A melting plot of flavors

Mi Goreng Aceh

The Chinese influence is obvious, but this became a real Acehnese noodle dish with the addition of ground chili to the spices.

Ingredients: 1 kg mi (noodles), boiled, drained 6 shallots 3 cloves garlic 2 Tbs cooking oil a slice of ginger (2 tsp ground) 5 candlenuts (kemiri) 11/2 Tbs ground red chilies 2 red tomatoes, sliced 200 g beef, sliced thinly 200 g cabbage, coarsely cut 200 g mung bean sprouts 2 stalks leek, cut into 1 cm pieces 2 Tbs local celery leaves (daun selederi), chopped 1 Tbs sweet soy sauce 1 Tbs salty soy sauce 1 tsp salt or to taste

For the acar (pickles): 2 cucumbers, peeled, thinly sliced 4 Tbs sliced shallots 8 whole red or green bird's eye chilies 2 tsp sugar 1 Tbs vinegar or lime juice

Method: 1. Boil and drain the noodles according to package, set aside 2. Slice shallots and garlic finely and grind ginger and candlenuts 3. Stir fry shallots and garlic until wilted, add ginger and candlenut mixture, ground red chilies, tomatoes and fry until aromatic 4. Lower flame and add beef slices, continue until beef changes color and becomes fairly tender 5. Add cabbage, mung bean sprouts, leek, and local celery leaves 6. Season with sweet and salty soy sauce and add salt if needed 7. Finally add the noodles and mix carefully 8. For the acar, mix cucumber, shallots and bird's eye chilies, add sugar, salt and vinegar or lime juice.

Ii Boh Timon

A refreshing cucumber beverage after some hot and spicy fare.

Ingredients: 15 fairly large local cucumbers 200 g granulated sugar 1/2 liter ice cold water 4 lime made into juice

Method: 1. Cut cucumber horizontally in halves and scrape out the flesh 2. Put in a bowl and add sugar. Mix well 3. Add water and lime juice 4. When needed, add ice cubes to your liking

(Makes 8 servings)

Gulai Ikan Kayu

A dish using the dried tuna which is similar to the bacalao used in Spain and Portugal.

Ingredients: A piece of ikan kayu, about 20 cm 600 ml water to soak the fish 100 g grated fresh coconut, fried without oil and then ground 800 ml thick coconut milk 5 shallots 2 cloves garlic 6 bird's eye chilies 11/2 Tbs ground coriander A slice of turmeric (2 tsp ground) A slice of ginger (1 tsp ground) 1/2 tsp pepper 2 tsp salt or to taste 6 asam sunti (Acehnese souring agent, supermarket) 5 green chilies 100 g roasted ground coconut 4 potatoes, 200 g 5 belimbing sayur (sour fruit/optional, available at traditional markets) A stalk of lemon grass, 15 cm 50 ml lime juice

Method: 1. Soak the fish overnight and wash until clean, then cut into slanting slices. Set aside 2. Grind shallots, garlic, red chilies, bird's eye chilies, coriander, turmeric, ginger, pepper, salt and asam sunti. Cut the green chilies in slanted slices 3. Peel the potatoes and quarter 4. Put the ground ingredients and the green chilies and potatoes into the thick coconut milk and add the fish, roasted, ground coconut and the belimbing sayur 5. Add lemon grass and continue cooking on medium flame until done. Just before serving add lime juice

* Note: Ikan kayu: fresh tuna boiled in a salty and sour broth After the boiling process, the fish will be coated in ash and then dried under the sun until completely dry. The fish can be stored for some months. If no ikan kayu is available, use fried fresh tuna and then proceed with the recipe.

Ikan Kukus

Steamed freshwater fish is one of the specialities of eastern Aceh and various fish is cooked in that manner. However, spices will be according to the variety of fish.

Ingredients: 1 carrot, 100 g 100 g snowpeas 1 freshwater fish, 200 g, fried (e.g gurami, gold carp or ikan mas) 4 shallots 3 cloves garlic A slice galangal (1 tsp ground) 2 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground pepper 1 tsp salt or to taste 1 tsp sugar or to taste 2 hen eggs, beaten 100 ml thick coconut milk 4 purut lime leaves (dried, available at supermarkets) 1 Tbs margarine, for greasing

Method:

1. Cut carrot and snowpeas into matchstick size and discard bones from the fish 2. Grind fish meat shallots, garlic, and galangal and add coriander, pepper, salt, sugar and add the eggs. Mix well 3. Pour in coconut milk and add lime leaves, carrots and snowpeas. Mix again 4. Take a suitable form and grease with margarine and pour in the fish mixture 5. Heat a steamer and steam the fish until done

(Makes 6 portions)

Roti Jala Roti jala literally means a net-shaped bread, and this lacy pancake is served as an accompaniment to curries and spiced dishes.

