30 Delicious Indonesian Dishes You Need To Try

1. Nasi Goreng

wordpress.com / Via foodandchic.com

As one of the country’s signature dishes, nasi goreng is definitely Indonesians’ favorite. A plate of stirred fried rice complemented with eggs, prawns (chicken, salted dried-fish, goat meat, or anything of your choice), chilli, and veggies will surely make your mouth water. Don’t forget the kerupuk.

2. Mie Goreng

flickr.com / Via Flickr: guccibear2005

Fried noodles is also on top of Indonesian’s favorite list. Mie goreng is usually served with the same complementary ingredients as nasi goreng. The taste is competitive!

3. Mie Ayam

Via Flickr: flamingpot

If you’re starting to notice that mie is a popular dish here, it’s because it is! This another variation of noodle dish is served with chicken broth soup. It is usually topped with sweet seasoned chicken, scallion, kai choy, and dumplings.

4. Bakso

Via Flickr: tya

Bakso is Indonesian meat balls served in chicken broth soup, rice vermicelli or yellow noodles (depends on your liking), sprinkled with fried shallots, celery, and of coursesambal.

5. Nasi Uduk

flickr.com / Via Flickr: tehkici

Nasi uduk is another Jakarta’s traditional food. The rice is cooked in coconut milk so it becomes savory. It is then mixed with other additional dishes such as ayam goreng, omelette, fried tempe, and crispy crackers made from paddy oats.

6. Bubur Ayam

flickr.com / Via Flickr: monsterijo

This ultimate breakfast of the country is made of rice porridge served with shredded chicken, cakwe (Chinese crullers), crispy fried shallots, and chopped scallion. As always, the more the kerupuk, the merrier.

7. Sate

flickr.com / Via Flickr: swimupgood

Sate or satay is skewered grilled meat served with peanut sauce. If you happen to pass by a sate vendor and they’re grilling it outdoor, blowing meat smoke with a hand-held fan, it is most likely to attract customers with its distinguished smell!

8. Martabak

jakartacakes.com

There are two types of martabak in Indonesia. The folded pan-fried stuffed crispy pancake in the picture above is martabak telor. The filling is made of minced beef, scallions, and onions.

Via Flickr: mochachocolatarita

While martabak telor is savory, martabak manis is a sweet dessert. With various toppings from chocolate, cheese, peanut, banana, to even durian and recently popular Nutella, this thick buttery pancake is quickly become another Indonesian’s favorite snack.

9. Tahu & Tempe Goreng

lh6.googleusercontent.com / Via Dapur Sunda

Tahu (or tofu) and tempe are soul mates. They are inseparable. Get a scoop of rice and sprinkled it kecap (sweet soy sauce). Your perfect Indonesian breakfast is ready!

10. Soto

flickr.com / Via Flickr: jemberbanget

Soto is basically an Indonesian traditional soup mainly served in savory chicken broth seasoned with turmeric. Hence, the color yellow. It then added with shredded chicken, eggs, rice vermicelli, and crispy fried shallots. There are so many variants ofsoto in Indonesia. It depends on which region it comes from. They have Soto Kudusin Central Java, Soto Betawi in Jakarta, Coto Makassar in Sulawesi, and a lot more.

11. Ketoprak

flickr.com / Via Flickr: aj1022

Ketoprak is one of Indonesian’s traditional dishes and also very popular choice among street foods. The main ingredients are lontong or ketupat (compressed rice cake), tahu, rice vermicelli, bean sprouts, and then mixed it all with thick and sweet peanut sauce. And of course the mandatory complementary, a mountain of kerupuk.

12. Gado-gado

wordpress.com / Via eveloveandlight.wordpress.com

Gado-gado is quite similar to ketoprak since it also has the peanut sauce dressing, but its ingredients are mainly from assorted veggies such as cabbage, spinach, bean sprouts, kangkung, green bean, and lontong or ketupat.

