Have a 'patita' eat, drink, be merry!

Have a 'patita' eat, drink, be merry!

Suryatini N. Ganie, Contributor, Jakarta

The Moluccas, or Maluku, a group of islands scattered in the
glittering waters of eastern Indonesia and one of the most
desired destinations for those looking for fame and riches back
in the 15th century, is home to centuries-old customs that are
still practiced to this day.

One of those customs is makan patita from central Maluku. Not
only in small villages but also in larger towns, this joyful
event is still very popular and brings together families and
friends.

The makan patita, or patita, is held for special events. For
example, when an old family house needs a cleansing then a cuci
baleo has to be organized. Following the cleansing, makan patita
will be served to those who were so kind to assist the hosts.

Another custom, found mostly in villages, is the sasi, which
is when villagers give foodstuffs to the head of the village to
donate to the church or needy people in the village. Foods like
coconuts, sago and other staples like cassava, sweet potatoes and
taro are collected and donated.

To properly serve a makan patita after a cuci baleo, numerous
coconut leaves are neatly arranged on an open space, which could
be in the garden of a house or the plaza in front of a church.
Banana leaves are used to form a second layer. This will be done
after a special ceremony is conducted by the village elder or the
reigning raja, because according to the people there old houses
are the dwelling places of the souls of ancestors who still guide
the village.

Placed on the mats are boiled sweet potatoes, cassava, bananas
and other foods and dishes brought by those participating.
Special dishes are sagu presko (grilled sago); papeda, a sago
porridge; ketupat santan, which is cooked in coconut milk; ikan
asar (grilled fish); colo-colo, a spicy condiment; koh-kohu (see
recipe); and acar kuning, sweet and sour turmeric flavored with
raw or boiled cucumber and cabbage.

Hunters from the village will also bring foods like wild pig
and deer. To lessen the thirst traditional drinks will be
offered. Sageru manis, for instance, a fermented sago drink.

The village elder will sit among the villagers watching the
young men and women, juraro and mungare, dancing the lenso and
singing traditional songs accompanied by traditional musical
instruments like the tifa. A makan patita could last until the
wee hours of the morning.

So, eat, drink and be merry when attending makan patita.

Speaking about the food of Maluku, it has migrated around the
archipelago over the years and so many dishes or snacks are
renowned fare here. Take for instance nasi kuning Ternate, which
is today a popular dish at many events. The story goes that a
king of Ternate visited Surakarta and brought his own cook to
prepare specific foods for the royal hosts. They liked the food
so much that until today the dishes are still on the menus of
many Surakarta households.

The guests from Maluku also brought with them their sweet
delicacies. Bika Ambon, a luscious honeycomb cake, is one of the
best examples, but uniquely do not go to Ambon when looking for a
super bika Ambon, but go to Medan where in the preparation
process a specific raising agent is used!

Last but not least: are you on a banana diet? If so eat pisang
Ambon! The bananas from Ambon are the first fruits given to
babies at the very tender age of three months.

By the way, many cookies and snacks use cassava meal. Though
cassava meal is sold at markets or supermarkets, many farmers
make the cassava meal themselves.

Here is how to make cassava meal at home: Grate or thinly
slice one kilogram of fresh and clean peeled cassava roots. Dry
under the sun for 48 hours, and it is better to begin the drying
process in the morning to obtain the best results. Then grind
manually or with an electric grinder. Sift and grind the coarse
parts once again or until completely ground. One kilogram of
freshly grated cassava yields approximately 400 grams of cassava
meal. Store in open plastic bags.

Back to makan patita. Wishing you a good time with Maluku
food, drinks and melodious songs!

RECIPES

Koh-kohu

A traditional dish from Ambon made from raw vegetables and
tuna.

Ingredients:
400 g fresh tuna, cleaned
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 Tbs lime juice
Charcoal, for grilling
4 strings long beans
100 g mung bean sprouts
100 g small, round eggplants
3 shallots
10 chili paddy, stems discarded
A handful of picked kemangi leaves
100 g grated fairly young coconut, steamed
2 Tbs lime juice
1 tsp salt or to taste

Preparation:

1. Make 4 slices on the dorsal side of the tuna, coat with salt
and lime juice.
2. Grill over charcoal until done.
3. Remove bones and shred the fish meat.
4. Wash long beans and cut very thinly. Remove blackish part of
the sprouts and wash in hot water, drain. Wash eggplants using
same procedure and slice thinly.
5. Wash shallots and chili paddy and slice thinly. Also wash
kemangi leaves, drain.
6. Mix the shredded tuna meat with the raw vegetables and add the
steamed shredded coconut, lime juice and salt. Let stand for 10
minutes in a cool place or in the refrigerator before serving.

(Makes 6-7 servings. Mostly served with boiled cassava or sago)

Pindang Rempah Cumi

Squid spiced with a special spice combination.

Ingredients:
500 g fresh squid
2 Tbs lime juice
4 shallots
3 cloves garlic
3 red chilies
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin,
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp fried trassi
1 slice turmeric
2 Tbs cooking oil, for stir frying
1 slice ginger, bruised
1 slice of galangal, bruised
3 purut lime leaves
1 screwpine leaf
100 ml water
1 tsp salt, or to taste
2 Tbs tamarind liquid
50 g kenari nuts, peeled

Preparation:
1. Pull off tentacles and any foreign matter from the squid.
Discard all the entrails of the body and peel off the membrane
from the hood. Clean and coat with lime juice. Let stand for 15
minutes to marinate.
2. Make shallots, garlic, red chilies, ground coriander, ground
cumin, ground pepper, trassi and turmeric into a paste. Stir fry
until aromatic. Add ginger, galangal, purut lime leaves,
screwpine leaf and squid. Continue frying until squid changes
color.
3. Pour in water and let come to a boil. Season with salt,
tamarind liquid and kenari nuts. Continue cooking until done.

(Makes 4 servings)

Ubi Kayu Halmahera

A sweet snack from the islands of Maluku.

Ingredients:
250 g ground sugar
40 g margarine or butter
3 hen eggs
500 g grated cassava, liquid squeezed out
125 g grated fairly young coconut
1 tsp baking powder
200 ml milk
A pinch of salt
100 g raisins
100 g peeled kenari nut, chopped
1 Tbs margarine or butter, for greasing
1 Tbs wheat flour, for dusting

Preparation:
1. Beat sugar and margarine or butter until whitish. Add hen eggs
one by one while beating.
2. Add grated cassava, grated coconut, mix. Add baking powder,
milk, salt and raisins and 50 g chopped kenari nuts. Mix well.
3. Take a suitable pan, grease with margarine or butter and dust
with flour. Pour in the grated cassava mixture and bake until
done and rather brownish.

(Makes 6-7 servings)