How to Make Empek Empek

Empek-empek is a fish cake mixed with sweet, hot, and sour sauce. It is a local dish from south Sumatera, empek-empek Palembang. You can have the fish cake fried after it is boiled or just boiled. This recipe is my own version of this local dish. Making empek-empek is such a tedious work and takes a lot of time. Though the place I live is not too far away from south Sumatera, it’s not easy for me to just fly there and buy empek-empek so I have make empek-empek on my own.

There are 2 versions of empek-empek Palembang that are so famous; empek-empek kapal selam (this one is with whole egg filling) and just ordinary empek-empek (this one is mixed with coconut milk and no filling). I like them both equally, but unfortunately, to make empek-empek kapal selam takes a lot of time and patience and I don’t have both…J . Since I do not have time and patience, I try to simplify the steps of making this dish and I choose empek-empek mixed with coconut milk and no filling.

Empek-empek ingredient:

• 500gr Tenggiri fish paste
• 200gr sago flour/tapioca flour
• 3 tbsp wheat flour
• 250ml coconut milk
• 4 egg whites
• 50gr shallots – slice into small and thin pieces, then fry.
• 10gr salt or just enough to taste
• 1 tsp pepper or just enough to taste
• 1 tsp salty soya sauce

Sauce ingredient:

700ml water

150gr palm sugar/Malacca sugar

5 tbsp clear vinegar

5 garlics

3 red chillies

2 chilli padi

50gr dried shrimp – use food processor to grind until smooth.

Salt and sugar to taste

Cucumber (cut into small pieces) and yellow noodle or spaghetti to serve the empek-empek.

To make Tenggiri fish paste:

Take out the bones and the skin from Tenggiri fish. Use only the meat of the fish, put into an electric blender and blend it until smooth and turn into Tenggiri fish paste.

To make empek-empek:

1. Mix egg whites using a mixer, then add coconut milk little by little while mixing, then add salt, pepper, soya sauce, fish paste (little by little), fried shallots, the sago flour, and the last one is the wheat flour while keep on mixing without a mixer until all ingredient are finely mixed together.

2. Cover and put aside for about 10-20 minutes while you prepare the water in the pot to boil the mixture you made before. Bring the water to boil.

3. Once the water is boiled, take the mixed ingredient and use a table spoon to scoop it out one at a time and drop it into the boiling water. Keep doing that until you finish scooping all the mixture. The spiky shape is a natural shape that is created when you scoop the mixture.

4. Once the empek-empek is cooked, it will float.

5. Take out all the floating empek-empek and put in a plate.

To make the sauce:

1. Bring the water to boil. While waiting for the water to boil:

2. Peel off the garlic skin, cut into 2 or 3 pieces.

3. Cut the chilies into 3 pieces.

4. Put into food processor to grind them until smooth and mixed.

5. Put the mixture of garlic and chilies in the boiling water, add the vinegar, palm sugar, a little bit of dried shrimp, sugar, and salt, and mix them together.

6. Once it boils, switch off the stove and filter it to a container.

To cook the spaghetti:

1. Bring 700ml water to boil.

2. Put the spaghetti and salt to taste.

3. Bring to boil for about 15 minutes until the spaghetti softens.

4. Drain the water.

To serve:

1. Deep fry the cooked empek-empek until golden brown then cut into small pieces and transfer into a bowl.

2. Add the yellow noodle/spaghetti.

3. Add the small pieces of cucumber.

4. Pour the sauce just enough to sink all the empek-empek in the bowl.

5. Put a little bit of dried shrimp on top.

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Indonesian Omelet and Pancake

When you are in Indonesia, you should try their “traditional” omelet with spiced cooked ground meat and sliced fresh green onion fillings, called Martabak. Served with onion and green chili pickles or hot sauce, this kind of “snack” is very good served warm and very famous all over Indonesia.

Usually, the vendors who offer pricey Martabak, their Martabak taste is better and the filling is a lot more compare to the vendors who offer martabak for cheaper prices; but we can not really rely on the prices given. Some people would say famous vendors would mean yummy martabak, but some more would say differently, so it is all base on everyone’s likings and taste bud. I do have to inform you though, in some cities in Indonesia, they would divide this kind of snack into two types, Martabak Asin and Martabak Manis; Martabak Asin is the omelet while Martabak Manis is “traditional” pancake with various fillings. In my parents’ city, we call Martabak Manis as Terang Bulan instead.

In Balikpapan, East Borneo, two famous brand/street vendor of Martabak & Terang Bulan are Martabak Holland and Martabak Bangka. I like both vendors though I prefer going to Martabak Bangka for their omelet and Martabak Holland for their pancake.

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How To Make Sate

Things You'll Need:

• 500 gram diced chicken breast (2cm)
• 4 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (Kecap Manis)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
• 3 shallots finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• bamboo sweker

Instructions

• Using large bowl, mix shallot, garlic, oil, coriander, ginger and sweet soy sauce.
• Add the chicken to the bowl and let it marinate at least few hours. Usually I marinate it over night, so all of the ingredient will be absorb by the meat well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator.
• Stick 3 or 4 cubes of chicken breast to the skewer, depends on how big the cubes are. Don't throw the marinate sauce, you need to keep it during cooking time.
• Lay the skewers on top of the grill in medium-high heat. Usually it will take about 2-4 minutes per side depends on how thick you cut the meat. Brush the meat before you flip it to other side.
• Once few skewers are done, put them in the empty plates and you can use sweet soy sauce or peanut butter for dipping.