13. Pecel

teropongbisnis.com

Pecel itself is actually veggies mixed with peanut sauce. It is more or less semi gado-gado, but it is usually served without lontong or ketupat. As a substitute, you can add rice and other companion ingredients such as tempe and rempeyek crackers.

14. Karedok

flickr.com / Via Flickr: rsetia67

Karedok is the raw version of gado-gado. The veggies come directly from your neighbor’s farm to your plate. Joke aside, the veggies in karedok are all uncooked. For real. Well of course we’re washing them all first.

Aren’t we?

15. Siomay

flickr.com / Via Flickr: ottysoemitro

Siomay is the cousin of dim sum. It is made of tenggiri fish paste. Friendly companions for siomay are steamed potatoes, cabbage, eggs, and tofu. Moar peanut sauce, soy sauce, and sambal, please!

16. Batagor

flickr.com / Via Flickr: rsetia67

Batagor is fried bakso and tofu with fish paste fillings. If you haven’t figured out yet, Indonesian dishes are similar to each other. Can you guess Batagor is similar to what?

17. Opor Ayam

flickr.com / Via Flickr: bundaagnes

If you’re spending Eid-ul Fitr in Indonesia, you will most likely see opor ayam in the local household’s tables. This chicken cooked in coconut milk serving is usually eaten with ketupat and sambal goreng ati (fried beef liver) during Lebaran holiday.

18. Rendang

wordpress.com / Via dentistvschef.wordpress.com

If you can’t handle chili, you can’t handle this spicy meat dish. Originated from Minangkabau in West Sumatra that is well-known for its love for anything spicy, rendang is simply Indonesian’s traditional steak. Difference is, you can only get very well-done.

19. Gudeg

blogger.com / Via berita-jogjakarta.blogspot.com

Gudeg has all the taste in a single plate. You get savory from the coconut milk, spicy from sambal goreng krecek (stew made of crisp beef skins), and sweet from the jack fruit that is boiled for hours with palm sugar. Mmmm! You can find the tastiest gudegin Yogyakarta, as it is their traditional food.

20. Ayam Goreng Kuning

images.letseatmag.com / Via letseatmag.com

If you ask why this chicken looks so yellow. Read the soto description again. Can you find the similar ingredient? Yep, turmeric. The chicken pieces are marinated in turmeric mixture along with shallots, garlic, ginger, and some other spices. They are then deep fried until the smell makes your stomach growl.

21. Sayur Asem

flickr.com / Via Flickr: aj1022

Sayur asem is Indonesian’s most popular soup. Common ingredients you can find are corn, chayote, green bean, and paddy oats.

22. Nasi Tumpeng

flickr.com / Via Flickr: orukasan

You can’t have a celebration without nasi tumpeng. This massive tower platter is specially made for important ceremonies. If you have a birthday, your Indonesian parents will most likely make you nasi tumpeng. It’s like cake, but with rice and heaps of side dishes.

The essential ingredient is rice. It can be a plain steamed rice, uduk rice (cooked with coconut milk), or yellow rice (spiced with turmeric). The side dishes varied from ayam goreng (fried chicken), perkedel kentang (mashed potato fritters), kering tempe (dried tempe seasoned with sweet spices), shredded omelettes, and anything else you can think of.

It is said, the cone-shaped rice is a symbol of mountains and volcanoes. The tradition originated from ancient Javanese people as an offering to the Gods (who usually live in the mountains) for the abundance of harvest and Their many blessings.

23. Pempek

Via Flickr: tya

This savory delicacy fish cake from Palembang in the south of Sumatra is normally served with yellow noodles, cucumber, and poured with sour sauce. You can also find ones that have eggs filling.

24. Otak-otak

flickr.com / Via Flickr: chandramarsono

Here we have another fish cake snack from Palembang. Its distinguished serving is wrapped inside a banana leaf and then grilled with charcoal like sate. You shouldn’t be so surprised by now that you will also need peanut sauce to dip into.

