Javanese lengko rice recipe


ingredients:
For lengko rice

  • 1 cucumber, chopped finely
  • 250 g bean curds, cut into 1cm cubes and deep-fry
  • 150 g tempeh, or soy bean cake, sliced thinly and deep-fry
  • 150 g bean sprouts, blanched
  • 2 spring onions, green parts only and chopped finely
  • 100 g shrimp crackers
  • 200 g peanut sauce paste, diluted with 75 ml warm water
  • Kecap manis
  • Fried shallots

For peanut sauce

  • 2 shallots
  • 1 garlic
  • 25 g red chilies
  • 10 g Thai bird's eye chili
  • 5 kaffir lime leaves
  • 20 g kencur (or lesser galangal)
  • 10 g tamarind pulp
  • 1 g shrimp paste
  • 120 g gula merah (palm sugar or gula melaka)
  • 300 g peanuts, deep-fried
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Oil for deep-frying

directions:
For lengko rice

  • For individual serving, combine all condiments (except rice) in a mixing bowl, about 1/2 cup each.
  • Pour 1/2 cup diluted peanut sauce into the bowl.
  • Mix well.
  • Arrange on top of a plate of steamed rice.
  • Sprinkle with kecap manis, more chopped spring onions and fried shallots.
  • Serve warm.

For peanut sauce

  • Heat oil in a wok. Deep-fry peanuts till golden. Grind till coarse. Set aside.
  • Deep-fry chilies, shallots and garlic till wilted, about 2 min
  • Combine kaffir lime leaves, salt, kencur, chilies, shallots and garlic in a mortar and pestle. Grind to coarse paste.
  • Add tamarind pulp, palm sugar and shrimp paste in the mortar and pound till fine.
  • Add the peanuts. Mix well.
  • Remove the paste and keep in airtight container till serving.