Savor the rich taste of W. Java's 'sayur asam'

Savor the rich taste of W. Java's 'sayur asam'

JAKARTA (JP): Do not even think of claiming to be a lover of
Indonesian dishes if you cannot describe sayur asam. It is a
popular West Java delicacy which literally translates "sour
soup".

And, if you have a good sense of taste, you may find the name
is somewhat "inappropriate" because sayur asam actually offers a
light and fresh combination of sour, hot and slightly sweet
tastes, all in one bite.

Traditionally, the soup is accompanied with spicy fried beef
empal, hot rice and, of course, an assortment of fresh raw
vegetables and shrimp paste chilies. Here is the recipe.

West Java Sayur Asam
2 medium chayote, peeled, diced
75 g melinjo leaves and fruits
75 g long beans, cut into 5 cm long
100 g sweet corn
5 tbsp tamarind juice
a dash of salt

Finely ground
6 shallots
4 cloves garlic
4 candlenuts
3 green chilies
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp fried shrimp paste
1.5 l beef broth

Makes 8 servings
1. Put beef broth to the boil over medium heat; add in finely
ground spices and sweet corn. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for another 15 minutes,
until the vegetables are cooked. Serve warm.

Empal
800 g beef
4 cm galangal, bruised
3 salam leaves
1 liter water
cooking oil

Finely ground
1 tsp coriander
3 shallots
4 cloves garlic
3 tamarind, removed seed
salt and brown sugar to taste

Makes 8 pieces

1. Boil water, beef, galangal and salam (bay) leaves, over high
heat until beef is cooked, leaving only 250 ml of broth. Remove
the galangal and salam leaves.
2. Slice the beef into eight pieces, each being 1cm thick. Using
a stone pestle, slightly beat each meat piece.
3. Meanwhile, combine the finely ground ingredients and the beef
broth in a bowl, pour the mixture slowly over the beef pieces and
let soak for at least 10 minutes.
4. Deep fry the meat pieces over medium heat until slightly
brown. Serve warm. (Maria Endah Hulupi)