How to make use of 'singkong' in kitchen
How to make use of 'singkong' in kitchen
By Syamala Monie
JAKARTA (JP): Last year, as I set foot on this gifted land
which is rightly called the Emerald of Indian Ocean, what
fascinated me first was the eye-catching greenery. Outside
Soekarno-Hatta airport, along the toll road, were vast stretches
of paddy fields on either side, like green carpets being
unrolled.
Entering Purwakarta, West Java, I felt the time clock being
set back 30 years. The scene was just as it was in Kerala, the
southern most state of India, where I spent my early childhood.
Beautiful little cottages thatched with red tiles; swaying
coconut palms and banana plantations interspersed with tapioca.
In one of the compounds I spotted a well with a pulley and rope
to draw water. I was filled with nostalgia.
There was a little rivulet with a small bridge, over it,
similar to the one we used to call Mani Palam (Mani Bridge). The
story behind it goes like this:
In Kerala, during the festival of Onam, it is customary for
people to send gifts of fruit and sweetmeats to their daughters-
in-law. Our cook, Mani was on his bicycle laden with two
jackfruits, a sackful of mangoes and two cans of Payasam, a sweet
made of milk, rice and sugar. When he reached the bridge, he lost
his balance and fell in, making the river milky. From then on the
bridge was called Mani Palam.
I again caught sight of the tapioca cultivation; my mouth
watered at the thought of having a breakfast of singkong (I
learned the name from the driver; my first Indonesian word) and
green chilies.
Singkong, also known as cassava, is rich in carbohydrates and
therefore gives you energy to get through the day's hard work. It
is eaten fresh in season. Since Kerala faces incessant rains from
June to September, this delicious root is processed and stored to
keep over the monsoon. The following Sunday saw me dashing off to
the local pasar. I came home with a couple of fresh singkong with
the earthy smell and the red soil still sticking to them. We had
a hearty breakfast of chendamuriyan (so called because the cut
pieces look like a chenda, a cylindrical percussion instrument).
We had a chutney made of onion and chillies. A drink, sambharam,
made of yogurt followed this heavenly concoction. Then I tried to
recollect the different ways my mother cooked it.
And here are the recipes, some to eat, some to keep.
Chendamuriyan
* 1 kg singkong
* salt to taste
Peel both skins of the singkong and cut into 2 1/2 to 3 inch
long cylinders. Wash thoroughly, place in water at least two
inches above pieces, cover and cook over medium flame. When soft,
drain water. Sprinkle salt and mix by shaking the vessel. Do not
use a ladle. Serve with chutney.
Chutney
* 8-10 small green chilies
* 1/2 cup small onions (bawang merah)
* salt to taste
Grind together adding a little water.
Sambharam
* 1 cup sour yogurt
* 3 cups water
* 1 inch piece of ginger
* 1 tsp lemon juice
* a few curry leaves
* salt to taste
Crush ginger, salt and curry leaves. Add to the yogurt and
whip together adding water and lemon juice. It is a regular drink
which follows a breakfast of tapioca, especially in summer as it
helps fight dehydration.
Puttu
* 1 1/2 cups tapioca powder
* 4 tblsp sugar
* 1 cup grated coconut
* salt to taste
Roast the tapioca powder to a light golden color. Cool. Add
sugar, salt and coconut. Sprinkle water and mix to make a dough
which looks like bread crumbs. Fill the puttu steamer (Bamboo)
and steam till cooked. It is best eaten with ripe bananas.
Now, some to keep.
Papad
* 2 cups tapioca powder
* 10-12 green chilies
* 1/2 tsp hing
* salt to taste
Grind chilies, salt and hing to a fine paste. Add it to the
tapioca powder and make a dough of pouring consistency by adding
water. Cook on medium flame till it becomes glossy. Cool the
mixture. Spoon out and spread on a plastic sheet to form small,
thin, balls. Dry in the sun for 3-4 days and store. Whenever
needed deep fry in oil.
Parboiled Tapioca
* 1 kg tapioca
Remove the red skin and cut into oblong pieces of 1"
thickness. Bring about 3 liters of water to boil. Drop the cut
pieces and turn flame off. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
Drain and dry in the sun for 3 to 4 days. Use when required.
Sayur with Cowpeas
* 8-10 pieces parboiled tapioca
* 1/2 cup grated coconut
* 1/4 cup Hindu cowpea (biji kacang panjang)
* 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jinten)
* 4 dry red chilies
* salt to taste
* a few curry leaves
Soak the tapioca and cowpeas separately for 3 to 4 hours.
Remove the skin of tapioca and break it into small pieces (1/2")
cook lobia in water. When it is almost done; add tapioca, salt
and enough water. Cook covered till the tapioca pieces are soft.
Grind coconut, chilies and cumin seeds adding a little water. Mix
with the vegetables. Break curry leaves and put in. Serve hot
with rice porridge (bubur).
Happy cooking and great eating!