs tamarind
– 4 garlic, bruised
– 1.5 liter water

– Boil all ingredients until fish is done, cool down the pindang water before using.
– You could fry the fish to accompany rice

Source of pindang making : Eni (or rather your mother, right En )

Rujak Petis Surabaya (Surabayanese Mixed Salad with Shrimp Paste Peanut Sauce)

Rurie — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:51:00 +0000

Actually real version of this dish is Rujak Cingur, but since I didn’t use any cingur (cow’s nose that is :P) I couldn’t use the same title.

For 4 persons

Ingredients:
– 100gr bean sprout
– 100 gr water spinach
– 150 gr long beans
– 1 block of tofu
– 1 block of tempe
– 1 cucumber
– 1 jicama
– 1 mango
– 1 pineapple
– Shrimp cracker
– Rice cake

For the Sambal Petis:
– 100gr fried peanuts
– 2 bird’s eye chili (less or more depending on your taste buds)
– 1 tsp tamarind water
– 2-3 tbs petis udang (shrimp paste)
– 1/2 tsp terasi (dried shrimp paste)
– Some shredded palm sugar
– Some water
– Salt

Directions:
– Cut, cleaned and blanced the vegetables.
– Cut and deep fried tofu and tempe.
– Cut and cleaned the fruits.
– Pound the sambal petis ingredients in a pestle and mortar. Adjust the taste to your liking.
– In a plate put some rice cake, vegetables, tofu and tempe, fruits. Topped with sambal petis.
– Served with shrimp crackers.

Source: Adapted from the Book; Masakan Indonesia by Yasa Boga