25. Gorengan

flickr.com / Via Flickr: killerturnip

You can’t never say no to this cheap but tasty street snack! You can find it almost in every corner of the street.

indonesia.travel / Via indonesia.travel

With only Rp.5000 you get 5 of these assorted gorengan of your choice from tofu, tempe, cassava, breaadfruit, banana, sweet potato, and my personal favorite bakwan(deep fried mix of shredded cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts).

Oh, and abang gorengan will give you free chili.

26. Kerak Telor

blogger.com / Via tugaskab.blogspot.com

Betawi people in Jakarta have kerak telor as their traditional snack. It is basically a kind of spicy omelette fried with glutinous rice and served with serundeng (fried shredded coconut) and fried shallot.

27. Bakpia

pupufud.com / Via pupufud.com

Bakpia is Yogyakarta’s specialty other than Gudeg. This round sweet rolls is traditionally stuffed with mug beans. However, there also many other flavors available like cheese, chocolate, and even durian.

28. Lumpia

blogger.com / Via dapurfatma.blogspot.com

If you’re familiar with spring rolls, lumpia is exactly what it is. It is stuffed with bamboo shoots, minced meat, and some veggies. Served in baby shallots and sour soy sauce or simply bite it with chili pepper.

29. Sambal & Lalapan

wordpress.com / Via travelaxia.wordpress.com

Lalapan is a plate of vegetables. Indonesian lalapan usually consists of cabbage, cucumbers, lettuce, lemon basil, and papaya leaves.

Sambal is a mixture of many kinds of chili peppers. It is the only thing you ever need to eat side by side with every Indonesian food.

30. Kerupuk

flickr.com / Via Flickr: dantje

Indonesia have many kinds of crackers. Prawn, fish, garlic, cassava.. you name it, we make it. Never eat any Indonesian food without kerupuk.

Es Teh Manis

voucherhotel.com

Last but far from least, a glass of sweet ice tea is the only drink you need to cool off your burning throat from eating all of those sambal.

Source: http://www.buzzfeed.com/maharm/the-ultimate-guide-to-30-tastiest-indonesian-cuisi-5osg#.elBa3Kgq6

INDONESIAN TRADITIONAL WEAPONS

The Famous Indonesian Traditional Weapons

Know the Most Popular Traditional Weapons in Indonesia 

Weapons traditional machetes and knives are a tool used by tribes in Indonesia in the past as a weapon for hunting or as a means of self-defense in case of dispute. 
At this time the weapon a machete and knife used only for entering the garden or forest areas. For some people who still believe in superstitions traditional machetes and knives are considered to contain mystical value, such as Saber (Dayak), Rencong (Aceh) and Kris (Java). But for people who berfkiran more modern machete is just a machete and a knife is just a knife, no power anything (just an inanimate objects made ​​by human hands). 

Let's trace what types of traditional machetes and knives belonging to the nation of Indonesia. 

1. Saber (Dayak, Borneo)

Spoiler for Saber:

Dayak tribe's distinctive weapon, more like a sword because its size is rather long. Saber is very popular even very popular to overseas. How many countless foreign tourists who carry weapons 'Saber' typical Dayak tribe as a souvenir to take home to their country. 
Some tragic stories about Saber's ever happened several times, when disputes between tribes in Kalimantan were 'supposedly' has claimed hundreds of human heads severed by the 'Saber' this. 

2. Rencong (Aceh, Sumatra) 

Spoiler for Rencong:

Acehnese typical weapon is more like a knife because of its size is rather short.Rencong is quite popular among the people of Indonesia, because of its unique.Rencong a weapon of the nobility of Aceh in the past, and it is an honor and a sign of masculinity for the owner of this Rencong. 
During the war against the invaders, Rencong has become one important weapon for the people of Aceh to conduct reversing invaders. 
For some small communities in Aceh, Rencong is often regarded as heirlooms and sacred, especially the age-old. 

