DIVERSITY

What best characterises the flavour in Indonesian cuisine? The answer is none! or to be precise: indescribable. Well, consists of more than 17'000 islands and more than 300 ethnic groups, Indonesia is one country with the most diversity in the world, and its diversity is reflected in its food. Different ingredients, different spices and herbs combinations, different cooking methods, different cultures, traditions and habits... the result? yes, each ethnic group has its own unique dishes, which can have a totally different taste with what the other ethnic has. Tasting all the Indonesian food can be a long adventurous surprisingly good journey. Some ethnics have specific flavour in their dish, using some "basic" spices and herbs combination. In Java, a pinch of sugar is a must, while in North and South Sulawesi nobody cook food with sugar except for desserts. There are a lot of dishes using coconut milk as one of its ingredient in Sumatera, while no coconut milk is used in traditional foods from Papua and very seldom used in Maluku. Padang's foods, influenced by the Indian cooking many centuries ago, are specific for using a lot of spices and herbs... a much lighter version of Indian cooking without scarifying its richness in flavour and yet becomes easier to enjoy and be addicted into. The people in eastern part of Indonesia grill seafood with only salt and lime, to better enjoy the fresh flavour of the seafood, while the people in western part often cook their food slowly for hours... Well, those are just small examples…

Tuesday 23 February 2010

Gadon Daging (Beef Gadon)



This dish is similar to meat loaf. Wrapping and cook in banana leaves will give more flavour to this dish. With its exotic asian spices to flavour, it makes a good companion with rice or breads and different vegetables stir-fries. Served hot or cool.

500 g beef mince
1 bulb of Garlic
100 g shallots
2 tsp of corriander powder
1/2 tsp of cumin powder
1 tbsp of tamarind extract
Salt and pepper to taste
Galangal, thinly sliced and cut in 1 cm wide
Salam leaves (can be replaced with lauriel leaves), cut in 1 cm wide
1 cup of thick coconut milk
2 eggs
Banana Leaves for wrapping.
  1. Grind these spices together in a pestle (or chop using electric blender/food processor) : garlics, shallots, corriander, cumin, tamarind, salt and pepper; until it becomes paste.
  2. Add the spices paste with the beef-mince, coconut milk, eggs, and mix well.
  3. Wrap in banana leaves (in "tum" shape), with galangal and salam leaves (one piece of each) placed at the bottom and topped with 3 tbsp of beef-mince which has already well-mixed with the spices.
  4. Continue wrap the rest of the spiced beef-mince
  5. Using steaming pan, steam for about 30 minutes until it is cooked.
  6. Serve hot or cool.

Note:
for a much simpler way... after step 2, continue with this...

Line the banana leaves at the bottom and all sides of a pyrex, spread galangal slices and salam leaves on it, then top with the spiced beef-mince.
Steam for 1 hour.

1 comment:

Gerlinde in Washington said...

This looks like an interesting recipe which I will bookmark for sure.. banana leaves are easy to find in Dallas during the summer!