Sun, 20 Aug 2000

Pancakes served as treats for Independence Day

By Bruce Emond

JAKARTA (JP): Independence Day is always a good time to wrap oneself up in the old red and white and rekindle the patriotic fires.

However, this day is not only about the obligatory running up of the flag on Aug. 17, especially for the country's hotels. A whole manner of activities and special events are planned around the date, sometimes with very loose associations to the day itself.

There were Independence Day barbecues (Kempinski Plaza Hotel, although this is a monthly event), special Indonesian cuisine buffets (the Regent Jakarta, Sheraton Media and Gran Mahakam, among many others) and even a chocolate model of a rumah gadang, the distinctive traditional house of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra (Shangri-La).

Even with other types of entertainment laid on, the common thread in all the events is food. It appears the best way to a little patriot's heart is through his or her stomach, especially when it comes to traditional fare which may be hard to find in the big city.

This could explain the popularity of Ibu Tumi, a vendor of serabi, a type of pancake made from sugar, eggs, coconut milk and rice flour. The 55-year-old native of Surakarta, Central Java, is back at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta for her fourth Independence Day return engagement. She will be at the hotel through Aug. 24.

She came to the hotel's attention by word of mouth, the most convincing endorsement for any service establishment.

"There was an employee of the hotel who knew there was a search on for someone who could cook serabi, and one of her relatives told her about me," Tumi said as she whipped up the pancakes along with her daughter.

"They asked me if I would like to come to Jakarta, with all expenses paid and a room at the hotel. Well, of course I said I would. It's through the grace of God that I have been given the opportunity to cook in this elite setting."

A longtime vendor of cakes and other snack foods, the mother of four said she began to concentrate on pancakes about 12 years ago.

She usually sells the pancakes twice a day, in the morning and afternoon, from a small kiosk on Jl. Juanda in Surakarta.

Tumi said no special ingredient was used in her pancakes, "although I only use real sugar, not sugar concentrate like other vendors do".

She acknowledged her frame of mind was also a factor in the quality of the finished products. "If someone wants a big order in a hurry, it's better for me to tell them that I cannot do it. If I'm feeling under pressure, or annoyed, then it will affect the taste of the pancakes."

Tumi makes the pancake in three varieties -- plain, chocolate and, for Hyatt guests, with jackfruit. She said she herself preferred sticking to the basics.

"Most of my regular customers, and they include some famous people, come for the plain variety. When people ask about lots of different flavors, I say it's better they go somewhere else. What I make is the real serabi."

Best eaten when still warm, Tumi's pancakes are so light and tasty they melt in the mouth. She said they stay fresh for up to 24 hours, and can be reheated in the oven or for a few seconds in the microwave.

Ibu Tumi's Serabi

* 1 kilogram rice flour

* 1/2 kilogram sugar

* 2 eggs

* 1/2 teaspoon raising agent

* 1 glass of water

* Milk of two coconuts (thin consistency) (makes 30 pancakes)

Mix flour, sugar, eggs and raising agent.

Add the water and leave the batter overnight.

Add the coconut milk and mix.

The batter is ready for use.

Tumi does not recommend using a conventional oven or gas stove, saying the pancakes taste best when cooked in a traditional tungku arang (charcoal stove). The stoves are available in traditional markets.