3. Keris (Central Java) 

Spoiler for Keris:

Weapons typical Javanese, especially for the Yogyakarta and Central Java is a weapon containing mystical and sacred values. For the Javanese Javanese adherents of the flow, even keris is considered to have a soul and must be maintained, even bathed fed? pretty weird ... but that's what happened! 
Keris has a length like a knife, it's just the shape that is unique, because of its shape writhed like a snake. 
According to the stories of the people of Central Java, Kris is an honor for the aristocracy (the palace) and inserted in the left waist as a symbol of courage and nobility. 

4. Saber (North Sumatra) 

Spoiler for saber:

Saber is actually not a typical weapon tribes in northern Sumatra in the past, such as the Elephant Sword Piso surit or densely packed. Saber is more like a long sword is actually starting to be known during the 1900's ... used as a tool to rob the robbers in the past. 
Recorded in the 1980's, in the city of Medan, saber is often used as a tool for inter-gang fights or between organizations. Until now, the existence of saber machete fading replaced by shorter and more practical. 

5. Badik (Bugis-Makassar, Sulawesi) 

Spoiler for Badik:

This short weapon called 'Badik' for the Bugis-Makassar. Its shape resembles a knife, and almost similar to the typical weapons possession Rencong Acehnese. 
Badik has a long history since the beginning of the kingdoms of Sulawesi, has been used as a tool for self-defense as well as disputes between individuals and between groups. 
Badik Looks like this becomes a part of every young Bugis-Makassar in the past, because wherever every youth Bugis-Makassar go Badik must always carry a hidden among pants and waist. 

6. Kujang (Sunda, West Java) 

Spoiler for Kujang:

PKC is a kind of machete typical of Sundanese people in the past. There is now seldom have Kujang, because it has been replaced by Bedok (Parang Gardens) is more practical. PKC has a unique shape that not less than Kris and Aceh. For the people of West Java which mostly work as farmers, it seems more efficient to bring Bedok. Kujang own fate was now merely as window-dressing or kept as collectibles only. 

7. Sickles (Madura, East Java) 

Spoiler for sickles:

Sickle is actually just an ordinary garden tools, is used as a tool for slashing / cutting grass for the Madura, to feed cattle. But it's not uncommon sickles were used as a tool for conflict between individuals. It happens in some areas in East Java criminals using sickles to rob. This weapon is quite practical and resembles a crescent (curved and sharp on the inside), practical for use as garden tools. 
In other parts of Indonesia such as in Central Java and West Java, sickles are also used for gardening but with a different title, the scythes. 

8. Knife Dagger (Papua) 

Spoiler for Knife Dagger:

One of the traditional weapons in Papua Knife Dagger. These weapons are made ​​of cassowary leg bone and feathers adorn the upper blade. The main weapon is another indigenous Papuans Bows and Arrows. The arc of bamboo or wood, while the bow string is made ​​of rattan. Arrows made ​​of bamboo, wood or bone kangaroo. Bows and arrows used for hunting or war 

9. Parang Salawaki (Maluku) 

Spoiler for Parang Salawaki:

Parang Salawaki a particular weapon is often used by the natives of Maluku in the fight against the enemy. One who uses a weapon of war is when Kapitan Patimura war against the army and the people Belanda.Parang means large knife, usually have a much larger size of the blade, but shorter than the sword.Salawaki shield itself has meaning. Shield is a tool used to protect themselves and their weapons to fend off opponents 

10. Pasatimpo (Central Sulawesi) 

Spoiler for Pasatimpo:

Pasatimpo is a kind of dagger that forms upstream bent down and given a holster strap. These weapons are often used by local communities in healing dances that serves as a repellent of evil spirits. Now, Pasa timpo more often used in dances heroism. Its function is simply to raise the soul dancers. Since Kris is not only driven but quite attached to the waist of the dancer as a garnish.

