Green Mango Salad Indonesian Style (Salad Mangga Muda)

1 green/un-riped mango, peeled, thinly sliced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
2 birds eye chili (reduce to less spicy)
1 green onion (chopped) - optional
1 tbs basil (chopped)
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs lime juice
1 tbs palm sugar
1 tbs roasted peanuts (chopped)

Mix the mango, shallots, chili, green onion, basil in a large bowl. Mix fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar in a small bowl. Toss the salad with the dressing and garnished with the peanuts. Ready to serve.

Fresh Vegetables Pickles (Acar Mentah)

1 small cucumber, cleaned, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled, thinly sliced
3 shallots, peeled, thinly sliced
6 fresh bird's eyes chillies, cleaned, thinly sliced (optional)
3 tbs of vinegar
2 tbs sugar
1 1/2 warm water
1 tsp salt

Mix water with vinegar, sugar and salt. Add the vegetables. Refrigerate 4-5 hours before serving.

Chile Peppers Boost Metabolism

Chile peppers add a much-appreciated heat to chilly-weather dishes, and they can also give a boost to your metabolism. Thank to capsaicin, the compound that gives fresh chiles, and spices including cayenne and chipotle, their kick.

Studies show that capsaicin can increase the body's metabolic rate (causing one to burn more calories) and may stimulate brain chemicals that help us feel less hungry. In fact, one study found that people ate 16 percent fewer calories at a meal if they'd sipped a hot-pepper-spiked tomato juice (vs. plain tomato juice) half an hour earlier.

Recent research found that capsinoids, similar but gentler chemicals found in milder chile hybrids, have the same effects-so even tamer sweet paprika packs a healthy punch. Capsaicin may also lower risk of ulcers by boosting the ability of stomach cells to resist infection by ulcer-causing bacteria and help the heart by keeping "bad" LDL cholesterol from turning into a more lethal, artery-clogging form.

Apple "diet" foods that make you hungrier

Yes, we all know that apples are great for you, particularly for those who are in diet. They contain lots of vitamins and fiber, but a single apple is not a balanced snack. If you don’t eat anything else with your afternoon apple, you may overeat at dinner.

Better choice: Apple with 5-10 almonds or a cheese stick. Spend a few more calories on your snack so you won’t be ravenous later.

Sweet Marinited Tofu (Tahu Bacem)

250 g tahu/tofu, cut into 6 - 8 pieces
2 Salaam (Bay Leaves) leafs
1 cm of galangal or 1 tablespoon of galangal powder
250 ml thick coconut milk or 250 ml coconut water
250 ml water

Spice Paste:
4 shallots or half medium red onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of coriander
1 tsp of tamarind (asem jawa)
2 tsp of palm sugar/brown sugar
salt to taste

Grind or blend the spice paste.

Boil the coconut milk/coconut water together with tofu, galangal, salam leafs, and spice paste. Add the water and continue cooking until the spices and water are absorbed. Then cool them off.

Heat up 50 ml oil into deep frying pan and fry the tofu both sides, but don't do it too much (too dry/crunchy).

Serve with green bird's eyes chillies.

Spinach Saute with Fresh Garlic (Tumis Bayam Bawang Putih)

2 bunch of spinach, take the leaf
1 garlic clove, shred
2 small red onion, shred
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cooking oil

Heat the cooking oil in a wok
Put the garlic and red onion shred, mix them till aromatic

Add the spinach leafs, mix it again, use a high heating
Add salt, sugar, and pepper, beat them about just 1 minute,

Remove from stove, serve.

Bali style Mix Vegetables Salad (Jukut Urab)

1 bunch spinach, shredded
1 cup bean sprouts, trimmed
1/4 Chinese cabbage, shredded
150g snake beans, blanched and sliced
1-2 long red chilies, deseeded and sliced
2 tbsp shredded coconut, toasted
1/4 cup peanuts toasted

Dressing :

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp sambal ulek
1 tsp brown sugar

Combine spinach, bean sprouts, cabbage, snake beans, chilies, coconut and peanuts in a large serving dish. Combine oil, lime juice, vinegar, sambal ulek and sugar in a jug.

Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.

