TASTYCORNER
Today, we are in a Indonesian kitchen to cook very special Indonesian food which is Mie Goreng. Before start cooking I would like to give you some information about the Indonesian Cuisine.
Indonesian cuisine reflects the vast variety created by the people who live on the 6,000 populated islands that make up the modern nation of Indonesia. There is not a single “Indonesian” cuisine, but rather, a diversity of regional cuisines formed by local Indonesian cultures and foreign influences. Indonesian cuisine reflects its complex cultural history. Cooking varies greatly by region and combines many different influences.Throughout its history, Indonesia has been involved in trade due to its location and natural resources. Additionally, Indonesia’s indigenous techniques and ingredients were influenced by India, the Middle East, China, and finally Europe. Spanish and Portuguese traders brought new world produce even before the Dutch came to colonize most of the archipelago. The Indonesian island of Maluku, which is famed as “the Spice Island”, also contributed to the introduction of native spices, such as cloves and nutmeg, to Indonesian and global cuisine.
Some popular Indonesian dishes such as nasi goreng, gado gado, sate, and soto is omnipresent in the country and considered as Indonesian national dishes.
On the other hand, the most important things are the spices in Indonesian Cuisine.Known throughout the world as the “Spice Islands”, the Indonesian islands of Maluku contributed to the introduction of its native spices to world cuisine. Spices such as pala (nutmeg/mace), cengkeh ( clove ), and laos (galangal) are native to Indonesia. It is likely that lada hitam (black pepper), kunyit (turmeric), sereh (lemongrass), bawang merah (shallot), kayu manis (cinnamon), kemiri (candlenut), ketumbar (coriander), and asam jawa (tamarind) were introduced from India, while jahe (ginger), daun bawang (leek) and bawang putih (garlic) were introduced from China. Those spices from mainland Asia were introduced early, in ancient times, thus they became integral ingredients in Indonesian cuisine. “Bumbu” is the Indonesian word for spice or seasoning, and it commonly appears in the names of spice mixtures.
About the beverages; The most common and popular Indonesian drinks and beverages are teh (tea) and kopi (coffee). Indonesian households commonly serve teh manis (sweet tea) or kopi tubruk (coffee mixed with sugar and hot water and poured straight in the glass without separating out the coffee residue) to guests. Since the colonial era of Netherlands East Indies, plantations, especially in Java, were major producers of coffee, tea and sugar. Since then hot and sweet coffee and tea beverages have been enjoyed by Indonesians. Jasmine tea is the most popular tea variety drunk in Indonesia, however recent health awareness promotions have made green tea a popular choice. Usually coffee and tea are served hot, but cold iced sweet tea is also frequently drunk.
Many popular drinks are based on ice (es) and can also be classified as desserts. Typical examples include young coconut (es kelapa muda), grass jelly (es cincau), chendol (es cendol or es dawet), red kidney beans (es kacang merah), musk melon (es blewah) and seaweed (es rumput laut).
Hot sweet beverages can also be found, such as bajigur and bandrek which are particularly popular in West Java. Both are coconut milk or coconut sugar (gula jawa) based hot drinks, mixed with other spices. Sekoteng, a ginger based hot drink which includes peanuts, diced bread, and pacar cina, can be found in Jakarta and West Java. Wedang jahe (hot ginger drink) and wedang ronde (a hot drink with sweet potato balls) are particularly popular in Yogyakarta, Central Java, and East Java.
In ancient times, the kingdom of Sunda and the later sultanate of Banten were well known as the world’s major producers of black pepper. The maritime empires of Srivijaya and Majapahit also benefited from the lucrative spice trade between the spice islands and China and India. The Indonesian fondness for hot and spicy food was enriched when the Spanish introduced cabai chili pepper from the New World to the region in 16th century. After that hot and spicy sambals have become an important part of Indonesian cuisine.If you would like to know more about Indonesian Cuisine you should visit; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesian_cuisine
After giving some infos about the Indonesian Cuisine, it is better to start cooking now…
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 300 gr. chicken meat, cut into small pieces
- 6 medium-sized shrimp, shelled and deveined (optional)
- 120 gr.cabbage, shredded
- 1 medium sized red bell pepper
- 250 gr yellow egg noodles, rinsed with cold water and drained
- 1 1/2 tablespoon kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking:
- Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add the minced garlic and stir-fry until aromatic, then add the chicken and shrimp. Stir continuously until they are half cooked.
- Add the cabbage, bell pepper, and noodles into the wok or skillet and stir fry for about 10 seconds before adding the kecap manis, and salt.
- Using the spatula to toss the noodles and all the ingredients back and forth until well combined, about 1 minute or until the noodles are cooked through.
- Dish out, you should garnish with chopped scallion and a couple of tomato wedges. Serve immediately.
Enjoy! 