11. Sampari (Nusa Tenggara) 

Spoiler for Sampari:

Communities in Bima and Dompu district from one ethnicity is Mbojo, inhabiting the eastern part of the island of Sumbawa, known tradition confers weapon (dagger) to the boys ahead of the in-circumcision. This tradition is called Compo Sampari which lasted until now. The child who has been awarded (Compo) kris (Sampari) from his grandfather, then do so with the following words: "Mada dau Raga, Wau Keep Sarumbu" which literally means, my manly man, able to keep yourself or defend yourself . 

12. Machete (DKI Jakarta) 

Spoiler for Machete:

1 pics inside (max: 259x194)

One of the Betawi traditional weapons, which are used in everyday life and are united in their lives. Each family Betawi definitely have it, even every man in ancient times always bring it wherever they go, even some that were created rhyme associated with a machete. 

I Golok machete Ciomas, 
A piece of silver a piece of gold, 
If you say do not make a summer, 
Entar I like chopped pineapple. 

Source; http://repostkaskus.blogspot.com

The History of Indonesian Puppet Theater (Wayang)

View Larger

Puppet master (dalang) and master carver M. Ahim with his wayang puppets in Ciampa, Indonesia, from Voices of the Puppet Masters: The Wayang Golek Theater of Indonesia by Mimi Herbert (2002). Photograph by Tara Sosrowardoyo. Reproduced by permission.

The term for puppetry, wayang, comes from the Indonesian word for shadow bayang. Wayang kulit, shadow puppetry using figures made from water buffalo hide, is considered to be the oldest freestanding puppet form; the earliest references to it date from the 800s. A court poet during the reign of King Airlangga (1035–1049) wrote: “There are people who weep, are sad and aroused watching the puppets, though they know they are merely carved pieces of leather manipulated and made to speak. These people are like men who, thirsting for sensuous pleasures, live in a world of illusion; they do not realize the magic hallucinations they see are not real.”¹

It has been debated whether or not puppetry is indigenous to Indonesia or was introduced from India or China. Indigenous origins are argued by scholars who point toward connections between the jesters and ancestral spirits; the jester characters that appear in every play have no clear Indian precedent. Indeed, Semar, the principal jester, is sometimes said to be the ancestral spirit of the island of Java itself, and this character is sometimes used in healing or protective rites. Even today in some areas of Indonesia, carvings, puppets, and gongs are considered by some to be objects that ancestral spirits can temporarily inhabit. Performances of puppetry are still held once a year at cemeteries where the founders of each village are buried. Ancestors are believed to have particular favorite stories. There is evidence that local animism has been a source of the puppet arts. In times past, if the harvest was threatened by various pests, the story of the Indonesian rice goddess, Sri, might be performed to ward off the attack. Today, such ritual stories are performed infrequently, but they remain a part of the history of the art.

Regardless of whether the impulse behind wayang is indigenous, widespread development of the art took place during the Hindu-Buddhist period, especially between 800 and 1500. According to myth, a prince named Aji Saka brought aspects of Indian culture to Java. A long ritual opening to the wayang performance celebrates his arrival on the island; he came bearing the hanacaraka, the Sanskritized Javanese alphabet, which he then split into four, casting a quarter to each of the four directions and thus transmitting literacy and prosperity throughout the land. The poetic language used by puppeteers in songs and narratives is laced with Sanskrit-based words. The repertoire is largely based on the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the great Hindu epics. Some scholars feel that the Balinese puppet traditions resemble—in the realistic form of their puppets and the looser structure of their performance sequences—the art as it was performed on Java before the arrival of Islam to Indonesia in the 1500s. The Balinese (who remained Hindu) believe wayang was introduced by refugees from Majapahit, the last Hindu-Buddhist kingdom on Java, when it fell around 1520.