Sweet and Sour Salad Jakarta Style (Asinan Betawi)

400 g carrots, shredded or thinly sliced
400 g cabbage, finely sliced
250 g cucumber, cut into small pieces
200 g bean sprouts
400 g lettuce, shredded
400 g tofu, steamed and cut into small pieces
400 g pineapple cut into pieces
Noodle crackers, fried

Marinade sauce :
100 g sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sliced red chilies, blended
2 tsp vinegar
200 ml boiled water

Peanut sauce :
50 g peanuts, fried
25 g dried shrimps
2 tbsp sliced red chilies
50 g sugar
1 tsp salt
200 ml boiled water

Marinade sauce :
Put sugar, salt, red chilies, vinegar, and water in a bowl, mix together.

Put cucumber, cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, tofu, and pineapple into the marinade mixture, let stand for 15 minutes drain.

Peanut sauce :
Blend peanuts, red chilies, and dried shrimps into a paste. Add sugar, salt, and water into the paste, set aside.

How to serve:
In a salad bowl, arrange lettuce, marinated vegetables, and tofu on top.

Pour in the peanut sauce
Serve with fried noodle crackers.

Stir-fried Beansprouts (Tumis Toge)

300 grams (5 cups) beansprouts
3 red chilies, seeded and cut diagonally
3 stalks spring onion, cut 2 cm lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oil

Heat cooking oil in a wok over high heat for a minute.

Toss in chilies and spring onions. Cook for 30 seconds.

Add beansprouts and season with salt. Cook for another minute.

Remove from heat and serve warm.

Stir Fry Papaya Buds (Tumis Bunga Pepaya)

500 gr papaya flower buds
20 gr (3 cm) galangal
5 gr (5 cm) fresh ginger
50 gr green chili
50 gr red chili
5 salam leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/4 cup water

Wash and pick flowers into bite sizes. Blanch with boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside

In a food processor, add galangal, ginger, green and red chili, and hit pulse for 2 – 3 minutes until everything is mixed well and turned into grainy paste

Heat cooking oil in a wok / pan. Stir fry paste and salam leaves for 1 minute over high heat. Add water

Toss in blanched papaya flowers. Stir fry quickly for three minutes

Add sugar and salt. Cook for another minute

Remove salam leaves and serve warm

Clear Spinach Soup (Sayur Bening)

2 ears Corn, husked
2 tbsp Chopped onions
1 tsp Chopped garlic (optional)
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
3 Cup water
2 Bouillon cubes (optional)
4 ounce Spinach

Slice corn from cob.

Cook it with other ingredients except spinach until done.

Add spinach, mix & continue cooking for 2 mins.

Remove from heat

Serve hot.

Veg­etable Sour Soup (Sayur Asam)

Ingredients & spices :

1 tsp. tamarind
5 tbsp. warm water
1 shal­lot, sliced
3 cloves gar­lic, minced
1 inch-long piece fresh ginger,
peeled and sliced
1 red chili pep­per, seeded and sliced*
3 tbsp. raw peanuts
1/2 tsp. salt
5 c. veg­etable broth
1/2 c. salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 chay­ote, peeled, seeded, and sliced thin
1/2 c. fresh or frozen green beans,
ends trimmed
corn
1 green chili pep­per, sliced (optional)

How to prepare :

Pre­pare tamarind by plac­ing it in a small bowl with warm water. Let soak for 15 minutes.

To make spice paste, com­bine shal­lot, gar­lic, gin­ger, red chili pep­per, raw peanuts and salt in a large mor­tar and blend well with a pes­tle. Use a food proces­sor or blender if you don’t have a mor­tar and pestle.

Trans­fer paste to a medium saucepan and add veg­etable broth, salted peanuts, and brown sugar. Stir to com­bine, and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.

Mean­while, use a strainer to sep­a­rate the tamarind seeds from the juice. Throw away the seeds and keep the juice.

Add chay­ote, green beans, and corn to the soup, and cook over high heat for 5 minutes.

Just before serv­ing, add tamarind juice and stir. Gar­nish with green chili pep­per slices if desired.

