Syomai Bandung

Not to be confused with Chinese style Shumai even though this looks pretty much like that particular sort of dimsum. This is the Indonesian version of Shumai and is eaten with peanut sauce. Not as breakfast like dimsum, it is light meal for the afternoon.

ingredients
serves 6 
30 square wonton wraps 
6 cooked potato, peeled, halved 
6 cooked eggs, peeled, halved 
1 bitter gourd, cut into six 
1 tofu, cut into six or six pieces small tofus
6 cooked cabbage leafs 
oil for greasing the steamer (a metal steamer, not the bamboo one)
water 


for the filling 
250 gr/9 oz minced chicken 
250 gr/9 oz raw shrimps, peeled, deveined and chopped 
1 egg 
2 tbsp tapioca starch 
1 tsp salt 
1 tsp fish sauce 
dash of sesame oil


for the peanut sauce 
250 gr/9 oz fried peanuts 
2 fried garlic cloves 
1 tsp sugar 
1 tsp salt 
350 ml hot water 
3 tbsp sweet soy sauce 


method 
1. Mix together the filling ingredients and stir well until the texture is thick and pasty. The use of food processor here is fine too. 


2. Bring some water to the boil in a large sauce pan and place the steamer on top of it. Using a brush, grease the steamer with oil. Scoop out the seed from the six bitter gourd pieces. Fill in the hole inside the bitter gourd piece with a tbsp of the filling. Place the bitter gourd on the steamer. 


3. To make the Syomai, place a tbsp of filling in the center of the wrap. Press the wrap a bit tightly and bring the opposite points towards each other, so it creates a flower like shape. Place it immediately on the steamer. Repeat with the remaining wraps an filling. 


4. Work with the tofu. Scoop out some of it surface to make a hole that can be filled with the Syomai filling. Fill in a teaspoon of filling to the hole and immediately place the tofu on the steamer. 


5. Steam it all together for about 30 minutes or until the Syomai's rise. 


6. To make peanut sauce, process all ingredients in a food processor. 


 7. Serve the Syomai with tofu, bitter gourd, cooked egg, cooked potato, cooked cabbage and peanut sauce.

Bubur Ayam

Another favorite meal; Chicken Porridge. Porridge made from rice grains with shredded chicken as one of the condiments. It takes at least an hour to get the dish ready to serve and it literary burns my tongue once it is shoveled into my mouth without first letting it cool off.

ingredients:
serves 4
500 gr/1 lb 2 oz chicken
200 gr/7 oz rice, soaked in cold water for an hour
3000 ml water
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp margarine


condiments:
2 sticks of You Tiao, sliced
2 stalks of spring onions, sliced finely
1/3 cup of chopped celery
1/3 cup of fried onion
1/3 cup of fried soy beans (optional)
sweet soy sauce to taste
light soy sauce to taste
peanut sauce
shrimp crackers and/or Emping (optional)


method:
1. Drain the soaked rice and place in a large saucepan with the chicken and the water. 


2. Bring to the boil then add salt. While waiting for it to boil, stir the mixture occasionally to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan.


3. Once the grains are soft and tender to the bite, fish out the chicken and let it cool off. Set the stove to its minimum heat. Stir occasionally.


4. Squeeze out any excess water from the chicken. Shred the chicken into small pieces. 


5. Melt the butter on a frying pan, stir-fry the shredded chicken, set aside.


6. To serve, per portion; ladle 1/4 part of the porridge into a bowl. Add the shredded chicken and the rest of the condiments but serve crackers and peanut sauce separately. 

Mie Ayam Jamur

One of my favorite noodle dishes; Mie Ayam Jamur. Not really a big fan of noodle, but this one tastes different. The combination of the sweet soy chicken and the broth makes this soupy dish really delicious. Lazybones like me pop in a chicken stock cube into a pan of boiling water and call it broth. 

ingredients:
serves 4
200 gr/7 oz dried, thick Chinese egg noodles 
1 tbs peanut oil to be drizzled to the noodles
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
115 gr/4 oz mushroom, sliced
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp sweet soy sauce
sugar, salt and pepper


for the soup:
1 liter/32 fl oz water
1 chicken stock cube
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and pepper


method:
1. Cook the noodles in a saucepan of boiling water for 5 minutes or according to the packet instructions. Drain, rinse and drain again, drizzle with peanut oil. Toast the noodles then set aside. 


2. Place the chicken stock cube in a a saucepan, add the water and bring to the boil. Add the garlic, salt and pepper. The broth is ready.


3.  Heat the cooking oil in a wok or a frying pan and stir-fry the chopped garlic until it gives away its fragrance. Add the oyster sauce, the sweet soy sauce and sugar, then stir-fry until the sugar is dissolved. Add the chicken, mix all together for 2 minutes. Add the mushroom, stir-fry again until the mushroom is tender. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the frying pan, reduce the heat. After 5 minutes, remove the cover of the frying pan, simmer gently for about 10-15 minutes.


4. To serve, per portion; transfer 1/4 of the noodles into a bowl, add the soy chicken and ladle the broth over. Add blanched Pak Choi to complete the dish along with some beef balls and fried wonton wrappers. Not to forget, garnish it with fried onion.