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)