Artist spices up traditional cuisine

JAKARTA (JP): Potter F. Widayanto is not only known for his creative clay work but also for his culinary skill. Spending most of his time in his studio in Bogor, Yanto is able to jump into a gastronomy adventure by using leaves and vegetables easily found around his house.

Admitting to liking traditional Indonesian cuisine, Yanto uses the leaves to create spicy but light Indonesian food which he usually serves to visitors.

"The leaves are good in balancing dishes which are cooked with coconut milk. Salam (bay) leaves, for example, will freshen-up food which contains coconut milk," Yanto said.

The recipes below are good lunches. The nasi timbel, or rice wrapped in banana leaves, is usually included in Indonesian picnic lunches because of its practicality.

"These dishes are simple and homey, they can be found in ordinary Indonesian families' kitchens, but not in restaurants," said Yanto, adding that in Teriyaki Banana Trunk he weds Indonesian cuisine with its Japanese counterpart.

Rice in patat leaf

* 1 glass of rice * Patat leaves (Patat is Sundanese. In North Sulawesi, the

Manado people call it nasi leaf because it is used only to wrap rice. The leaf resembles a banana leaf.)

Fold 1 Patat leaf and tie with string. Cook washed rice and put into the folded leaf. Steam over very low flame for about 4 hours.

Timbel rice

* 1 liter rice * Banana leaves

Wilt banana leaf over fire. Steam rice till done and stir it slowly till cold. Then roll rice in five banana leaves.

Fried yam balls

* 1 kg yam * 1 clove garlic (crushed) * 1 teaspoon finely grounded pepper * enough finely grounded nutmeg * 4 eggs * 1/4 kg minced meat/fresh shrimps roughly minced * cooking oil * salt

Peel yams, cut them up then pound till fine. Mix the ground yam with minced meat or shrimp, then add two beaten eggs. Add spices to mixture. Beat two more eggs. Form balls of mixture the size of golf balls. Dip balls in beaten egg then fry till golden.

Teriyaki of banana trunk

* 1 kg of core of banana trunk of the kepok or batu variety. * 5 cloves garlic * 15 small green peppers * 1 teaspoon salt * 2 oz. teriyaki beef thinly sliced * cooking oil

Slice banana trunk core thinly, mix in salt, leave it for 15 minutes. Cut garlic and green peppers finely, then stir fry. Put in Teriyaki slices and fry till tender, then put in banana trunk slices. Add salt if not enough.

Stir-fried pumpkin leaves

* 2 bunches pumpkin/squash leaves * 3 large red peppers * 3 cloves garlic * 3 shallots * 1/2 tbls sugar * 1/2 tbls salt * 1 tomato (cut up) * 1 oz. dried shrimps * 1 tbls butter

Cut pumpkin leaves in rough bits. Cut up red pepper in large slices. Throw away seeds. Finely slice garlic and shallots. Saute shallots and garlic in butter, add peppers and tomato, followed by dried shrimps and pumpkin leaves. Finally add sugar then salt. Remove from heat.

Roasted core of banana flower

* 1 banana flower of the kepok, siam or batu variety * 3 cloves garlic * 1/2 finger kencur (greater galingale, resembles ginger) * 1/2 tbls sugar * 1/2 tsp salt * 1/2 glass thick coconut milk (squeezed from 1 coconut with some boiled water)

Peel tough outer layers of banana flower, cut in half, then roast halves until droopy. Beat banana fruit halves slowly, taking care that fruit layers do not disintegrate. Roast garlic and kencur, then pound together and add sugar and salt. Cover the roasted banana fruit layers with the ingredients. Pour thick coconut milk over dish.

Colenak

* 1 kg fermented cassava (cooked) * 1/4 kg palm sugar * 1/4 tsp salt * thick coconut milk from 1 coconut * Kafir lime leaves

Cut fermented cassava in 5 cm pieces. Roast cuts. Boil palm sugar with thick coconut milk and salt till it becomes like a broth. Put in lime leaves, then strain broth. This broth is called kinca. Presentation:

Pour over hot fermented cassava cuts, strain kinca.

Fried patties of soya bean cakes

* 1 bar of soya bean cake * 2 red peppers * 5 cloves garlic * 5 cloves shallots * 1/2 tsp salt * 3 eggs * cooking oil

Pound red peppers, garlic and shallots till fine. Ground soybean cake, then mix in all ingredients. Combine 3 eggs thoroughly in the mixture. Form patties or balls, then fry in hot oil till golden brown.

Roasted Eggplant

* 1 kg purple eggplant * 1 finger ginger * 5 cloves garlic * 5 small green peppers * 1/2 tsp salt * 1/2 tsp sugar * kemangi (a type of Basil) leaves

Peel eggplant but retain stems. Roast eggplant till done. Pound ginger, small green peppers with sugar and salt. Mix basil leaves into the ground ingredients. Halve the roasted eggplants and cover with mixture and kemangi basil leaves.

Loto

* 5 yam leaves from Bogor * 1 stem lemon grass * 1 shallot * 1 garlic clove * 5 red peppers * 5 small green peppers * 1 joint of ginger (skinned) * bay leaf * salt * palm sugar

Pound the yam leaves. Pound salt and palm sugar till it becomes one whole, then wrap bits of mixture in banana leaves. Add 1 bay leaf to each package along with some salt and 1 tbls of palm sugar. Roast packages.