Serving the Guest: A Sufi Cookbook
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Sambal Goreng
Javanese Meat & Vegetable Sauté
 Coconut
Sambal goreng is a type of dish in which meat or hard-boiled eggs are fried, then mixed with vegetables lightly stewed in an aromatic, coconut-based sauce. The beef version, sambal goreng daging, is traditionally served during Ramadan — in Indonesian, Lebaran or Puasa, the Fast.
Total time: 1 hour
3 lbs. boneless chicken or beef, diced small; or shrimp, peeled, deveined; or 24 small hard-boiled eggs
1 lb. trimmed snow peas or slender green beans
3 lbs. tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
10 macadamia or kemiri nuts
2 cups sliced onion
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. shrimp paste
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp. chili flakes or paste
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. lemon grass
2 tsp. salt
2 bay leaves
2 cups water
2 cups coconut milk

Prepare the meat and vegetables, and set each item aside in a separate bowl. In a blender or food processor, grind the nuts, then add the onion, garlic and shrimp paste.

Heat a large wok or frying pan over high heat and pour in the vegetable oil. Stir fry the meat or eggs for 4 to 5 minutes, until the meat is cooked through or the eggs begin to turn golden. Remove to a warm bowl and cover with a dish towel to retain the heat.

Pour off a little of the oil from the pan, return it to the heat, and fry the nut paste for a minute, stirring constantly. Add the chili flakes or paste, ground spices and salt, and stir well to combine. Return the meat to the pan, add the tomatoes, beans and bay leaves, and pour the water and coconut milk over all. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and bring the mixture to a boil; then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve hot, and generously, with rice and other dishes.

 
 

from Serving the Guest: A Sufi Cookbook
Copyright © 1999, 2000 by Kathleen Seidel
Sources of previously published material by other authors used by permission, and print sources for images, may be found at http://www.superluminal.com/cookbook.