Teh Halia (Hot Ginger Tea, Ambon)

Ingredients 

• 6 cups water 

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed 

• 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, cracked 

Procedure

1. Combine the water, sugar, and ginger in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. 
2. Cook over moderate heat for about 5 minutes. 
3. Strain. 

Serves 6.

Nasi Jagung (Corn Rice)

Ingredients

• 1½ cups uncooked rice, washed thoroughly
• 1½ cups sweet corn kernels, cut from the cob or canned

Procedure

1. Place the rice and corn in a pot with 3½ cups of water and bring to a boil. (If using canned sweet corn, do not add water).
2. Simmer the rice and corn until the water is absorbed.
3. If using canned sweet corn, add the water now.
4. Lower the heat to low and cook rice and corn for another 10 minutes, until the rice is dry and fluffy.

Gado Gado (Vegetable Salad with Peanut Sauce)

Ingredients

• 2 potatoes
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 10 string beans
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 cup green cabbage, chopped
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• 8 to 12 ounces tofu (optional)
• 5 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, cut in wedges
• Peanut Sauce (available in small bottles in grocery stores)

Procedure

1. Boil all the vegetables (except tofu and cucumber), or steam until crisp and tender.
2. Set aside.
3. Cut the tofu into small pieces and fry until golden brown, then set aside.
4. Place the cooked vegetables on a plate, top with the tofu, cucumber slices, and sliced hard-boiled eggs wedges, and pour the peanut sauce on last.

Makes 2 servings.

Nasi Kuning (Yellow Rice)

Ingredients

• 2 cups rice

• 2¼ cups coconut milk

• 2 teaspoons turmeric (found in most supermarkets)

• 1 blade lemon grass

Procedure

1. Wash and drain the rice.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Lower the heat to a simmer and continue to cook until all the coconut milk is absorbed.
4. Put the rice into a steamer (a vegetable steamer lined with cheesecloth set over boiling water will also work).
5. Steam until the rice is tender.

Serves 4 to 6.

Kelapa Susu (Coconut Milk)

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried coconut

• 2 cups warm water

Procedure

1. Place the coconut in a pan and cover with the water.
2. Allow to soak for 20 minutes and then squeeze the coconut very hard to produce a milky liquid.
3. When the coconut milk has been added to a dish, it will need to be constantly stirred at first to avoid separation.

Rujak (Spicy Fruit Salad)

Rujak is considered Indonesia's national salad.

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized can pineapple chunks

• 2 bananas, peeled and chopped

• 3 green apples, peeled and chopped

• 1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced

Dressing

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce

• ½ cup dark brown sugar

• 2 Tablespoons lime (or lemon) juice

Procedure

1. Place all fruits and vegetables into a bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. In a separate bowl, combine dressing ingredients.
3. Pour the dressing over the fruits and vegetables. Chill before serving.

Serves 4 to 6.

Cap Cay (Indonesian Chop Suey)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 onion, thinly sliced

• 10 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp (30-40 per pound)

• 1 head bok choy, chopped

• 1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli

• 1 1/2 cups chopped cauliflower

• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced at an angle

• 3 green onions, chopped

• 2/3 cup water

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce

• 1 teaspoon white sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• salt to taste

Directions

• Prep
  20 m
• Cook
  25 m
• Ready In
  45 m

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, and green onion. Pour in the water, cover, and cook until the shrimp is no longer translucent in the center and the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Dissolve the cornstarch into the fish sauce in a small bowl. Stir into the cap cai along with the oyster sauce, sugar, and pepper; stir until thickened. Season with salt before serving.

Indonesian Curried Cabbage

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, or as needed

• 3/4 pound lean ground beef

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 2 teaspoons curry powder

• 1 small head cabbage, shredded

• 2 tablespoons ketchup

• 2 teaspoons mango chutney

• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

• 1 tablespoon water, or as needed

Directions

• Prep
  10 m
• Cook
  20 m
• Ready In
  30 m

1. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook ground beef until browned and cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer cooked ground beef to a plate to drain; reserve remaining oil in skillet.
2. Return skillet to medium heat with residual oil. Add onion, garlic, and curry powder; cook and stir until onion is almost tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir cooked ground beef and cabbage into onion mixture; stir in ketchup, chutney, and salt. Sprinkle on a little water to prevent burning, but not enough to make the curry wet.
3. Cook and stir until cabbage is just tender and flavors have combined, 7 to 10 minutes more.

Indonesian Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng)

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked white rice

• 2 cups water

• cooking spray

• 3 eggs, beaten

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 leek, chopped

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 2 green chile peppers, chopped

• 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

• 1/2 pound peeled and deveined prawns

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 3 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (Indonesian kecap manis)

Directions

• Prep
  20 m
• Cook
  40 m
• Ready In
  3 h

1. Bring the rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Spread onto a baking sheet, and refrigerate 2 hours until cold.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Pour eggs into hot skillet. Cook until the eggs begin to set, lifting up the edges of the set eggs to allow the uncooked egg to contact the hot pan, about 1 minute. Flip omelet in one piece and cook until fully set, about 30 seconds. Slice omelet into 1/2 inch strips.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Stir in the onion, leek, garlic, and chile peppers. Cook, stirring, until onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken, prawns, coriander, and cumin, mixing well. Cook and stir for approximately 5 minutes.
4. Mix in the cold rice, sweet soy sauce, and omelet strips; cook until shrimp are bright pink and chicken is no longer pink in the center, 3 to 5 minutes.

Indonesian Satay

Ingredient

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

• 3 tablespoons tomato sauce

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

• 1 pinch ground black pepper

• 1 pinch ground cumin

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup minced onion

• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons white sugar

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• skewers

Directions

• Prep
  25 m
• Cook
  20 m
• Ready In
  1 h

1. In a bowl, mix soy sauce, tomato sauce, peanut oil, garlic, black pepper, and cumin. Place chicken into the mixture, and stir to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, but not overnight. This will make the meat too dark.
2. Preheat the grill for high heat.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and saute onion and garlic until lightly browned. Mix in water, peanut butter, soy sauce, and sugar. Cook and stir until well blended. Remove from heat, mix in lemon juice, and set aside.
4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill skewers about 5 minutes per side, until chicken juices run clear. Serve with the peanut sauce.

Indonesian Beef Rendang

Ingredients
Serves: 8 

• 4 fresh banana peppers, seeded and chopped
• 4 shallots, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 kg beef tenderloin, cut into 5 x 2.5 cm cubes
• 2 cm galangal, thinly sliced
• 3 stalks lemongrass, chopped
• 6 lime leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 3 cans coconut milk

Directions
Prep:20min › Cook:3hr30min › Ready in:3hr50min

1. Place the banana peppers, shallots, garlic, salt, and chilli powder with vegetable oil in a blender, and pulse until the mixture is a paste.
2. Place the beef tenderloin cubes in a skillet over medium heat with the pepper mixture, galangal, lemon grass, lime leaves, and turmeric. Cook the beef with the seasonings,stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink inside and the meat juices have mostly evaporated, about 15 minutes.
3. Pour the coconut milk into the skillet, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove the pieces of beef to a bowl, and let the coconut milk continue to simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes. Return the beef to the coconut sauce, reduce the heat to low, and barely simmer the beef and sauce until the sauce turns brown and the oil has separated from the coconut milk, about 2 1/2 hours. Stir frequently as the sauce thickens.