Tempe or tempeh is an Indonesian soybean cake. In order making sambal tumpang, you need tempe semangit. Semangit is derived from a word "sangit" which is meant less pleasant odour. A word "semangit" usually is followed after a word "tempe", and known as Tempe semangit. What is tempe semangit and is it different from tempe?

Tempe semangit can be categorized as an old or rotten tempe. What did I mean by old or rotten tempe? First of all, I will explain briefly the process on making tempe. You will need cooked soybeans, then add Rhizopus, a mold that helps soybeans to ferment for 24 hours. When the fermentation process is done, it binds the soybeans into a compact white cake. According my internet research, it will take more than 24 hours to ferment cooked soybeans into tempe in North America; it's about 36-48 hours.

Tempe is a protein alternative resource for vegetarians or vegans. Back when I was in Indonesia, tempe is a cheap protein resource and totally different since I moved to Canada; tempe becomes an expensive protein choice. Tempe is not only rich in essential amino acids, it is also high in vitamin B12.

When the tempe has undergone the fermentation more than a day and untreated, it will be overly ripe or rotten and known as tempe busuk or semangit because the smell is dreadful. But it doesn't make the tempe become useless. The Javanese seeks and uses it for cooking sambal or adding to a vegetable dish. Please see closely the different profile of tempe and tempe semangit.


The one on the right hand corner of each photo is tempe semangit

There are two places in Java that claimed Sambal Tumpang as their dish, Kediri (East Java) and Solo (Central Java). However, both places have a slightly different way in the recipe and serving. In Central Java, sambal tumpang is added with other protein resources such as beef, tofu as well as vegetables ("it tastes better with petai - stinky beans" said my friend Haley) while in East Java this sambal is pure made from a combination of 75% old tempe and 25% fresh/frozen good tempe. In this post, I will include the Eastern Javanese way for sambal tumpang.

In East Java, sambal tumpang is drizzled over pecel (Java style salad with peanut sauce). On the other hand, in Central Java, sambal tumpang is a side dish that is eaten with warmed cooked rice and boiled vegetables; no pecel to company.

Sambal Tumpang
- Java Style Old Tempe Sambal -

Ingredients:
200 g tempe semangit (use fresh or frozen tempe if you can't find tempe semangit)
1 cm galangal, bruised
2 Indonesian bay (salam) leaves
200 ml coconut milk
1 cup (250 mL) water

Spices to be ground:
45 g peeled shallots
5 g peeled garlics
1 cm peeled kencur/kaempeferia galangal (substitute for 1/2 tsp kencur powder)
6 kaffir lime leaves, chopped
1 tsp toasted coriander seed
1/2 tsp terasi/dried shrimp paste (optional)
1 candlenut (substitute for macadamia nut)
3 red cayenne peppers (Indonesian: cabe merah keriting)
1 bird eye chili
seasalt

Methods:
1. Pound or chop tempe semangit with a pestle or a chopper.

2. In a pot, add pounded tempe, ground spices, salam leaves, galangal and water. Cook until a boil. Then turn the heat to low and simmer for 5 -10 more minutes or until the spices absorb.

3. Add coconut milk, stir occasionally and bring to re-boil. Remove from the heat. Serve with pecel and warm cooked rice.

» Read More...

I first interested after reading my Winnipeger's foodie buddy, Zollipop. Back when she posted about it, I somehow forgot about this place. Then, two days ago at the urbanspoon, I found people posted some pictures of this cafe. One of them was a picture of different hot sauces on this cafe's table.

You might be curious why I was so fascinated just because a picture of hot sauces. Well let me tell you. I grew up at a place where all restaurants have a bottle or bowl of chili sauce or sambal on the table. I came to the country where I have to ask for hot sauce at some restaurants unless I go to the Asian ones. Sriracha, tabasco and chili oil are pretty common to be offered here, but this cafe offers sambal ABC sauce or labeled as tropical chili sauce in Canada and Thai sweet chili sauce. Now, you got what I meant. Yes, I grew up with this kinds of sambal sauce (preferably jempol and belibis brand), but since sambal ABC is the easiest to get in Winnipeg, I like buying it.





The Sherbrook area, the one that is closed to Misericodia hospital has some places to dine in for vegetarians such as Stella's Cafe, Cousins Deli & Lounge and Charisma Indian restaurant. In my honest opinion, with a great concept and settled in the right neighbourhood, Boon Burger Cafe will do considerably. Plus, it is owned by conscientious people.

Take a look what this place has promised...


The place is not that big yet very efficient. It has two communal tables inside and two small round tables at the patio. The communal table really reminds me of traditional warungs (read: small restaurants) in Indonesia where you can have a chat with the strangers next to or in front of you. Strangers are just friends you don�t yet know. Don't you think?

As an omnivore who often makes vegetarian foods for the better half, I enjoyed my Salsa Burger from Boon. Salsa Burger contains grilled mushroom-rice patty, chunky salsa, avocado, a slice of daiya vegan cheese, red onion and lettuce. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the salsa. I don't find the salsa is perfect balance for this burger. However, I took a bit of my husband's Buddha Burger and loved it! Buddha Burger has curried chickpea patty, mayo, creamy cucumber sauce, peach chutney, sliced cucumber, tomato, red onion and lettuce.


In fact, I didn't eat in. I just recreated how Boon serves the burgers for the sake of picture; serve on a square wood plate. Thanks goodness for my food props at home! I have almost the same as Boon has, so I can take a picture of my meal. Plus, I have my own sambal ABC sauce too

Boon's baked sesame fries was tasty too. Yummmm.

» Read More...

I got a bag of apples and didn't know what to do, too many recipes out there.  Apple sauce, apple pie, chicken apple, you name it!

Then, when I stopped by at Hyundae mart, I found a great deal on roasted buckwheat (kasha) and beans.  Beside buying more miso, I grabbed some beans and kashas.  Hyundae mart used to be a Kosher food grocer,  I guess the Korean took over the management, changed the name and added more Korean and Japanese products.

Thanks to Irma for her Eid goodies that was sent from Germany.  I have few packages of almond flavour to boost my baking.

The mix of almond flour and buckwheat is used to substitute  the oat which contains gluten.

Apple Buckwheat Crumble
adapted from Canelle et Vanille
Yield: 10 ramekins

Ingredients:
400 g apples, cored and diced
2 key limes, zest and juice
1/8 tsp almond flavor*
25 g sugar
15 g cornstarch

Topped:
100 g butter, cold and cut into small pieces
100 g sugar
100 g buckwheat
100 g almond flour
1/4 tsp salt



Directions:
Toss apple, key lime, almond flavor, sugar and cornstarch together in a bowl.

Mix the sugar, buckwheat, almond flour and salt in a bowl. Add the cold diced butter and work it into the flour until a crumb forms and small pieces of butter remain.

In small ramekins or a pie dish, add apple mixture and top with buckwheat and almond crumble.

Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes or until fruit starts to bubble over. If the crumble turns dark before the fruit is bubbling, cover with aluminum foil.

The rest of the unused crumble may be frozen until next time.

*Almond flavor can be used interchangeably with vanilla pods, powder or flavor. Almond flour can be substituted for soy flour.

» Read More...

Cantik means pretty while manis means sweet. It's straight forward translated from its name. Even though the name is cantik manis, I reduced the sugar amount from the recipe that I saw in my Yasa Boga cookbook. It's very easy to make, no steaming or baking process. Cantik manis is also popular during Ramadan in Indonesia. Usually, there are evening markets that sold traditional goodies before the Iftar time, so people can buy and bring them for breaking their fast at home or mosque.

Anybody who wants to participate in Joy From Fasting To Feasting (season-III) who is hosted by Lubna Karim, feel free to click the link above. You don't have to be a Muslim to join the event. The more the merrier, don't you think?




Originally, these little cute dessert cakes are wrapped individually in thick plastics or banana leaves. However, I couldn't find thick plastic wrappers and too lazy to thaw and shape my frozen banana leaves. I used my bite-size brownie squares 24-cavity silicone and putu ayu moulds. Below is the pictures.






Cantik Manis
- Indonesian Sweet Pretty Cakes -

Ingredients:
� 100 g colourful sago/tapioca pearls (Indonesian: biji mutiara)
� 50 g mung bean flour (Indonesian tepung hunkwe)*
� 500 mL coconut milk (If you use a 400 mL coconut milk in a can, just add another 100 mL water)
� � tsp salt
� 90 g sugar (the recipe calls for 100 g)
� 1 pandan leaf, knotted
� banana leaves or plastic sheets, for wrapping (I used moulds)



Methods:
� In a boiling water, put sago pearls and cook until done and transparent and strain.
� Dilute mung bean flour with some parts of coconut milk and set aside.
� Boil remaining coconut milk and pandan leaf with salt, then add mung bean flour mixture and stir. Add sugar, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add sago pearls, stir well and remove from heat.
� Pour the mixture into moulds. Leave to cool. Unmould the cakes and serve.

Cook's Note:
* For people who can't find tepung hunkwe, you may substitute for the Korean mung bean starch by reducing the amount of mung bean flour that I used in this recipe.


Mung bean flour is known as tepung hunkwe in Indonesian. However, there is a bit different with the Korean mung bean starch on the right hand side picture. If you notice tepung hunkwe is translated as flour not starch since it's mixed with vanilla. The Korean one is pure starch.

» Read More...

I was first interested to b�nh tr�i when I saw pictures of Vietnamese foods that taken by one of Indonesian foodies during his travel to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and Hanoi. At one of his pictures, he stated that he forgot the food name and described how it tasted. Then, I was asking Anh what that was and she explained it to me.

B�nh Tr�i is actually similar to Indonesian klepon. While in some parts of Sumatra, people call it onde-onde which is the same as the Malaysians do. The difference, klepon is covered with grated coconut and filled with palm sugar or coconut sugar. B�nh tr�i is sprinkled with roasted sesame seed and sugarcane rock candy as its filling.  Yep! Most of Asian countries have their own sticky rice dumplings!  Shame on me! I haven't made my own klepon yet.^_^

Short story, I was browsing the recipe for it. I found two recipes which one was in Vietnamese and another one was in English. The one in English was to complicated to follow. I decided to choose the Vietnamese one. For the first time, I was following a recipe that is not in the language that I speak. Off course, I used google translate. Even though google didn't translate to a proper English, I quite understood with the recipe.

Since those two recipes are slightly different in ingredient. One is with a mix of glutinous rice and rice flours and another one is only with rice flour. Again, I bugged Anh to make sure that I got the correct flours. She mentioned the ratio 9:1 for sticky rice flour and rice flour. Thanks, Anh!

One thing, I changed from the recipe. The recipe applies sugarcane rock candy for the filling. I used Indonesian palm sugar (known as gula aren) that has a darker colour since I don't have any sugarcane rock candy.

This post goes for Delicious Vietnam #4 and is hosted by Bonnibella

B�nh Tr�i
- Vietnamese Glutinous Rice Dumplings -
recipe by Trang Emi, modified by me
 
Ingredients:
180 g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) glutinous rice flour
20 g (3 tbsp + 1/4 tsp) rice flour
190 ml warm water
palm sugar (depends on how much filling you want)
roasted sesame seed

Directions:
1. Combine glutinous rice flour and rice flour. Add warm water gradually to flour mix. Mix well and form into a dough ball--it should be like play dough consistency.

2. Take a small dough and shape into a ball. Repeat the earlier step until all dough is shaped into small balls. From this recipe, you will get about 35-40 small balls.

3. Pinch a small ball of dough and flatten it out into a thin disk.

4. Place a small amount of palm sugar and close the dough around it.

5. Meanwhile, you are busy with shaping the little balls. In a pot, bring water a boil. Once you�ve covered an entire plate and your water is boiling and your little ball soldiers are starting to stick.

6. Plunk your balls into boiling water and wait until they float to the surface.

7. Prepare a bowl with cold icy water on the side. Once the balls are floating, with a slotted spoon or spider, transfer them right away to the a bowl of cold water. Place on a serving plate and sprinkle roasted sesame seed.

» Read More...

To begin with, I was surprised that Rasa Malaysia has chosen me to be the guest writer of Indonesian cuisine on her blog. Rasa Malaysia is one of my inspired blogs among the Asian specialty blogs. We share the same passion for Asian food as we came from the same region, Malay Peninsula where Bahasa Indonesia and Bahasa Malaysia are from the same language root. Some of the food terms are the same, few are different.

In Indonesia, Gado-gado is not a salad dish group, it is a one dish meal. With 17,000 islands and 300 ethnic groups in the country, it has impacts on food varieties; so does gado-gado. Varieties of Gado-gado were developed based on the region.

You can take the girl out of the country but not the country out of the girl. Follow my recalled to Classic Gado-Gado Surabaya recipe at Rasa Malaysia along with the glossaries.

Ps. Thank you, Bee for the opportunity.

Disclaimer: For the shot's purpose, Gado-gado Surabaya on this picture has less sauce than the normal one.
Don't forget to join (Almost) Forgotten Indonesian Culinary Herritage

» Read More...

Upsss... I didn't bring anything, but I had something share about. As I was inspired by Penne in Vegetable Marinara Sauce of Bellissimo Restaurant which we had on Sunday (July 13, 2008) at Winnipeg Folk Festival, I tried to make my own at home two days ago. At the festival, some restaurants had their booth to serve people who came to enjoy the music.

On the next picture, you will see a red long pepper. Whilst I was doing my grocery shopping at Superstore, I was curious with those red peppers. On the package, it was said "very sweet red pepper". They were really sweet and taste just like bell pepper, sweeter that red bell pepper and have less seed.

In this recipe, I used roasted garlic marinara sauce ready to use; in addition, I put garlic, basil, spinach and the new variant of red pepper. Please enjoy the photoset of Penne in Vegetable Marinara Sauce.

» Read More...

Blueberry! I love the color and the taste as well. Blueberry is one of my favorite berries. It's not on season yet, but the price is going down, just wait and and see until summer, it will be so cheap and everywhere is blueberry :).

Meanwhile, please let me share blueberry soy dessert that I usually get from groceries. It's smooth, delicious and not too sweet.

» Read More...

My husband had been craving for nachos, I tried to make with any ingredients that came up on my mind :). Please do come back to read the directions :)


Vegetarian Nachos
My very own recipe

Ingredients:
300 g veggie ground round
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp crushed chili (optional)
350 g restaurant style nachos
1/2 can sliced black olives
1/2 can sliced green olives
hot chunky salsa
150 g Tex-Mex Kraft cheese
4 green onions, slices
1 jalapeno or Anaheim or harbanero or serano pepper, angle cut


Directions:
1. Saute onion and garlic until fragrant. Add veggie ground round, cumin, coriander, and chili; stir evenly and cook until veggie ground round done. Set aside.

2. Place nachos in a serving bowl, sprinkle over veggie ground round mixture, black olives, green olives, hot chucky salsa, and cheese. Bake just until cheese melted. Sprinkle over green onion and jalapeno pepper right before serving

» Read More...

These apples are almost going bad, should use ASAP. I might use them for mulligatawny soup.

» Read More...

Folks, I haven't been busy lately. Sorry if you didn't see me around lately. However, I still try to keep updating my post.

Actually, I made these dishes on November 30, 2007. I just kept delaying on post these. All these were containes baby spinach, one is a fusion Asian style and another one is an European style.



Baby Spinach Salad with Sweet Chili Dressing

Ingredients:
baby spinach, rinse off and drain
sweet chili sauce
calamansi
yellow onion, chopped
olive oil

Directions:
Mix all ingredients, except baby spinach. Place baby spinach on serving plates, drizzle sweet chili mixture over.




Smoked Wheat and Lingonberry Sandwich

Ingredients:
bread (I used Rye bread)
smoked wheat, boiled, cooled down and ready to use
baby spinach
lingonberry sauce
margarine/butter

Directions:
Spread margarine on bottom part of bread and lingonberry sauce on top part. Add baby spinach and smoked wheat on.

» Read More...

After reading the 2nd Onion day invitation on IMBB, I sent an email to Zorra regarding on that event. Thanks to Zorra for hosting this event. With my consideration of being an Indonesian, tempeh or tempe has a cake form, made from soybean by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process. It is originated from Indonesia and invented by the Javanese. It's also popular in other parts of Indonesia as well as other parts of Southeast Asia, introduced by migrated Javanese. Known as a staple source of protein in Java island of Indonesia.

Diced Tempe

I joined this event with Tempe Bawang Bumbu Kecap (literally tempeh and onion with sweet soy sauce. This recipe is adapted from ayam bumbu kecap's recipe, literally in English, Chicken with Sweet Soy Sauce.

Indonesians (especially the Javanese) love to use kecap manis. This is a different soy sauce, it's sweet (because it's added in palm sugar), thicker and also has a different flavor with regular soy sauce. Mostly in abroad, people use ABC's brand, for this recipe I used Bango�s brand which is not all Asian stores have it and to be honest I only use ABC�s brand if I can't find Bango or Cap Sate's brand.

Ingredients:
225 g tempe, cut 1 cm diced, marinate for 30 minutes, deep fry until lightly browned
1 medium (200 g) onion, wedged
2 Indonesian bay (salam) leaves
2 cm galangal
2 green chillies, angle cut
2 tbsp Indonesian sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
1 tbsp oyster sauce
200 ml water

Grind into a paste
3 cloves garlic
5 shallots
ground white pepper as desired
salt as desired

Marinade
garlic powder
ground corriander seed
water

Directions:
1. Heat up oil in a skillet at medium-high. Stir fry a spiced paste, wedged onion until fragrant. Add salam leaves and galangal until wilted.
2. Add tempe and green chillies, stir evenly. Add kecap manis, oyster sauce, white pepper, and salt, stir.
3. Add water and cook until the water evaporates and the spices is absorbed. Remove from the heat. Serve with warmed rice.

» Read More...

Thank you to Margot of Coffee and Vanilla for hosting a blog event "Vegetarian Awareness Month". For this event, my entry wasn't a vegetarian recipe, I would like to share some informations regarding vegetarianism and some pictures of my strawberry tomatoes.

Vegetarian Informations
Some people think becoming a vegetarian is hard, they have to eat tofu, but don't like the tofu taste. It's totally wrong, there is no rule in vegetarian that you have to eat tofu while you don't eat meat. I myself live with a semi-vegetarian, I meant my husband still eat fish and seafood, but no other meats. In this case, I still eat meat but I'm the cook, do you think I don�t get confused what I'm going to cook for him? The first time, I admitted that I did get confused, even my husband loves tofu and tempeh as well. We found out that so many vegetarian products are out there, such as smoked wheat which is taste like a real smoked beef, roast wheat which is taste like a real roast beef, veggie ground chicken and many other choices for the vegetarian. I have a picture of vegetarian products that I have in my pantry and freezer.

One of my favourites is a can of vegetable broth which tastes really like chicken broth and it�s perfect for soups, such as a wonton soup.

There is a good information from veggie123.com about types of vegetarians. According to that website, my husband can be called as a pesco vegetarian. I promise I will post mie ayam jamur pangsit (literally: chicken and mushroom noodle with wonton soup in a pesco vegetarian version) next time.


Strawberry Tomatoes
I saw strawberry tomatoes for sale at the first time at Dong Thai, the oriental store that I�m used to go for Indonesian and Asian groceries as well. With a good smell of tomato and rich red color, I was tempting to try. I went home with a pack of strawberry tomatoes. I�m not a big fan of tomatoes, but I do love these tomatoes.

They are slightly different from cherry tomatoes, which is bigger than cherry tomatoes. I couldn�t resist stopping eating them. It�s too good to add them in my cooking, I prefer eat them raw for my snack. After trying one pack, the juiciness, sweetness and tenderness were made me to buy again. They haven�t been very popular at the stores, but I�m pretty sure you will find them while they are on season.

Read more information about strawberry tomatoes here.

» Read More...