Thoughts. Experiences. Inspiration.

Hello, I am Marissa. I am an Indonesian living in Switzerland. It has been more than enough years since I lived far from where I once called home, and those years have taught me that no matter how I try to adjust my culinary style, I will always crave Indonesian food. I am not a chef, not even a skilled cook (ask my kids), but living in Zurich, this city has very few options for me to enjoy authentic Indonesian food. Whenever I crave Indonesian food, that means I have to cook it. After years of experience and limited sources of authentic Asian spices, I'm now, shall we say, good enough to cook some Indonesian dishes, and I'd like to share some with you. Some recipes I got directly from a talented natural cook, my mother (ask my kids) or, of course, Google. With a few moderations due to rare sources of Asian ingredients, the following recipes are some of my holy grails; all ingredients are available in Swiss supermarkets and Asian grocery stores, and most are rapid cook.

Recipes

Chicken Sate .. Poulet-Sate .. Sate Ayam

It's the most perfectly grilled, golden-brown chicken bites with just the right amount of charred, smoky goodness. The marinade takes the chicken to the next level with the help of a simple coconut milk marinade and some pantry spices. And to top it all off, Rumarasa's creamy peanut sauce is the best peanut sauce of your life.

Perfekt gegrillte, goldbraun gebratene Chicken Bites mit genau der richtigen Menge an rauchiger, verkohlter Köstlichkeit. Eine einfache Kokosmilchmarinade und ein paar Gewürze aus der Speisekammer geben dem Poulet den letzten Schliff. Und die cremige Erdnusssauce von Rumarasa ist die beste Erdnusssauce Ihres Lebens.

Ketoprak - Vermicellis Salat

Not as famous as gado gado or sate ayam, but just as tasty as the other dishes using peanut sauce. Ketoprak, is one of the traditional street foods you can easily find in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Nicht so bekannt wie Gado Gado oder Sate Ayam, aber genauso lecker wie die anderen Gerichte mit Erdnusssauce. Ketoprak ist eines der traditionellen Streetfood-Gerichte, die in Jakarta, Indonesien, häufig erhältlich sind.

Erdnusssaucen - Peanut sauce

This is how you get the perfect consistency of peanut sauce in a very classic and simple recipe.

advance

Opor Ayam, Hühnereintopf mit Kokosmilch, Turmeric chicken braised in coconut milk.

Opor Ayam (chicken cooked in coconut milk) is one of the easiest Indonesian recipes to try at home, and is very tasty. Unlike many other Indonesian dishes, opor ayam is mild and chilli-free. Most families serve opor ayam and ketupat (rice cakes in woven palm leaf bags) to celebrate Lebaran (Idul Fitri, or Eid). For more everyday occasions, opor ayam can be found in a nasi gudeg meal, where chicken is served with steamed white rice, gudeg (sweet young jackfruit stew) and sambal goreng krecek (crispy beef skin and spicy chilli stew).

Opor Ayam (in Kokosmilch gekochtes Huhn) ist eines der einfachsten indonesischen Rezepte, das man zu Hause ausprobieren kann, und es ist sehr lecker. Im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen indonesischen Gerichten ist Opor Ayam mild und ohne Chili. Die meisten Familien servieren Opor Ayam und Ketupat (Reiskuchen in geflochtenen Palmblatttaschen) zu Lebaran (Idul Fitri oder Eid). Bei alltäglicheren Anlässen findet man Opor Ayam in einem Nasi Gudeg-Essen, bei dem gedämpftes Hühnerfleisch mit weißem Reis, Gudeg (süßer Eintopf aus jungen Jackfrüchten) und Sambal Goreng Krecek (knusprige Rinderhaut und scharfer Chili-Eintopf) serviert wird.

easy

Easy to cook Golden Rice

Turmeric rice or nasi kuning is a popular rice dish in Indonesia.
The rich golden yellow colour is perfect for celebrating special occasions such as birthdays, weddings, baby showers, etc. The turmeric rice is usually stuffed into a cone-shaped mould to make nasi tumpeng.
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Kurkuma-Reis oder Nasi Kuning ist ein beliebtes Reisgericht in Indonesien.
Die intensive goldgelbe Farbe ist ideal für besondere Anlässe wie Geburtstage, Hochzeiten, Babypartys usw. Der Kurkumareis wird normalerweise in eine kegelförmige Form gefüllt, um Nasi Tumpeng herzustellen.

Beef Rendang

Rendang is a meat dish, traditionally with beef or buffalo as the main ingredient. But what makes rendang 'rendang' is the ingenious blend of herbs and spices. This long list of spices includes galangal, lemongrass, coriander and more. Coconut milk is also a defining ingredient, giving the meat a deep fragrance.

Cooking rendang is a marathon, not a sprint. The chunks of meat are cooked on low heat for over six hours, allowing the coconut milk and spices to seep in and thicken. This long cooking process dries but tenderises the meat, allowing the spices to permeate its layers. The end result is a thick, dry curry, best served with plain white rice and eaten with your hands.

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Rendang ist ein Fleischgericht, dessen Hauptbestandteil traditionell Rind- oder Büffelfleisch ist. Was Rendang jedoch zu Rendang macht, ist die raffinierte Mischung aus Kräutern und Gewürzen. Die lange Liste der Gewürze umfasst Galgant, Zitronengras, Koriander und vieles mehr. Auch Kokosmilch ist eine wichtige Zutat, die dem Fleisch ein intensives Aroma verleiht.

Das Kochen von Rendang ist kein Sprint, sondern ein Marathon. Die Fleischstücke werden über sechs Stunden auf kleiner Flamme gekocht, damit die Kokosmilch und die Gewürze einziehen und eindicken können. Dieser lange Garprozess trocknet das Fleisch aus, macht es aber auch zart und lässt die Gewürze in seine Schichten eindringen. Das Endergebnis ist ein dickes, trockenes Curry, das am besten mit einfachem weißen Reis serviert und mit den Händen gegessen wird.

Galangal Fried Chicken

Ayam goreng lengkuas is a delicious speciality from Bandung, West Java (part of the Sundanese region of Indonesia) and means 'galangal fried chicken'. What makes this fried chicken unique is the way the chicken is cooked, using a large amount of grated fresh galangal. Not just a few thin slices, but a few hundred grams (200 grams to be exact) to make this recipe!
I know it sounds like a lot, but using a tonne of fresh galangal to season fried chicken is surprisingly an absolute YES! The large amount of lengkuas used is manageable; instead, it blends harmoniously with the other spices, making it very delicious.
Ayam goreng lengkuas can be prepared and kept in the fridge for a few days after cooking. However, for practical reasons, I recommend deep-frying the whole (drained) spices/grated galangal and storing it in an airtight container to enjoy the ayam goreng lengkuas time you like.
As with other Sundanese dishes, ayam goreng lengkuas is usually served with rice, accompanied by classic lalapan and a choice of sambal to spice up the meal.