Issue 17The Indonesian Cook

COLUMNIST: DINA WATT
The Indonesian CookSpringtime often refers to the ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, and regrowth. Why not rejuvenate the way you cook and make your daily food healthier by using seasonal homegrown vegetables? In this first issue of 2023, I would like to show you how to use your vegetables in easy, delicious recipes.
In this issue I invite you to celebrate being green - maximise using green vegetables in the kitchen through these fantastic recipes. The first recipe is a deliciously simple, green courgette soup.
The second recipe is the cucumber acar (read: atchar) stirfry. This stir fry is sweet, sour, and a little bit spicy, depending on your preference. I also add ginger and turmeric which are great to help build your immune system. In Indonesia, this stir fry is perfect paired with fried fish to balance the flavours between the two dishes.
The third recipe is my ultimate, super easy, under 20 minutes Mie Goreng, or fried egg noodles. Packed with green vegetables, your family will simply love this last recipe of mine.
Recipe 1: Courgette Soup – serves 6 people
1
What you need:

3 medium size courgettes, cut into chunks

10 medium size potatoes, peeled, washed, and cut into chunks

3 celery sticks, cut into chunks

2 brown onions, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons of olive oil

½ teaspoon of dried thyme

200gr of soft cheese

1 cube of chicken stock

Salt and pepper

3
What to do:

Drizzle the olive oil into a pot and set the hob to a medium heat. Add sliced onions, garlic, and thyme into the pot and sauté until they turn light brown.

Add 2 litres of water and the chicken stock into the pot, letting it simmer for a few minutes.

Next add the potatoes to the pot. Let it boil until the potatoes have softened. Once they have softened, add the courgette, and soft cheese. Season well with salt and pepper.

Set the hob to low, and let it boil for about 10-15 minutes.

Using a hand blender, mix all the ingredients which are already in the pot into a consistency that your family usually enjoy. I usually leave some chunks of potatoes and courgettes to give it a bite.

Let it boil again for a few minutes then serve it with grated cheese and croutons.

Recipe 2 : Cucumber Acar/Stir Fried Pickled Cucumber – serves 4 people
2
What you need:

1 cucumber, deseeded and cut julienne style. (The reason that I deseed the cucumber is to prevent the seeds from creating excess water when it is being stir fried. We want this dish to be light and crunchy.)

1 carrot, cut julienne5 french green beans, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 brown onion, sliced

1-2 Thai chillies, finely chopped (depending on your level of spiciness)

2cm of ginger root, bruised

½ teaspoon of turmeric powder

2-3 tablespoons of water

1 chicken stock cube

2-3 tablespoons of vinegar (malt vinegar or wine vinegar)

1 tablespoon of sugar

Salt and pepper

How to make it:

The first step is to sauté the garlic, onion, chilli, ginger, and turmeric in a frying pan, filled with a bit of oil, over a medium heat. Sauté for around 1-2 minutes.

The second step is to throw carrots into that pan. Stir well while adding all the seasoning such as salt, pepper, chicken stock, sugar, and vinegar. Mix them all well for just 2-3 minutes until the carrot has softened a little bit. You can always add ½ cup of water to prevent it from burning, or turn the heat low.

Last but not least, add the cut cucumber. The reason for adding the cucumber last is so that it does not get soggy - the dish needs crunchy cucumber. Mix them all well for just about 1 minute, then turn off the heat.

Perfect to be paired with fried fish and steam rice, this is a great authentic Indonesian dish to try!

4
Recipe 3: Dina’s Ultimate Mie Goreng – serves 2 people5
Mie goreng means fried egg noodles, one of the crucial dishes to try if you visit Indonesia. I can assure you this recipe is so simple yet so delicious and easy to prepare and allows you to make the most of green cabbages in this dish.
What you need:

100gr chicken breast, cut into strips

200gr cooked egg noodles

Half a heart of cabbage, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 brown onion, sliced

1 carrot, cut julienne style

100gr bean sprout, optional

3 tablespoons of Indonesian kecap manis/sweet soya sauce

2 tablespoons of soya sauce

½ chicken stock cube

2-3 tablespoons of oil

Salt and pepper

How to make it:

Pour the oil into a frying pan over a high heat. Add the garlic and onion, and sauté for about a minute.

Next step is to throw in the chicken strips. Season well with kecap manis, salt, and pepper. Leave the chicken to cook for about 5 minutes, then add the chicken stock, and carrot. Stir well for a minute.

Next add the lush green cabbage and bean sprout. Quickly mix them all well.

Then last but not least, add the noodles. Season once again with more kecap manis if needed, soya sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix them all together, make sure that all noodles are evenly covered with the seasoning which will probably take about 5 minutes.

Garnish with chopped spring onions, coriander leaves, and chilli. It is always a great idea to add an egg, sunnyside up!

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Dina Watt ProfileDina Watt grew up in Bandung, West-Java, Indonesia, and now living in Aberdeenshire, she is known as The Indonesian Cook. Dina's love of nature and gardening fuels her passion for cooking. In her column, Dina shares her own adventurous recipes for delicious home cooked meals that are easy to make, mostly using homegrown, seasonal fruits and vegetables from her own kitchen garden. She is passionate about using every bit of the plant in order to practice zero-waste principles.
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