On Java, however, dalang say the art was invented by the wali, the nine saints who converted Java to Islam. One story told by Sundanese puppeteers is that Sunan Gunung Jati, a wali of Cirebon, was having a conversation with another saint, Sunan Kalijaga, about how to attract people to Islam. Sunan Gunung Jati drew the outline of a wayang figure on the ground with a stick. Kalijaga understood and created the first leather puppet. He presented his first performance in the local mosque and, in order to enter, viewers had to recite the Islamic confession of faith (“There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet”). Although wayang encompasses traditional Javanese stories and Hindu elements, most dalang are Muslims. Contemporary dalang consider themselves the literal or spiritual descendants of the wali. The elongation of arms, noses, and other features that gives an air of abstraction to the Javanese figures is attributed to this tradition. The elaborate tuned percussion (gamelan) orchestra used in Java and Sunda (West Java) was introduced at this time. Two other Muslim saints are said to have originated the art form of three-dimensional rod puppets.

Unlike shadow puppet theater, which requires darkness to enact, rod puppet theater can be enacted at any hour. Rod puppets have a long history in China, and it is possible that these figures reflect Chinese influence (thought by some scholars to have been brought by the Chinese Muslims who took part in converting the Javanese to Islam), as the region where along the north coast of Java these wooden puppets flourished was heavily populated by the Chinese. Most scholars believe that wayangexisted before Islam came to the island; nonetheless, there may be some truth in tales of Muslim promotion of the art form. Significant innovations were made during the era of the wali. Some changes in the Indian stories were also made to accommodate Islam. For example, in Indian versions of the Mahabharata, Princess Draupadi (Drupadi) marries the five Pandava (Pandawa) brothers, but since polyandry was distasteful to Muslims, in the Javanese version she marries only the eldest brother, Yudhishthira (Yudistira). Another example of such changes is in the depiction of Durna (Dorna), the teacher of the Pandavas, who is a Hindu religious figure and a great hero in India. On Java, however, he is depicted (probably in an effort by Muslims to discredit Hindu clerics) as a meddlesome poseur. Moreover, during the period of the wali, stories that were Islamic in origin were introduced into the repertoire. Though not as widespread as the tales from the Mahabharata and theRamayana, the stories of Amir Hamzah, the uncle of Muhammad, which came from Gujarat or Persia around this time, as well as tales of the exploits of the Islamic saints on Java, were also dramatized.

By the 1700s most of the features that characterize contemporary wayang were in place, but this dramatic form had not yet spread beyond the region where Javanese was spoken, and wooden doll puppets were used solely to tell Islamic tales while leather puppets were used for Hindu-based stories. Slowly, Javanese performers from the Cirebon-Tegal area of the north coast migrated into the highlands of West Java, where Sundanese was spoken. The Dutch colonial government opened new roads, facilitating this movement of people and arts. Local aristocrats known as
regents, working under the colonial government, invited dalang to settle in those cities. By the late 1800s shadow puppetry was rare in West Java, and wooden rod puppetry had become the favored form. The repertoire performed with the wooden rod puppets, however, consisted primarily of stories from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, the epic Hindu tales (purwa, meaning “first” or “original”), and Islamic tales were enacted only rarely. New sets of rod puppets that followed the iconography of the wayang kulit figures were made to present the Mahabharata and the
Ramayana.

Today major wayang performers are known all over Java. They appear on television and radio, and cassettes of their performances are available in stores. While it is still true that most major dalang are descendants of the families of traditional performers, in the twentieth century there began to be performers who were not trained by their own elders. The national high school of the performing arts, Sekolah Menengah Karawitan Indonesia (S.M.K.I.), and the college academy of Javanese performing arts, Sekolah Tinggi Seni Indonesia (S.T.S.I.), have recently opened programs where puppetry can be studied by all.

Source: http://education.asianart.org/

Traditional Indonesian Music

Gamelan orchestra

Gamelan music is the most popular and important kind in Indonesia. Gamelan orchestras accompany all dances and dramas. Gamel means ‘to hammer’, and most of the instruments of a gamelan orchestra are struck with wooden mallets, padded sticks or hammers.The conductor of a gamelan orchestra is a drummer who is part of the orchestra.

Instruments of a gamelan orchestra

A complete orchestra could have about 40 or more different instruments. There would be instruments that are struck to produce sound, such as kettledrums, xylophones, and gongs of various sizes. There would be a wind instrument, a bamboo flute called a suling, and string instruments such as a zither or lute. There would be instruments whose sounds are produced by vibration, such as drums, bells, cymbals and gongs.

