Pancakes served as treats for Independence Day

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.