Vegetables

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Jukut Nangka Mekuah & Sayur Pakis
( Young Jackfruit with Coconut Milk & Fern Tips in Garlic Dressing )

  
JUKUT NANGKA MEKUAH ( Young Jackfruit with Coconut Milk )

If jackfruit is not available, substitute with summer squash, winter melon or turnip. ##

750 g (1,5 lb) young jackfirnit, peeled, cleaned and cut in pieces 2.5 x 1 cm (1 x 1/2 in)
1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock
1/2 cup spice paste for vegetables
4 cups coconut milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
fried shallots to garnish

Bring 3 litres (12 cups) of lightly salted water to the boil. Add jacidruit, bring back to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain water and rinse jackfruit in ice water. Heat chicken stock, add vegetable spice paste and jackfruit and bring to the boil. Add coconut milk and simmer, stirring continuously, until Jackfruit is tender and stock thickens a little. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with fried shallots.

SAYUR PAKIS ( Fern Tips in Garlic Dressing )

Fern tips-inexpensive and gathered wild-have a delightful, spinach-like flavour. #

400 g (12,5 oz) young fern tips or spinach
3 cloves garlic
4 cm (1,5 in) kencur root, peeled and chopped
4-7 bird's-eye chillies
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon blacit peppercorns, crushed

Blanch fern tips in boiling water and cool under run- ning water. Drain and dry thoroughly. Place all remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend coarsely, or grind in a stone mortar. Combine this mixture with the vegetables and mix well. Serve at room temperature.

Helpful hints : The fern tips and the seasonings can be prepared in advance and combined just before serving.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Lawar
( Green Bean Salad with Chicken )



No big religious or private celebration would be held without serving this ritual dish. Only the eldest and most experienced men are allowed to mix the many ingredients. ###

3 cups blanched long beans cut in 1/2 cm (1/4 in) slices
1/2 cup grated coconut, roasted 6 cloves garlic, peeled, sliced and fried
6-8 shallots, peeled, sliced and fried
2 large red chillies, seeded and cut in fine strips
4-6 bird's-eye chillies, finely sliced
3 teaspoons fried bird's-eye chillies (Sambel Sere Tahia)
2 tablespoons spice paste for chicken fried shallots to garnish

Dressing:
250 g (1/2 lb) boneless chicken, minced
2 tablespoons chicken spice paste
banana leaf, cut in 30 cm (12 in) square
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed

Combine beans, coconut, garlic, shallots, all the chillies and chicken spice paste in a large bowl and mix well. To prepare the dressing, combine chicken mince with 2 tablespoons of chicken spice paste and mix well. Place minced chicken lengthwise in centre of banana leaf and roll up very tightly. Place banana leaf roll on aluminium foil and roll up again very tightly. Turn sides simultaneously in opposite directions to tighten the roll. Steam roll for 20 minutes. Remove alummium foil and banana leaf, break up meat with a fork to its original minced form. Combine minced chicken with bean mixture, season to taste with salt, pepper and lime juice. Garnish with crispy fried shallots.

Helpful hint : The minced chicken can be replaced by beef, pork or shredded young jackfruit

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Timun Mesanten & Buah Kacang Mekuah
( Cucumber with Coconut Sauce & Long Beans )



TIMUN MESANTEN ( Cucumber with Coconut Sauce )

The bland flavour of cucumbers can be enhanced when prepared with coconut milk and spicy sea- sonings. #

2 tablespoons oil
3 shallots, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 large red chillies, seeded and sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried shrimp paste
2 caps coconut milk
2 medium-sized cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed fried shallots to garnish

Heat oil in heavy saucepan. Add shallots, garlic and chillies and saute for 2 minutes over low heat. Mix in shrimp paste and saute for another minute. Pour in coconut milk and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cucumbers and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cucumbers are cooked and sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with frip.d shallots.

BUAH KACANG MEKUAH ( Long Beans )

This soupy vegetable dish has plenty of savoury liquid, which can be spooned over rice. ##

2 caps chicken stock
1/2 cup basic spice paste
1 stalk lemon grass, braised
3 salam leaves
600 g (1 1/4 lb) long beans, cut in 2.5 era (1 in) pieces
salt and pepper to taste
fried shallots to garnish

Heat chicken stock in saucepan. Add spice paste, lemon grass and salam leaves and simmer for 5 min- utes. Add beans and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are cooked. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with fried shallots.

Helpful hints : Any type of green bean can be used.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Jukut Blimbing
( Star Fruit Leaves in Sweet Sauce )



Starfruit trees grow in many Balinese gardens, a convenient source of leaves for vegetable dishes. The leaves are crunchy with a slightly bitter tang. If not available, substitute with spinach leaves. ##

400 g (13 oz) sterfrait leaves, washed
1/2 cup basic spice paste
2 cups coconut milk
2 salam leaves
300 g (10 oz) beef rump, minced
30 cm (12 in) square of banana leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed

Bring 3 litres (12 cups) of lightly salted water to the boil in a stockpot. Add starfruit leaves, reduce heat and sirnmer for 5 minutes. Drain leaves, then cool to room temperature in ice water. Drain and dry well. Place half of the spice paste into saucepan and saute for 2 minutes. Add coconut milk and salam leaf, reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens. Season minced beef with the remaining spice paste. Place on banana leaf and roll up very tightly into the shape of a sausage. Steam for 15 minutes. Allow to cool, open banana leaf and break meat into its original minced consistency. Mix the coconut milk and minced beef well and add starfruit leaves and mix again. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature with steamed rice.

