Kolak Pisang dan Ubi (Banana and Sweet Potato in Coconut Milk)

This is a simple Indonesian dessert. But I've just tried to make it today. Thank's to my friend, Rita, who gave me the idea to make this yummy dessert.


Usually, kolak is served for breaking the fasting days during Ramadhan. And when I was still living in Indonesia, sometimes I could not stand to eat it too much coz it was too sweet for me. So since I wanted to make it by myself, I reduced the sugar a little bit.

Some recipes can be found in these following sites:

• Banana, Sweet Potatoes, and Tapioca in Coconut Milk
• Indonesian Kolak Pisang
• Sweet Plantains in Coconut Milk

And I finally made my kolak like this:

• 2 Banana Plantains (Pisang Tanduk), cut into round pieces
• 1 Sweet Potato (Ubi Merah), cut into cubes
• 200 ml Coconut milk (Santan), ready to use in a box
• 100 g tbsp Palm Sugar (Gula jawa)
• 1 Pandan Leave
• 500 ml Water (air)
• Salt (garam)

How to cook:

• Boil the water, then add palm sugar, pandan leave, salt and coconut milk. Stir for a while.
• Add sweet potato cubes, cook them until half-cooked.
• Finally, add banana. Cook until both banana and sweet potato are well-cooked.

We can eat this kolak with ice cubes if we prefer to have a cold dessert. I think it will be good during summer season. Hmm...

Serikaya (Coconut Custard)

Still from the book: Cooking Indonesian by Agnes de Keijzer Brackman and Cathay Brackman, this simple desert is using coconut milk as its main ingredients. Perhaps, it looks similar with caramel cream. Hmm... at least I think so. While caramel cream is using milk, this serikaya is using coconut milk. Others are the same.


Ingredients:

• Eggs 4
• Sugar in powder 6 tbsp
• Coconut Milk 500 ml, from 1 grated coconut with sufficient water added
• Brown Sugar or Palm Sugar

How to cook:

• Beat the eggs and sugar together until sugar is dissolved. Mix with the coconut milk. Set aside.
• Line individual cups with a bit of brown/palm sugar. Pour coconut mixture into cups until it's full.
• Steam in 40 minutes. Test with a toothpick or a knife in the center part. If it comes out clean, it is cooked.
• Make them cool before putting it in the refrigerator.
• Before serving, you may take out the serikaya from its cup into a small plate. Be careful, do it with knife first to loose the edges, then place the small plate on top, turn it out.

Note:

• I used one box of ready-to-use coconut milk, it was 250 ml, then I added 250 water
• I prefer to eat it while it is warm. So yummy...

Bebotok Sapi (Indonesian Meat Loaf)

I got this recipe from the book: Cooking Indonesian by Agnes de Keijzer Brackman and Cathay Brackman. It seemed yummy, so I tried. At first I was thinking whether it was "botok". But then after reading the ingredients, I did not think so. Not the same.

I made a little modification for the amount of ingredients, but it was simply because I do not always follow the rule ;)

Ingredients:

• Minced beef 350 g
• Onion 1
• Garlic 3 cloves
• Candlenuts 2, grated
• Coriandre powder 1 tsp
• Cumin powder 1/2 tsp
• Ginger powder 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli 1, crushed
• Lemon grass 1, crushed
• Tamarind 1 tsp, mixed with a half glass of boiled water to make the juice
• Salt 1/2 tsp
• Cooking oil 2 tbsp
• Coconut milk 250 ml, from 1 grated coconuts (usually available in a box of 250 ml)
• Egg 2, boiled and sliced
• Aluminium foil

Method:

• Combine beef with onion and garlic. Add candlenuts, coriandre, cumin, ginger, chillies, lemon grass, tamarind juice and salt. Mix well and set aside.
• Heat oil in frying pan. Add seasoned beef and fry until medium brown.
• Pour in coconut milk and simmer until almost dry. Then remove from the heat.
• Prepare aluminium foil in any size you prefer.
• Put a slice of egg onto the foil, then cover with some cooked beef mixture (the amount, as you prefer. I put around 1 tbsp for a little packet, and 3 tbsp for a big packet). Wrap meat in the foil and seal ends.
• Steam the foil packets for about 1 hour.
• Serve with the rice.

Note:

• The original bebotok sapi is using banana leaves.
• You may put at least 3 chillies if you like. One chilli does not taste hot at all. Or you may try green little chilli.
• And, for the eggs, you may put more than one slice like I did (because my daughter likes eggs so much).