A taste of South Kalimantan
Singkong Goreng Sambal (Cassava in Chili Sauce)
Singkong (cassava) grows easily and abundantly in southern Kalimantan and is made into many regional snacks, mostly enjoyed mid mornings or late afternoons.
Ingredients: 500 g cassava roots (cleaned); 2 cloves garlic (ground); 1/4 tsp ground pepper; 1/2 tsp salt; 200 ml cooking oil; 200 ml water; 100 g brown sugar (gula jawa or gula merah); 2 cloves garlic; 2 red chilis; 1 tsp petis udang (thick fermented shrimp sauce), optional; 1/4 tsp salt or to taste; 1/4 tsp ground pepper; 1 tsp tapioca or corn flour; 1 Tbs water
Method: 1. Peel and rinse cassava and cut into 10 cm pieces, then quarter each piece lengthwise. 2. Mix ground garlic, pepper and salt and put the cassava pieces into the mixture. Let stand for about 30 minutes. 3. Heat frying oil in a wok and fry the cassava pieces until they are a golden brown and done. Drain and flatten the pieces while still hot. Arrange on a serving dish. 4. For the sauce: Put water and brown sugar in a pan and let come to a boil, then simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved, sieve, set aside. 5. Grind garlic, red chilis, petis udang, salt and ground pepper. Put the ground ingredients into the brown sugar sauce, mix and warm up on low flame.
Meanwhile, liquidize tapioca powder by adding water, then add to the brown sugar sauce and simmer until the sauce becomes rather thick. When serving, pour the sauce over the fried cassavas. (Makes 4 servings)
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Roti Pisang (Banana Cakes)
A popular snack in Banjarmasin due to the abundance of banana varieties in southern Kalimantan. They include the pisang raja or "bananas fit for a king" and thick pisang kepok which can only be enjoyed steamed or fried.
Ingredients: 300 ml thick coconut milk; 250 g wheat flour; 1 tsp instant yeast; 100 g ground sugar; 1 hen egg; 1/4 tsp salt; 4 bananas; 1 Tbs butter or margarine for greasing.
Method: 1. Heat thick coconut milk until tepid over low flame. Take from flame and set aside. 2. Mix wheat flour, instant yeast, ground sugar, hen egg, salt and pour in the tepid coconut milk. Thoroughly mix and let stand for 60 minutes. 3. Peel four bananas, preferably pisang raja or another sweet variety, cut into small cubes and put into the batter. Let stand for 30 minutes. 4. Take a muffin pan and grease with margarine or butter. Pour the thick batter into the muffin pan until 3/4. Close the pan and bake over medium flame until brownish and done. When possible serve hot. (Makes about 20 individual cakes)
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Bika Kentang
A traditional sweet when breaking the fast during the holy month of Ramadhan.
Ingredients: 1 kg boiled potatoes; 5 hen eggs; 250 g ground sugar; 100 ml thick coconut milk; A pinch of salt; 1 tsp vanilla powder; 1 Tbs butter or margarine for greasing
Method: 1. Mash boiled potatoes while hot. 2. Beat eggs and ground sugar until whitish. 3. Add mashed potatoes and mix well. 4. Pour in thick coconut milk, a pinch of salt and 1 tsp vanilla powder. Mix well. 5. Take a suitable form cake or bread mold, grease with butter or margarine and pour in potato mixture. Bake on a medium heat until done and brownish (about 30 minutes).
(Makes 8 servings)
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Tapai Panggang
The tangy taste of fermented white glutinous rice called tapai ketan putih is a delicious pep up after breaking the fast.
Ingredients: 500 g tapai ketan (fermented glutinous rice, available in supermarkets); 3 Tbs ground sugar; 2 Tbs rice flour; Some syrup to your liking.
Method: 1. Mix thoroughly tapai ketan putih; ground sugar and rice flour 2. Take one table spoon mixture at a time and form into flat rounds or small balls. 3. Bake in medium heat or toaster until brownish. 4. Serve hot with some bottled vanilla syrup (available in supermarkets) or your own favourite syrup.
(Makes 8 servings)
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Putri Selat
Something for real hobby cooks: "The lady on the beach", a romantic name for a traditional southern Kalimantan sweet. Though the process is rather time consuming, the result, and the pleased smiles of diners, will be very rewarding.
