How to make use of 'singkong' in kitchen<\/p>\n
By Syamala Monie<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Last year, as I set foot on this gifted land
\nwhich is rightly called the Emerald of Indian Ocean, what
\nfascinated me first was the eye-catching greenery. Outside
\nSoekarno-Hatta airport, along the toll road, were vast stretches
\nof paddy fields on either side, like green carpets being
\nunrolled.<\/p>\n
Entering Purwakarta, West Java, I felt the time clock being
\nset back 30 years. The scene was just as it was in Kerala, the
\nsouthern most state of India, where I spent my early childhood.
\nBeautiful little cottages thatched with red tiles; swaying
\ncoconut palms and banana plantations interspersed with tapioca.
\nIn one of the compounds I spotted a well with a pulley and rope
\nto draw water. I was filled with nostalgia.<\/p>\n
There was a little rivulet with a small bridge, over it,
\nsimilar to the one we used to call Mani Palam (Mani Bridge). The
\nstory behind it goes like this:<\/p>\n
In Kerala, during the festival of Onam, it is customary for
\npeople to send gifts of fruit and sweetmeats to their daughters-
\nin-law. Our cook, Mani was on his bicycle laden with two
\njackfruits, a sackful of mangoes and two cans of Payasam, a sweet
\nmade of milk, rice and sugar. When he reached the bridge, he lost
\nhis balance and fell in, making the river milky. From then on the
\nbridge was called Mani Palam.<\/p>\n
I again caught sight of the tapioca cultivation; my mouth
\nwatered at the thought of having a breakfast of singkong (I
\nlearned the name from the driver; my first Indonesian word) and
\ngreen chilies.<\/p>\n
Singkong, also known as cassava, is rich in carbohydrates and
\ntherefore gives you energy to get through the day's hard work. It
\nis eaten fresh in season. Since Kerala faces incessant rains from
\nJune to September, this delicious root is processed and stored to
\nkeep over the monsoon. The following Sunday saw me dashing off to
\nthe local pasar. I came home with a couple of fresh singkong with
\nthe earthy smell and the red soil still sticking to them. We had
\na hearty breakfast of chendamuriyan (so called because the cut
\npieces look like a chenda, a cylindrical percussion instrument).
\nWe had a chutney made of onion and chillies. A drink, sambharam,
\nmade of yogurt followed this heavenly concoction. Then I tried to
\nrecollect the different ways my mother cooked it.<\/p>\n
And here are the recipes, some to eat, some to keep.<\/p>\n
Chendamuriyan<\/p>\n
* 1 kg singkong
\n * salt to taste<\/p>\n
Peel both skins of the singkong and cut into 2 1\/2 to 3 inch
\nlong cylinders. Wash thoroughly, place in water at least two
\ninches above pieces, cover and cook over medium flame. When soft,
\ndrain water. Sprinkle salt and mix by shaking the vessel. Do not
\nuse a ladle. Serve with chutney.<\/p>\n
Chutney<\/p>\n
* 8-10 small green chilies
\n * 1\/2 cup small onions (bawang merah)
\n * salt to taste<\/p>\n
Grind together adding a little water.<\/p>\n
Sambharam<\/p>\n
* 1 cup sour yogurt
\n * 3 cups water
\n * 1 inch piece of ginger
\n * 1 tsp lemon juice
\n * a few curry leaves
\n * salt to taste<\/p>\n
Crush ginger, salt and curry leaves. Add to the yogurt and
\nwhip together adding water and lemon juice. It is a regular drink
\nwhich follows a breakfast of tapioca, especially in summer as it
\nhelps fight dehydration.<\/p>\n
Puttu<\/p>\n
* 1 1\/2 cups tapioca powder
\n * 4 tblsp sugar
\n * 1 cup grated coconut
\n * salt to taste<\/p>\n
Roast the tapioca powder to a light golden color. Cool. Add
\nsugar, salt and coconut. Sprinkle water and mix to make a dough
\nwhich looks like bread crumbs. Fill the puttu steamer (Bamboo)
\nand steam till cooked. It is best eaten with ripe bananas.<\/p>\n
Now, some to keep.<\/p>\n
Papad<\/p>\n
* 2 cups tapioca powder
\n * 10-12 green chilies
\n * 1\/2 tsp hing
\n * salt to taste<\/p>\n
Grind chilies, salt and hing to a fine paste. Add it to the
\ntapioca powder and make a dough of pouring consistency by adding
\nwater. Cook on medium flame till it becomes glossy. Cool the
\nmixture. Spoon out and spread on a plastic sheet to form small,
\nthin, balls. Dry in the sun for 3-4 days and store. Whenever
\nneeded deep fry in oil.<\/p>\n
Parboiled Tapioca<\/p>\n
* 1 kg tapioca<\/p>\n
Remove the red skin and cut into oblong pieces of 1\"
\nthickness. Bring about 3 liters of water to boil. Drop the cut
\npieces and turn flame off. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
\nDrain and dry in the sun for 3 to 4 days. Use when required.<\/p>\n
Sayur with Cowpeas<\/p>\n
* 8-10 pieces parboiled tapioca
\n * 1\/2 cup grated coconut
\n * 1\/4 cup Hindu cowpea (biji kacang panjang)
\n * 1\/2 tsp cumin seeds (jinten)
\n * 4 dry red chilies
\n * salt to taste
\n * a few curry leaves<\/p>\n
Soak the tapioca and cowpeas separately for 3 to 4 hours.
\nRemove the skin of tapioca and break it into small pieces (1\/2\")
\ncook lobia in water. When it is almost done; add tapioca, salt
\nand enough water. Cook covered till the tapioca pieces are soft.
\nGrind coconut, chilies and cumin seeds adding a little water. Mix
\nwith the vegetables. Break curry leaves and put in. Serve hot
\nwith rice porridge (bubur).<\/p>\n
Happy cooking and great eating!<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/how-to-make-use-of-singkong-in-kitchen-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }