Tropical Indonesian Delight

Indonesia is a south East Asian country and one of the famous tourist’s destinations in the world. Its incredibility lies in the fact that it consists of more than seventeen thousand islands which include Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi and New guinea. Indonesia, world’s largest island country with the capital and the largest city of Jakarta.

Enrich with the diversity, over seven hundred regional languages are spoken in this tropical nation. A paradise on the earth, Indonesia is home to some of the most unique and ancient temples in the world. The beautiful architecture and historical value of these temples will astound your mind and soul.

This photogenic paradise is enriched with sheer natural beauty not only with its tropical flora and fauna but also with its enthralling beaches. One can enjoy a vast variety of adventures from its well-known water temples to lush green landscapes to cultural heritage. Indonesia’s Monkey forest is worth seeing with its natural beauty.

Indonesia is also very famous for its very popular volcanoes particularly Mount Bromo, the best-known volcano and is the most visited tourist attraction here.

Suffused with hundreds of hidden beaches but not yet discovered by many, are just waiting to be explored. One can also enjoy scuba diving to explore the underwater exquisiteness of the sea. Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. The largest island in Indonesia, famous for its wildlife and rain forests. This island is a paradise of famous wild animals like lions, leopards, tigers, and white rhinos.

There are plenty of places in Indonesia from Tropical rain forests and ancient Temples to national parks which can become one of the best holidays to explore this magnificent wonderland. Apart from these, the rich history and cultural diversity is also worth exploring

Indonesian Cuisine

Indonesian cuisine consists of rice, noodles and soup dishes, as it is the most common food of most of the southeastern countries. Many foreign influences can be seen in its recipes from around the world.

The influence of Indian and Middle Eastern can be seen in curry dishes whereas Chinese influence can be seen in noodles, spring rolls and meatball dishes.

Rice is a staple grain in this cuisine with a combination of savory, spicy and hot food which makes this cuisine exceptional and interesting in flavors.

The main cooking methods are frying, sauteing, boiling, roasting, dry roasting, seasoning and steaming.

Soy-based dishes are also very popular apart from vegetables, meat and seafood dishes. Traditional Indonesian recipes are consist of steamed rice served with vegetables, soups with meat or fish as a side dish. The variations in Wheat can also be seen in many recipes.

Vegetables are a very significant part of this cuisine specifically the use of leafy vegetables that can be seen in many recipes. These are often sautéed with garlic and served with soup dishes.

Vegetarianism is also very popular in Indonesian cuisine as vegetarian dishes are a good substitute for meat dishes which is liked by many people in that country.

The most used poultry is chicken and duck in Indonesian food culture. Meat and goat recipes are also widely eaten here.

The use of spices is also quite evident in traditional food recipes Spices such as nutmeg or mace, clove, pandan leaves are native to Indonesia.

Soy sauce is a widely used sauce in many dishes. Peanut is the characteristic ingredient in Indonesian cuisine and its wide application is seen in numerous signature dishes.

All in all the use of tropical fruits, vegetables and foreign influences make this cuisine very unique in its style which is worth exploring.

Recipe: Gulai Kambing (Indonesian Lamb curry)

Curries are a vital part of Indonesian food culture. There are different variations available of curries in such as chicken, goat, beef and lamb. The Gulai Kambing is a popular and widely eaten curry dish across Indonesia. It is either cooked using goat or lamb.

In this recipe, lamb is slowly cooked in various Indonesian spices that is so tender and delectable that can be a good option for dinners with the family. This curry is mainly served with boiled rice and salad.

The fresh ingredients make the lamb more aromatic and flavorsome in smell and taste. Some ingredients which are being used in this recipe can be easily found in any Asian store.

Try this traditional Indonesian delicacy if you want authentic Indonesian flavor in your kitchen.

Author: Kanchan Vaish Singh Preparation Time: 25 min

Serves: 3 to 4 Cooking Time: 1 hr 55 m

Difficulty level: Mild

Ingredients

· Lamb 1.5 kg

· Oil 2 to 4 tbsp

· Coconut milk 550 ml

· Cloves 3

· Coconut cream 400 ml

· Galangal grated 5

· Salam leaves 3

· Bay leaves 2

· Lemongrass 2 stems

· Cardamom pods 2

· Cinnamon stick 1

· Kaffir lime leaves 3

· Water around 700 ml

For the spice paste

· Shallots 5 to 6

· Garlic cloves 5 to 6

· Ginger chopped 1 to 2 tbsp

· Coriander seeds 2 tbsp

· Ground cumin 1 tbsp

· Salt as per taste

· Coconut sugar 1 tbsp

· White pepper 1 tbsp

· Fresh turmeric piece 1 inch

· Long red chilies 4 to 5

· Candle nut 5

Cooking Instructions

1.    Take a grinder bowl and put all the spice paste ingredients in it and make a paste of it.

2.    Now heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add spice paste into it.

3.    After a few whiles, add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves and salam leaves and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.

4.    Add lamb into it after cooking the spice paste and cook the lamb on high heat for around 5 minutes.

5.    When the spice paste is fully coated on the lamb pieces then add coconut milk and around 700 ml of water and bring it to a boil.

6.    Reduce the heat to low and cook for around 1 hour or until the lamb is tender.

7.    Increase the heat and add coconut cream into it and bring to a boil.

8.    Remove and discard the lemongrass and cinnamon stick from the lamb curry.

9.    Garnish it with fried onions or with any seasoning of your choice.

10.  Serve it with boiled rice and a salad of your choice.

Try this Oriental lamb curry and enjoy it with family and friends!

Thank You!