Nasi Pulut Siram Gula // Glutinous Rice with Coconut and Palm Sugar Sauce

Aaahhh This is this morning breakfast. Remind me of Ambon.
Of course, the sugar I use is not Gula Merah Saparua. but it was OK.
I somehow cook the glutinous rice a bit too soft but all in all... it was yummy.

Ingredient:
250 gr Glutinous Rice
1 pandan leave
1/2 coconut, grated
200 gr Palm Sugar
2 cups of water

Direction:
1. RICE: Wash and soak glutinous rice for 1 - 2 hours. Then drain it and put in rice cooker with a little salt and pandan leave tied in knots. Add the water according to the direction of your rice cooker. But I might remind you not too put too much. Glutinous rice is often too mushy
2. COCONUT: Grate the coconut then steam it with a little salt
3. PALM SUGAR SAUCE : Shave the palm sugar or cut them in smaller bits. Add water and let it boil until the palm sugar chunks dissolve in water. You can add piece of pandan leave too to make it fragrant.

Serve it with glutinous rice topped with steamed coconut and drizzle with palm sugar sauce.

Tulang Domba Asam Pedas // Hot and Sour Lamb Bones

This is our last night dinner. The weather dropped few degree so it was a bit chilly. I still have the lamb bones I snatched from bargain shelves. A bunch of it for 50p... Uhmmm... I am still very happy with myself. lol!!!
Anyway, I do not feel like making curry or anything with coconut milk. Somehow i feel a bit too much, too fat and too rich. I want something light and yummy to heat up the evening.
I found a recipe at detik.com and modify it according to what I have left in the fridge. It is a great coincidence since we are planning our weekend getaway so I need to finish and clean the fridge.

I was not so convince at the beginning but tasting the result last night with my better half, it was YUMM-O... simon said he can't stop eating. LOL!! I know... I like it too...

Ingredient:

500g Lamb bones with bits of meat on it.
1 lt water
2cm galangal, bruised
2 bay leaves
6 shallot (the small indonesian shallot - not the big ones)
2 garlic - grind together with shallot

1 tbsp pickle jalapeno chilles
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 red pepper, cut into squares
1/2 green pepper, cut into squares
salt and blackpepper
1 tbsp cooking oil

Direction:
1. Boil the lamb bones with galangal, salt and bay leaves with low heat for about 1 hour. Or until the meat can gently come off the bones when pinched. Then put in the chopped carrots.
2. Heat oil and saute grind shallot and garlic until fragrant. Add the red and green pepper.
3. Put the saute shalot, garlic and peppers into the boiling lamb bones pan and cook through.
4. Adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper.
5. Ready to serve with steaming hot white rice.

Pisang Goreng Keju // Battered Banana with Cheese and Milk Drizzle

This morning I made myself a very satisfying breakfast which takes me back to Ambon again. Yesterday, we bought Bananas or what they called Plantain. This is the kind of banana we used to fried at home – Pisang Goreng. I love Pisang Goreng or Battered Banana especially when you add shredded cheese and a drizzle of condensed milk on top. Aahh it’s heavenly.

Having this dish in the morning, remind me of my mother-in-law, Mama Nona, in Waai. My father-in-law, Papa Ucu, planted bananas and many other yummy goods and when they’re ripe he brought them home from “kabong”. Then the next morning, the whole house will woke up to the smell of battered fried banana. Usually, some will be still sizzling in the wok and some already plated up on  the table together with an army of tea glasses filled with hot tea.

I think for most Ambonesse, they will have similar experience or memories. Either of their mother, grandmother or sister frying the banana at home or buying it from little girls who walk around the village with a tray of fried banana on their head. Of course for this, we don’t put cheese. Cheese is certainly not our culture, apart from it is an expensive stuff. But all the same, the smell and the taste of fried banana remind me of my homeland, to my families, to mothers and women who wakes up every dawn to busy themselves preparing breakfast for their loved one. I wish one day, I can be such mothers too.

This morning, Peanut have a taste of Ambon.

Serve 2 – 3 people

Ingredient:

2 Plantains (big bananas) à My fave, if I am in Ambon, is Pisang Abu-abu

3 tbsp of all purpose four

1 tsp of sugar

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¼ cup of milk or water à I used semi skimmed milk

1 cup of cooking oil

Topping if desire:

Shredded Cheese, best one is mild cheddar. In Indonesia we use Kraft which I presume a processed cheddar cheese.

Condensed milk to drizzle on top

Direction:

Mix the flour, sugar, salt, milk/water and baking soda until it formed a batter mixture.

Meanwhile heat the cooking oil in a deep pan or a wok.

Peel and cut the banana to the size you desire. I halved it lengthwise and cut into 3 parts.

Dip the banana into the batter and fry it in hot oil until golden brown

Take it out of the oil. Arrange on the plate. Scattered the Cheese on top of the bananas then drizzle the condensed milk on top of everything.

Enjoy!

Mie Siram Daging Cincang // Noodle with Mince Meat

This is our last night dinner. I am aiming to finish all our weekly supply before heading out for the next one. I have left over mince meat in the fridge and kinda craving to eat noodle. So I thought I will cook noodle and mince meat. Back in the days of us dating and still during the post-conflict period in Ambon, Simon and I usually have dinner of Mie Ayam (chicken noodle) from street food vendor in front of Kantor Pajak. So I think I will make my own take of Mie Ayam with Mince Meat. I love it, Simon loves it. We’re happy bunnies..

Serve 2

Ingredient:

250 gr Egg noodle

200 gr Mince Meat

3 garlic, finely chopped

1 stalk of spring onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp Indonesian sweet soy sauce

1 tbsp of soy sauce

Salt and pepper

Cooking oil

Beef Broth:

A handful of Pok Choi

2 garlic, crushed

½ stalk of spring onion, the green part

400 ml of water

Direction

Meat:

Heat the 1 tbsp of cooking oil then autee garlic and spring onion until fragrant.

Put the mince meat and cook until it turn color.

Add oyster sauce, Indonesian sweet soy sauce, soy sauce, salt and pepper.

Add a little stock or water and let it cooked through and set it aside.

Beef Broth:

Make the broth by boiling 400 ml of water with a piece of beef or beef bones. Add salt, pepper and crushed garlic. Let it boil.

Wash and cut the pok choi. Before serving, put them in the boiling broth and simmer for 3 minutes.

Noodle:

Prepare the noodle as directed on the packaging. Usually boil it with some water for 3 minutes. Drain it and add tbsp of cooking oil to avoid them sticking to each other.

Serve with fried onion (I do not use) and sliced spring onion.