Cookbook:Sayur Asem (Indonesian Tamarind Vegetable Soup)

| Cuisine of Indonesia

This vegetable soup is a must-have item on the menu of every West Java (Sundanese) restaurant in Indonesia. This soup has some kind of appetizing effect because of the use of tamarind or (dried) sour starfuit as one of the ingredients. Sayur asem is a compliment to main dish such as ayam Ayam Goreng Kuning, Pepes Ikan or fried salty fish.

Spice paste

 * 1 fresh red chile pepper
 * 2 shallots
 * 2 g terasi
 * ½ tbsp salt

Soup

 * 20 g fresh tamarind or asam jawa tamarind paste, or 5 dried bilimbi fruit
 * 105 g galangal
 * 2 salam leaves
 * 100 g yardlong beans
 * 1 chayote squash
 * 50 g corn
 * 100 g young jackfuit
 * 50 g gnetum (melinjo/belinjau) leaves and fruits
 * 50 g raw peanuts
 * Salt
 * Sugar

Procedure

 * 1) Grind together all the ingredients for the spice paste until smooth.
 * 2) Clean the vegetables, and cut into bite-size pieces.
 * 3) Bring 1.2 liters of water to a boil in a pot. Stir in the spice paste, tamarind, galangal, and salam leaves.
 * 4) Gradually add the vegetables, starting with those that require a longer cooking time.
 * 5) Season with salt and sugar to taste.