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Indonesian Pizza

Shrimp vegetable fritter is originally called Bakwan Udang in Indonesia. In my country, normally this cuisine served during watching tv or gossiping with friends .

Here is the secret recipe

Ingredients

• 100 gr of fresh bean sprout
• 1 carrot (sliced like matches)
• 125 gr of shrimp
• 1 leek (sliced)
• 1 tea sp of grated coriander
• 1 tea sp of grated cummin
• 1 tea sp of salt
• 1/2 tea sp of pepper
• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1/2 liter of cooking oil (recommended to use special pan for french fries)

How to cook:

• Mix everything in a big bowl while heating cooking oil in the pan
• Use two table spoon to create fritter for the dough. Put the fritter in the hot cooking oil until it is ready.
• Served while hot

Served with fresh chilli or chilli souce (for 4 people)

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APPLE, IDENTITY OF MALANG

Apple tree in Indonesia (especially in Malang) began to be known about the year 1908 before Indonesia proclaimed the independence. The Ducth was the first people who broughtit, and rearched good areas for apple growing. Batu is one of them, and above all it is the most suitable. The first apple variety grown in Batu was Rome Beauty.

About 1969, after Indonesia got its independence, the "Banaran Garden Institution" found a new apple variety,namely Manalagi Apple. The man who found it is Mr. Surahmat Kusumo, a senior fruittracker from "Balai Penelitian Hortikultura Pasar Minggu" (Horticultural Research Institution Pasar Minggu) Jakarta. This new variety was from Gandon village, because this variety was not found in Holand and other parts of the world; so this variety was finally considered as an Indonesian Apple. And, because of its nice taste, this apple is called "Manalagi" (Javanese, means: give me more)

http://www.eastjava.com/books/malang/html/identity.html

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Apples in Indonesia

Apples are grown in this part of the world, indeed. To be more precise, they are grown in East Java in the mountain region of Malang and Batu. The first apple tree sprouted up decades ago when a Dutchman with a green thumb tried to grow a four-season plant in a wholly different climate and on different soil too. Malang see-me to have the right temperature for apple growing. Situated on a level of 700-800 meter above sea surface, the first trees were doing surprisingly well despite the tropical climate. There was a large difference though between the European apple and his Malang grown sister, which became all too apparent when the first fruits were reaped. The apples were reportedly too sour for consumption. For a while people in Malang regarded the apple tree as a decorative shrub to have in the garden. The fruits went to waste usually as they were soon declared as quite inedible fruit. In several instances reports repeated that apple trees in other parts of the region were not even bearing fruits at all.

After world war 11 and after the country gained independence from the Dutch more people became interested in apple cultivation. Growth expanded considerably compared with the few and far in between shrubs from before the war. But the Malang apple remained a very unpopular fruit among Indonesians who clamored more for the imported stuff which was sweet and juicy. In time apple farmers were introduced to newer agricultural techniques which transformed the sour Malang apple into a fruit of refreshing taste and of a crunchy consistency. The people of Malang and thereabouts were plain delighted. Soon more apple orchardes were started, not only in Malang. The village of Batu followed suit and the uplands of Pasuruan, Mojokerto, Probolinggo, Ponorogo, Nganjuk, Magetan and further away, Madiun.

Malang still produces the largest yield with an annual crop of averagely 203.000

ton. A ministerial decree banning the import of foreign fruits that was issued in the early ens, reportedly drove up the apple crop in East Java. Apples from East Java are now in great demand with juice producents, bakeries, and everyday people since the homegrown fruits bear reasonable pricetags. With local apple consumption ever on the upswing, present crop yields are never enough to boost the country's export figures of local apples.

source :
http://www.asia-planet.net/indonesia/tropical-fruits.htm

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Jayawijaya Peak, a roaring mountain

Jayawijaya Peak, a roaring mountain is permanently covered with snow, despite its location on the equator. We'll quite never forget meeting an awful-looking Dani, bearing the tusk of a wild pig at the tip of his nose. Despite their groovy looks, these are quite gentle people, shaking your hand politely and always having time for a small chat.

Likewise, women don't wear terribly much clothes. Just a skirt, entirely made of natural materials will do. It is the women's duty to carry out the heavy work on the fields. Observe the nuke, typical cloak-like bark string bags, carried half over the head. Heavily loaded with cabbage, sweet potatoes and sago, they resemble a blanket. A woman covered in river mud, is in grief. A less innocent way to show mourning, is finger amputation, a fate that only women will befall. Despite serious efforts of the government to halt this practice, they continue being reported occasionally.

The Baliem Valley remains one of the most fascinating places on the planet, where man may confront it its prehistoric past. But even in the remotest of area. Civilization is seeping through and will not be kept at bay. Maybe the time is right to visit the wild beauty of the Baliem Valley and its remarkable people.

http://www.indonesia-tourism.com/east-papua/baliem_valley.html

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