Baked Chicken

Ingredients & spices :

1 large fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 stick butter, melted
¼ cup flour
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp white pepper
½ tsp dried thyme, crumbled
1 tsp Kosher salt

How to prepare :

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Combine the flour, salt, pepper and other seasonings in a shallow dish.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

Working one piece at a time, dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, dip it in the melted butter and then transfer to a baking dish. In the case of the breasts and thighs, place them in the dish skin-side-up.

Bake for about an hour or until the juices run clear and the chicken is nicely browned and cooked all the way through.

Spicy Fruit Salad (Rujak)

Ingredients & spices :

1 chayote, peeled
1 Granny Smith apple, cored
2 cucumbers peeled and cut in half lengthwise
1 raw mango
1 orange, peeled and divided into sections
1 yam bean, peeled and cut into slices
you can also add any fruits you like

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. shrimp paste
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. tamarind, dis­solved in 1 tbsp. warm water
1 14 oz. can diced pineapple, Drained

How to prepare :

Coarsely chop chayote, apple, cucumbers, mango, and orange sections.

In a large bowl, combine crushed red pepper, shrimp paste, brown sugar, salt, and tamarind to make a paste.

Add chayote, apple, cucumber, mango, orange, and pineapple to the bowl, and stir well to combine. Serve at room temperature.

Fish in Clear Soup (Kuah Ikan Bening)

Ingredients & spices :

850g Snapper fillet (or 1 Grouper Head if available)
1 teaspoon Vinegar
1 liter Water
2 cm Galangal, bruised
3 stalks Lemon grass, bruised
4 cm Ginger, bruised
1/2 tablespoon Salt
200 g Tomatoes, each cut into 4-6 pieces
3 Spring onions, cut into 3 cm lengths
8 Unpeeled shallots, roasted, peeled and thinly sliced
4 Red chilies, sliced (or whole for less spicy)
25 g Basil leaves
2 Lime, extract juice

How to prepare:

Rub the fish (or fish head) with 1 teaspoon lime juice and let it stand for 30 minutes, wash and drain.

Bring to the boil water with galangal, lemon grass and ginger. Then add salt.

After a few minutes, add fish head, tomatoes, spring onions and shallots.

Allow to simmer.

When the ingredients are almost cooked, add sliced chilies and basil leaves.

Simmer over low heat.

Before removing from heat, season and add lime juice to taste.

Note : You can add sugar if you like. If no fish head is available, you can use a whole fish.

Grilled Chicken Breast (Ayam Bakar)

Ingredients & spices:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons best quality curry powder
1/4 cup shredded coconut

1 medium red bell pepper, cut in half

Make a marinade out of the first 5 ingredients. Pour it over the chicken and refrigerate for several hours, turning it occasionally to make sure every part of the chicken is coated.

Heat the grill and remove the chicken from the marinade. Grill the chicken and the bell pepper for about 15 minutes, using the leftover marinade as you do so.

To serve, cut chicken and the pepper diagonally into 1-inch slices.

You can prepare this recipe with whole chicken breasts too. The advantage of the whole ones is that they have more flavor. The advantage of the boneless is that they are lower in fat.

About Lelaki Memasak

Dear Friends,

Lelaki Memasak means the man who loves cooking! Yes, I love to eat and I love preparing dishes.

My name is Lelaki which is “man” in English. Don’t ask me why I was given the name “man”. My grand grand father gave me this name and my parents just accept it. I thought it was because they have too many children so they don’t really focus on their names but how to feed each of us, we are twelve brothers and sisters!

Thanks God, my mom love to cook and we all love to eat! But can you imagine cooking for 14 people, 3 times a day? Linda McCartney once said that “Cooking for six people every day is like having a café” and my mom have to cook for 14, that's including my mom and dad.

What happened back there was we all help her in kitchen. That’s why all of her children can cook now, that’s including me!

This is a bit about me, I love to share and I hope I can get your responses back too, including your recipes if you care to share! If you have any suggestion to improve my recipes so my dishes can taste better, please let me know by dropping your comments on related article. Many thanks.

Sincerely,
Lelaki Memasak

Lelaki Memasak

This is my journal, to be exact my culinary journey!

I love to eat and prepare my own dishes, here in this blog I am going to share most of my recipes, my friends recipes *of course with their permission* and all free recipes generously contributed by people who love to share in the internet.

Bon appetit!
Lelaki Memasak