Helpful hints : You can steam the meat in a small covered dish, if preferred.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

ukut Urab
( Mixed Vegetables with Grated Coconut )



Although mixed vegetables are used in this version of Urab, it is possible to make it with 400 g (14 oz) of just one of the vegetables listed; spinach can also be used. ##

100 g (3 1/2 oz) blanched cabbage
100 g (3 1/2 oz) spinach, blanched
100 g (3 1/2 oz) long beans, cut in 2.5 cm (1 in) pieces, blanched
100 g (3 1/2 oz) beansprouts, blanched
1 large red chilli, sliced
1 tablespoon grated coconut
2 tablespoon fried shallots

Dressing:
2 tablespoons fried shallots
2 tablespoons sliced garlic cloves
1 large red chilli, seeded and sliced
2 teaspoons fried bird's-eye chillies (Sambel Sere Tabia)
3 fragrant lime leaves, very finely sliced
4 cm 01/2 in) kencur, peeled and chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed blacit pepper
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon oil salt, pepper and lime juice to taste

Cut cabbage into pieces about 2.5 cm by 1 cm (1 in by 1/2 in). Mix all vegetables, chilli, grated coconut and fried shallots in salad bowl and mix well. For the dressing, combine all ingredients and mix well in separate bowl. Mix the dressing thoroughly with the vegetables, season to taste with salt, pepper and lime juice. Serve at room temperature.

Helpful hint : If you are using fresh coconut, you will need to discard any left-overs as the coconut will turn sour within a few hours.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Rujak
( Vegetable and Fruit Salad with Palm Sugar Sauce )



This popular snack, an intriguing mixture of sweet, sour and spicy hot flavours, is prepared at countless warung throughout Bali. ##

1 small pineapple, peeled and sliced evenly
1 sour mango, peeled and sliced
1 pomelo or grape fruit, peeled and cut in segments
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced
3 water apples (jambu), quartered (optional)
1 medium-sized starfruit, sliced
1/2 small papaya, peeled, cut in half, seeded and sliced in even segments
1 green apple, peeled and sliced
1 cup Rujak Sauce

Combine all ingredients in salad bowl and mix well. Serve at room temperature.

Helpful hint : Although this is served as a snack in Bali, you can serve it as part of a Balinese meal or buffet.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Nasi Goreng
( Fried Rice )

  
There are about as many different ways of preparing Nasi Goreng in Bali as there are cooks. The only constant ingredient is rice; everything else is deter- mined by the cook's taste or the availability of ingredients. Noodles, introduced by the Chinese, have become a favourite in Bali as well as elsewhere in Indonesia. For Mie Goreng (Fried Noodles), substitute 750 g (1,5 lb) fresh yellow noodles for the rice and follow exactly the same method. ##

6 teblespoons vegetable oil
6 shallots, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
200 g (6 1/2 oz) chicken meat, sliced
150 g (5 oz) medium-sized shrimp, peeled
1/4 small white cahhage, shredded
1/2 cup Sambel Tomat
4 eggs, beaten
750 g (1 1/2 lb) cold cooked rice
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sliced bird's-eye chillies
2 tablespoons fried shallots

Heat vegetable oil in wok or heavy frying pan until very hot. Add shallots and garlic and fry for I minute until golden yellow. Add chicken and shrimp and fry for I minute, then add cabbage and fry for I minute. Add Sambel Tomat and mix well. Add eggs and continuously stir for 30 seconds. Increase to very high heat, add rice and salt. Fry for 3 more minutes, stirring continuously. Add chillies, mix well and serve immediately, garnished with fried shallots.

Helpful hints : The cooked rice must be absolutely cold to make sure it does not become soggy during frying. It is important to have the heat under your wok at the absolute maximum when frying the rice.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Nasi Kuning
( Yellow Rice )

  
Yellow, one of the four sacred colours, makes this festive rice dish strikingly different from the normal, everyday steamed rice. The rice is cooked in lightly seasoned coconut milk and chicken stock for extra flavour, while the touch of oil in the coconut milk gives it a glistening appearance and keeps each grain separate. #

1,5 cups long-grain rice, washed and drained
2,5 cups coconut milk
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 salam leaf
1 pandan leaf
1 stalk lemon grass, bruised
2 tablespoons turmeric water
2 cm (3/4 in) lews, cut in 4 lengthwise slices
1 tablespoon salt

Combine all ingredients in rice cooker or heavy stockpot and simmer, covered, until done.

Helpful hints : If you are not using a rice cooker, cook the rice over high heat until the liquid comes to the boil, then lower heat and cook gently so that the coconut milk does not catch and hum on the bottom of the pan. Remove the lemon grass and laos before serving.