There are also two sets of instruments that are tonal: the slendro tuned to five tones and the pelog, tuned to seven tones. The slendro is used to suggest festivity or cheerfulness, and is believed to have developed in Java in the eighth century. The pelog is used to express sadness, and is also very ancient in its origins. These two cannot be played together, but are used according to the mood of the piece being played.

Gamelan music

Gamelan music is complicated. It is an ancient form of music and has been handed down for many generations, never written down, but learned by being played. Gamelan is an essential part of Indonesian life. It is slightly different from island to island.

Angklung music

Another popular form of orchestral music is the angklung, which is played on instruments made entirely of bamboo of different lengths. Each instrument is made up of two bamboo tubes, each of a different note. The instruments are shaken to produce sound.

You can read more about gamelan and see pictures of instruments at the following sites

http://www.balibeyond.com/gamelaninstruments.html

HOW TO COOK RENDANG

It is worth making a large quantity of this popular Indonesian beef dish because it keeps so well, developing more flavour each day. This recipe will serve a family of four twice over, and is suitable to freeze.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsptamarind concentrate (block form) (see note) or 2 tsp tamarind purée
• 2onions
• 6garlic cloves
• 1 tbspfinely chopped ginger
• 6long red chillies, seeded, chopped
• 500 ml(2 cups) coconut cream
• 1 tspground turmeric
• 1 tspchilli powder
• 2 tspground coriander
• 6dried daun salam (optional) (see note)
• 1stalk lemongrass or 1 strip lemon rind
• 1 tspgrated fresh galangal
• 1.5 kgbeef chuck, blade or round steak, thinly sliced into strips
• 2 tspcaster sugar
• steamed white rice, to serve

Instructions

Soaking time 10 minutes

Soak tamarind in 125 ml hot water for 10 minutes. Squeeze to dissolve pulp in the water, then strain, discarding seeds and fibre.

Meanwhile, put the onions, garlic, ginger, chillies and 125 ml of the coconut cream into a food processor and process until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan and add remaining 375 ml coconut cream. Add 1½ tsp salt, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander, daun salam, lemongrass and galangal, stirring to combine. Add the meat and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat to medium, add tamarind liquid and simmer until sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and continue simmering for about 2½ hours or until sauce is almost dry, stirring frequently to ensure the mixture does not stick to the pan. When the oil starts to separate, add the sugar and stir to dissolve – allow the meat to cook in the oil until it becomes dark brown. Serve with rice, one or two vegetable dishes, sambal and prawn crisps.

Note• Tamarind concentrate (block form) is available from Asian food shops.
• Daun salam leaves, also known as Indonesian bay leaves, are available from Indonesian food shops.

Cook's notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Jambi Traditional House, Sumatra - Indonesia

The legend comes from the Inner 60 tumbi (families) who moved from Koto Rayo. To 60 families which is the origin of the Inner Clan V, with 5 villages of origin. So the V's Inner Marga means a collection of 5 hamlets that came from the same village one. The fifth village is Semayo Cape estuary, alternately Hamlet, Hamlet Kapok, Aro Island Village, and Hamlet Clear estuary. Margo Inner Region V is now in the subdistrict of the Veil, with its capital in Rantau Panjang, Bangko Sorolangun District.

At first people lived Inner group, consisting of 5 groups that form the origin of the village 5. One ghetto mind that is still intact until today is in Kampung Rantau Panjang Lamo. The houses there built lengthwise separately, is approximately 2 m, facing the street. Behind the house was built a place to store rice barns.
In general, the Inner livelihood is farming, both in the fields or in fields. In addition, they also gardening, looking for forest products, gold, and look for fish in rivers.

