SouthseaScene

I don't often make Indonesian food because the ingredients are hard to find, but our local supermarkets are getting better at stocking ethnic ingredients. In the frozen section of Tesco, near the samosas, you can find the spring roll pastry.  Don't bother asking the branch in Chester. I was laughed at by the cashier when I asked for spring roll skin, because 'skin' is what we call the wrapper in Indonesian. Her more helpful colleague offered me filo pastry instead, which can be a good substitute. I'm afraid no one in Chester has yet to taste my amazing spring rolls as a result. Friends in Southsea are luckier!  Here are the ingredients to make 30 spring rolls (the packs come in 30 or 40 pieces) 1 medium head of cabbage, thinly sliced 2 carrots, julienned 1 red or yellow pepper, julienned 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 medium courgette, julienned 1 tablespoon of Oyster sauce (omit if cooking for vegan) 2 tbsp soy sauce salt and pepper to taste 1 tbsp vegetable oil f...

Beef Semarang Style or Lapis Daging Semarang (in Indonesian) is a delicious way of cooking beef and a lovely meal to cook for a dinner party as it's simple and easy to prepare. This recipe is for 4 people, but be warned that the portion needs rice and a vegetable side dish to make a complete meal.  Ingredients:  450 grams beef sirloin or rump, sliced thinly, the size of a matchbox 1 medium onion, chopped  3 cloves of garlic  1 tsp freshly ground black pepper  3 tbsp dark soy sauce  ½ tsp nutmeg  1 tbsp dark sugar  2 tbsp oil  2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped  Gently beat the meat slices with a mallet to thin them out. Put the onion, garlic, pepper, soy sauce, nutmeg and sugar into a blender and blend to a smooth paste. Add a little water if necessary to keep the blades turning. Put the beef slices in a bowl and marinate with the sauce for about 1 hour.  Boil some water and blanch the tomatoes, peel the skin and chop them ...

I love noodles and I've tried various recipes to recreate the authentic taste of noodles from back home in Indonesia. I found this version from a different recipe which matched the authentic taste. What I love about this dish is that it's very easy to make. Dried noodles can be ready in 5 minutes, so while it's softening in boiled water, caramelise thinly sliced onions and fry some vegetables like peppers, courgettes, or broccoli. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the noodles and a tablespoonful of soy sauce plus the same quantity of malt vinegar. Mix well and let it brown in places. Then add a dash of oil and when it's hot make a well in the centre of the noodles and drop a whole egg into the well. Let it cook for a minute and then stir to combine the egg with the noodles and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with some chilli sauce and prawn crackers, if you have some. This version of fried noodles is closest in taste to the one I ...

I was in the Thai food shop on Albert Road one day when this lady asked the shopkeeper whether she has any packet spice for nasi goreng. The shopkeeper and her mother broke out into a conference in Thai, the upshot being that they had no idea what nasi goreng was. Nasi goreng is not a Thai dish and that was partly why the shopkeeper had no idea. It is an Indonesian dish and it is so easy to make that I wanted to teach the lady there and then how to cook it. A few weeks have passed by and I'm still thinking about this poor woman looking for the nasi goreng. Here's the recipe and if you heard of anyone mentioning this recipe, point her or him to this blog! Nasi Goreng (Indonesian for fried rice) A bowl of cooked rice 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup 1 tablespoon soy sauce a handful of peas, fresh, frozen or tinned some diced carrots some sliced shallots 1 clove of garlic, chopped an egg 2 tablespoons vegetable oil If you have a wok, it's great, if not a wide ...