It is due to it’s Colonial history that Holland has come to know the Indonesian Cuisine in earlier times. With the East India Company many till then mostly unknown spices were introduced in Holland.
After the independance of Indonesia many people moved to the Netherlands and other countries like the USA and Australia. With them arrived the art and joys of the Indonesian Cuisine.
Mrs. M.A. Keasberry – van Beekom, also known as Oma Keasberry (Oma is Dutch for grandmother) brought her family to the Netherlands and started a fashion boutique in Amsterdam.
Much later she published her Dutch East Indies recipes. Although it has been 30 years since it was first published and re-edited, there is still demand for it. Unfortunately, the book was only available in Dutch and has been discontinued. The book can sometimes be found at the used book market or at online auctions.The family is now working on a new cookbook that will be available in both Dutch and English.
One of oma’s favorite vegetable dishes is represented here. A salad with cooked and mixed vegetables and peanut sauce. This is how it was served in the Djokja restaurant in Amsterdam. It can be eaten for lunch or dinner as a main meal or side dish with rice or as part of a buffet.
Ingredients:
100 grams green or white cabbage, shredded
200 grams green beans, cut into about 1 inch lengths
100 grams bean sprouts
100 grams spinach or cauliflower (optional)
1 medium size carrot, thin sliced strips like matchsticks
Garnish:
2 hard boiled eggs, quartered lengthways
4 squares of hard beancurd / tofu – deep fried and diced
1 medium size potato boiled in skin, peeled and sliced
½ cucumber – thinly sliced
¼ cup crispy deep fried onions or shallots
Krupuk Udang – shrimp crackers
Sauce:
½ jar of crunchy peanut butter
½ teaspoon sambal oelek as substitute for dried chilli pepper
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 shallots, chopped
1 thin slice of trassi
½ tsp brown or palm sugar
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp lemon or tamarind water
2 tbsp oil
2 cups water
salt to taste
Prepare the peanut sauce first and while that simmers you can continue with preparing the vegetables and garnish.
For the sauce; briefly fry the challots, chopped garlic and shrimp paste in 2 table spoons of oil in a pan. Add the red pepper paste (sambal oelek), soy sauce, brown sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Add the peanut butter. Simmer over very low heat for about 45 minutes, stirring (to prevent sticking) until the sauce becomes thick. Add the lemon juice or tamarind water just before use.
Cook the vegetables seperately in slightly salted boiling water for about 3 minutes (tender, crisp, not overcooked). The beansprouts only 1 minute. Take out of pan and drain each vegetable and put asside. Allow the water to return to a boil before adding each vegetable.
Use a serving dish. Pile the mixed vegetables in the middle. Finish with scattered garnish, pour over the peanut sauce, broken pieces of Krupuk and sprinkled crispy shallots.
Tip: Serve with rice or lontong (compressed rice). Cut in 2 inch slices.
Vegetarian: leave out the eggs and replace the krupuk with emping (from the melindjo nut)
adapted from: http://keasberry.com/
