Pancakes served as treats for Independence Day<\/p>\n
By Bruce Emond<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Independence Day is always a good time to wrap
\noneself up in the old red and white and rekindle the patriotic
\nfires.<\/p>\n
However, this day is not only about the obligatory running up
\nof the flag on Aug. 17, especially for the country's hotels. A
\nwhole manner of activities and special events are planned around
\nthe date, sometimes with very loose associations to the day
\nitself.<\/p>\n
There were Independence Day barbecues (Kempinski Plaza Hotel,
\nalthough this is a monthly event), special Indonesian cuisine
\nbuffets (the Regent Jakarta, Sheraton Media and Gran Mahakam,
\namong many others) and even a chocolate model of a rumah gadang,
\nthe distinctive traditional house of the Minangkabau people of
\nWest Sumatra (Shangri-La).<\/p>\n
Even with other types of entertainment laid on, the common
\nthread in all the events is food. It appears the best way to a
\nlittle patriot's heart is through his or her stomach, especially
\nwhen it comes to traditional fare which may be hard to find in
\nthe big city.<\/p>\n
This could explain the popularity of Ibu Tumi, a vendor of
\nserabi, a type of pancake made from sugar, eggs, coconut milk and
\nrice flour. The 55-year-old native of Surakarta, Central Java, is
\nback at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta for her fourth Independence Day
\nreturn engagement. She will be at the hotel through Aug. 24.<\/p>\n
She came to the hotel's attention by word of mouth, the most
\nconvincing endorsement for any service establishment.<\/p>\n
"There was an employee of the hotel who knew there was a
\nsearch on for someone who could cook serabi, and one of her
\nrelatives told her about me," Tumi said as she whipped up the
\npancakes along with her daughter.<\/p>\n
"They asked me if I would like to come to Jakarta, with all
\nexpenses paid and a room at the hotel. Well, of course I said I
\nwould. It's through the grace of God that I have been given the
\nopportunity to cook in this elite setting."<\/p>\n
A longtime vendor of cakes and other snack foods, the mother
\nof four said she began to concentrate on pancakes about 12 years
\nago.<\/p>\n
She usually sells the pancakes twice a day, in the morning and
\nafternoon, from a small kiosk on Jl. Juanda in Surakarta.<\/p>\n
Tumi said no special ingredient was used in her pancakes,
\n"although I only use real sugar, not sugar concentrate like other
\nvendors do".<\/p>\n
She acknowledged her frame of mind was also a factor in the
\nquality of the finished products. "If someone wants a big order
\nin a hurry, it's better for me to tell them that I cannot do it.
\nIf I'm feeling under pressure, or annoyed, then it will affect
\nthe taste of the pancakes."<\/p>\n
Tumi makes the pancake in three varieties -- plain, chocolate
\nand, for Hyatt guests, with jackfruit. She said she herself
\npreferred sticking to the basics.<\/p>\n
"Most of my regular customers, and they include some famous
\npeople, come for the plain variety. When people ask about lots of
\ndifferent flavors, I say it's better they go somewhere else. What
\nI make is the real serabi."<\/p>\n
Best eaten when still warm, Tumi's pancakes are so light and
\ntasty they melt in the mouth. She said they stay fresh for up to
\n24 hours, and can be reheated in the oven or for a few seconds in
\nthe microwave.<\/p>\n
Ibu Tumi's Serabi<\/p>\n
* 1 kilogram rice flour<\/p>\n
* 1\/2 kilogram sugar<\/p>\n
* 2 eggs<\/p>\n
* 1\/2 teaspoon raising agent<\/p>\n
* 1 glass of water<\/p>\n
* Milk of two coconuts (thin consistency) (makes 30 pancakes)<\/p>\n
Mix flour, sugar, eggs and raising agent.<\/p>\n
Add the water and leave the batter overnight.<\/p>\n
Add the coconut milk and mix.<\/p>\n
The batter is ready for use.<\/p>\n
Tumi does not recommend using a conventional oven or gas
\nstove, saying the pancakes taste best when cooked in a
\ntraditional tungku arang (charcoal stove). The stoves are
\navailable in traditional markets.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pancakes-served-as-treats-for-independence-day-1447893297",
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