Ingredients: 300 g wheat flour, sifted 3 hen eggs 450 ml water 1/2 tsp salt or to taste 4 Tbs cooking oil, for greasing A roti jala tool (traditional markets) or a spoon with a spout

Method: 1. Mix wheat flour, eggs and water and salt thoroughly 2. Grease a pancake pan of 15 cm in diameter with 1/4 tsp oil. Heat the pan and pour 2 Tbs batter into the pan while shaping a netlike consistency 3. Roll the roti jala when serving

(Makes 6 portions)

Gulai Ikan Aceh

The dish is one of the region's best known dishes and the curry leaves give it a very distinctive flavor.

Ingredients: 1 tuna, 500 g 4 shallots 3 cloves garlic 3 red chilies 8 bird's eye chilies A slice of turmeric (2 tsp ground) A slice of ginger (2 tsp ground) 2 Tbs cooking oil, for stir frying 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cumin 300 ml thick coconut milk 8 asam sunti (specific Acehnese souring agent, supermarket) 2 curry leaves (dried in sachets, supermarket) 1 tsp salt or to taste

Method: 1. Clean and cut the fish in 1 cm pieces 2. Grind shallots, garlic, red chilies, bird's eye chilies, turmeric and ginger. Stir fry until aromatic 3. Add coriander and caraway, pour in coconut milk and fish 4. Add asam sunti, curry leaves and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer until fish is done and sauce thickens.

(Makes 4 portions)

Mezubi

The Acehnese version of a Middle Eastern dish. Beef is sometimes also used instead of mutton or goat meat.

Ingredients: 500 g mutton (goat meat, beef) 1 ltr water, to cook the meat 6 shallots 3 cloves garlic 6 red chilies 2 green chilies 3 cardamom 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns 1/2 tsp whole cloves 1 tsp salt or to taste 200 ml thick coconut milk

Method: 1. Cut meat in suitable sizes and boil until tender 2. Grind shallots, garlic and four red chilies. The two other chilies and the green chilies are cut slantingly or in coarse rounds 3. Add the ground ingredients into the stock and add cardamom, pepper and cloves. Season with salt 4. When the stock thickens add coconut milk and the coarsely cut chilies. Continue cooking until stock thickens

(Makes 4 portions)

Timhan

A typical Acehnese sweet snack eaten at midday.

Ingredients: 1/2 fairly young coconut, 150 g, grated 200 g brown sugar 3 Tbs water to liquidize the sugar 12 ripe pisang raja (king bananas), about 800 g 250 g glutinous rice flour 1/2 tsp salt 50 ml water 8 pieces 20 x 20 cm banana leaves, for wrapping

Method: 1. Slice the brown sugar and boil with water until liquidized then sieve. Boil again until sugar reaches a "hairy" consistency 2. Add grated coconut and continue until the mixture thickens 3. Peel bananas and mash finely. Add glutinous rice flour salt and water and mix 4. Divide into 8 portions 5. Take a banana leaf and put one part of the banana mixture on it, flatten and put some coconut mixture in center. Roll the leaf and fasten both ends with toothpicks.

(Makes 8 portions)

Danggung telabun

Corn grows well in many regions in Acheh and dishes with corn are many.

Ingredients: 100 g steamed coarsely ground dried corn 200 g fresh shrimp 100 g carrots 150 g French beans 2 cloves garlic 3 red chilies 3 Tbs cooking oil, for stir frying 1 tsp salt or to taste 2 Tbs chopped local celery leaves.

Method: 1. Discard head, peel and devein shrimp 2. Peel carrot and clean French beans and slice in a thin slant 3. Thinly slice garlic and red chilies and stir fry until aromatic. Add red chilies, carrots and French beans 4. Season with salt and continue cooking 5. Just before serving add the corn.

(Makes 4 portions)

Pepes Aceh Shrimp is favorite daily fare for the Acehnese and this dish is wrapped in banana leaves.

Ingredients: 6 shallots 4 cloves garlic 5 red chilies A slice of turmeric (2 tsp ground) A stalk lemongrass, 15 cm 2 purut lime leaves 2 salam leaves 2 green chilies 750 g fresh shrimp, cleaned, peeled, deveined 11/2 tsp salt or to taste 1 Tbs asam sunti juice (asam sunti and 2 Tbs of water) Banana leaves, for wrapping

Method: 1. Grind shallots, garlic, red chilies and turmeric. And cut finely the purut lime leaves, salam leaves, and green chilies 2. Mix salt and asam sunti juice with the shrimp. Let stand for 10 minutes 3. Mix the ground and finely cut ingredients with the shrimp 4. Take a 25 x 25 cm banana leaf and put 3 Tbs of shrimp mixture onto the inner side of the leaf Wrap securely and fasten both ends with a toothpicks. Continue until shrimp mixture is finished, then grill over charcoal (traditionally) or over flame until done in about 10 minutes each side.

(Makes 5 pieces)

-- Suryatini N. Ganie