House form

Inner residential people called Kajang Lako or House Lamo. Lamo ridge forms such as a boat house with upper end of the ridge upward. LAMO house typology shaped hall, rectangular with a length of 12 m and width of 9 m. Rectangular form is intended to facilitate the preparation of a room adapted to its function, and is also influenced by Islamic law.

As a residential building, LAMO house consists of several parts, the ridge / roof, rafter form, walls, doors / windows, columns, floors, tebar screen, penteh, pelamban, and stairs.

Ridge / roof is often called the 'elephant drunk,' taken from a home-maker who was then being drunk in love but do not get permission from their parents. Form ridges called folding awning, or cut jerambah. The roof is made from mengkuang or woven fibers and then folded in half. From the side, the roof LAMO triangular look. Such roof forms are intended to facilitate the decrease of water when it rains, facilitate circulation of air, and storing goods.

The form is a rafter in the roof above the upper end. Rafter in front of and behind the house, crooked shape, serves to prevent entry of water when it rains. Made along Kasou form and 60 cm wide ridge.

Walls / LAMO masinding house made of boards, while the door consists of 3 kinds. The third door is the door upright, masinding door, and crossed back door. The door stood at the end of the left side of the building, serves as the entrance. Low-up doors are made so that every person who came into the house should bow their heads as a mark of respect to the owner's house. Masinding door serves as a window, located in the living room. This door can be used to look down, as the ventilation, especially at ceremonies took place, and to facilitate those who are under to find out whether the ceremonies had already begun or not. The door behind the cross there is a window on the pole behind the cross. The door was used by indigenous leaders, scholars, ninik mamak, and scholars.

The number of mast LAMO house is composed of 30 primary and 24 pole 6 pole palamban. Mast installed in the form of six, with each length of 4.25 m. The mast serves as the bottom pole (stick) and as a pillar framework.

Floor Lamo rusticity house in Rantau Panjang, Jambi, made bartingkat. The first stage is called the main floor, which is located in the floor behind the cross. In a traditional ceremony, the room can not be occupied by anyone as devoted to traditional leaders. The main floor is made of woven bamboo side with rattan. Hereinafter referred to as the floor level of ordinary. Used in the floor behind menalam, common room, living room gaho, and pelamban.

Tebar screen, serves as a wall and cover the top. Tempias to hold rain water, in the edge of the left and right parts of the building. The material used is a board.

Penteh, is a place to store is located at the top of the building.

The next section is pelamban house, which is part of the leading houses located on the edge of the left. Pelamban an additional building / like terrace. According to local custom, pelamban used as waiting rooms for guests that have not been invited to enter.

As the stage space, houses the mind has 2 kinds of steps. The first is the main staircase, the stairs are on the right pelamban. The second is penteh ladder, used to ride to penteh.

Composition and Function Room

Kajang Lako consists of 8 rooms, including pelamban, gaho space, masinding room, living room, behind the transverse space, space behind the menalam, upstairs / penteh, and basement / Bauman.

Called pelamban is part of the building located on the left side the main building. The floor is made of split bamboo that has been preserved and installed rather rare to facilitate water flow down.

Gaho space is the space located at the left end of the building with lengthwise direction. In the room there is space gaho kitchen, living room and the room where the water receptacle.

Masinding space is the space associated with the front masinding. In a traditional meeting, this room used to sit on ordinary people. This space exclusively for men.

Living room is a room that was in the middle of the building. Between the middle of the room not wearing masinding wall. At the time of the implementation of traditional ceremonies, the hall was occupied by the women.

Another room in the house is a space behind the Inner menalam or space within. The parts of this space is the dining room, sleeping room parents, and the girl child's bedroom.

Next is a room behind MALINTANG. This space on the right end of the building facing into the living room and masinding space. This floor is made higher than the other room, because it is considered as the main room. This room is not occupied by any person. The amount of space behind the cross is 2x9 m, equal to gaho space.

LAMO house also has an upstairs room called penteh. This room is located on the building, used for storing goods. In addition to the above, there is also a cellar or Bauman. This room is not no walls and floors, used for storing, cooking at a party, and other activities.