* For the first layer:
Ingredients: 300 g young coconut flesh; 150 ml coconut water; 100 g rice flour; 50 g ground sugar; A pinch of salt; 1/2 tsp vanilla powder; 1 tbs cooking oil for greasing.
Method: 1. Blend young coconut flesh and coconut water and mix with rice flour, ground sugar, a pinch of salt and vanilla powder. 2. Grease a suitable form cake mold with cooking oil and pour the mixture in. 3. Steam in a steamer until set.
* For the second layer:
Ingredients: 6 hen eggs; 250 g brown sugar (finely sliced); 250 ml coconut milk; 100 g rice flour; A pinch of salt; 1/4 tsp vanilla powder
Method: 1. Beat hen eggs, and brown sugar (gula jawa or gula merah) until fluffy and pour in coconut milk, add rice flour, salt and vanilla powder. Mix well. 2. Pour the second mixture over the first and steam until set, lower flame.
* For the third layer:
Ingredients: 400 ml thick coconut milk; 150 g rice flour; 1 tsp salt
Method: 1. Mix thick coconut milk with rice flour and pour over second layer. Steam over medium flame until set. 2. Let cool off and serve
(Makes 20 servings)
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Bubur Bebigi
A wholesome porridge a la southern Kalimantan served after the fasting month's evening Tarawih prayers or when breaking the fast.
Ingredients: 100 g brown sugar; 600 ml water; 1/4 tsp salt; 125 ml water; 1 tsp slaky lime liquid; 175 g rice flour; 200 thick coconut milk; A screwpine leaf, 15 cm; 1/4 tsp salt
Method: 1. Put sugar (gula jawa, gula merah) into a pan, add water. Boil until sugar melts and sieve. 2. Transfer the brown sugar liquid into the pan again, add salt, simmer. 3. Mix water with slaky lime (kapur sirih) and let stand until the slaky lime forms a sediment. 4. Thoroughly mix rice flour with the clear slaky lime liquid and put the mixture on a flat plate and with a small teaspoon form small pieces of rice flour dough to be cooked some 15 minutes in the brown sugar liquid. When soft and done, place into a suitable serving bowl. 5. The sauce: Boil coconut milk with the screwpine leaf and salt until it somewhat thickens. 6. How to serve: put some rice flour porridge in a small bowl and pour the sauce over it.
(Makes 6 servings)
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Masak Kuning
Kuning (yellow) is one of the favorite colors of southern Kalimantan and is often used to name a regional dish. The turmeric, which is the yellowing agent in most dishes, strangely is not used so that the dish looks more light brown then yellow.
Ingredients: 500 g beef fillet; 5 shallots; 2 cloves garlic; 3 candlenuts (kemiri); 1 tsp ground coriander; 1/2 tsp terasi (shrimp paste); 1 tbs granulated sugar; A 5-cm piece of kencur, optional; 2 tsp salt or to taste; 2 tbs cooking oil; A slice of galangal; Lemon grass, 15 cm (knotted or cut in two).
Method: 1. Slice beef fillet into rather thick slices, set aside. 2. Ground finely shallots, garlic, candlenuts, ground coriander, terasi, granulated sugar, kencur if desired, salt. 3. Stir fry in cooking oil, until aromatic. 4. Add the slices of beef and add a slice of galangal and lemongrass and continue cooking until done.
(Makes 8 servings)
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Gangan Asam Iwak Peda
For adventurous cooks. Peda is a popular saltwater fish resembling a small tuna but with a very strong taste. However, according to those accustomed to consuming the fish, it's appetite enhancing. Ikan peda is also sold salted and dried.
Ingredients: 2 ikan peda, 100 g; 1 tbs tamarind pulp; 1/2 tsp salt; 4 shallots; 2 red chilis; A 3-cm piece of turmeric; 2 tbs cooking oil for stir frying; 2 green chilis (cut slantingly); A 3-cm piece of turmeric; 1 tbs tamarind pulp; 1 tsp terasi; 50 ml water A slice of galangal (bruised); Lemongrass, 15 cm (knotted or bruised); 150 ml hot water
Method: 1. Clean the fish and discard gills and intestines. Coat with tamarind pulp and salt and let stand for 15 minutes. 2. Grind shallots, red chilis and turmeric finely. 3. Stir fry finely ground shallot mixture in cooking oil until aromatic. Add green chilis, galangal, lemongrass, and tamarind liquid mixture. Continue cooking and add hot water and the fish. Continue until done.
(Makes 4 servings)
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