Lontong Sayur (Rice Cake with Vegetable Curry)

Ingredients

• For Lontong (Rice Cakes):

• 2 cups white rice
• Water, as needed (for boiling or cooking)
• Banana leaves or lontong molds (traditional method)

• For Vegetable Curry (Sayur Lodeh):

• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 block (approx. 200g) tempeh, cut into cubes
• 1 block (approx. 200g) tofu, cut into cubes, lightly fried (optional)
• 1 small eggplant, cut into cubes
• 1 chayote, peeled and cut into cubes
• 100g long beans, cut into 3-4 cm pieces
• 1/2 cup melinjo leaves (daun so), optional
• 50g melinjo seeds (biji so), optional
• 2 salam leaves (Indonesian bay leaves)
• 2 cm galangal, bruised
• 1 lemongrass stalk, bruised
• 700 ml thin coconut milk
• 300 ml thick coconut milk
• Salt to taste
• Sugar to taste

• For Ground Spice Paste (Bumbu Halus):

• 8 shallots
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3-5 red chilies (adjust to spice preference)
• 2 cm fresh turmeric
• 1 cm fresh ginger
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 2 candlenuts, toasted
• A pinch of terasi (shrimp paste), optional

• For Garnish/Serving:

• Fried shallots (bawang goreng)
• Boiled eggs (optional)
• Krupuk (Indonesian crackers)
• Sambal (chili sauce), optional

Cooking Instructions

1. Making Lontong:

1. Wash rice thoroughly. For traditional lontong, pack rice tightly into banana leaf rolls or lontong molds, leaving about 1/3 empty. Secure the ends tightly.
2. Place the packed lontong into a large pot and cover completely with water. Boil for 2-3 hours, ensuring the lontong remains submerged by adding more hot water if needed.
3. Alternatively, for a faster method, cook rice in a rice cooker with less water than usual (e.g., 1 cup rice to 1 cup water) to make it very firm and sticky. Transfer the cooked rice to a container, press it down firmly to compact, and let it cool completely before slicing.
4. Once cooked (or cooled if using the faster method), drain the lontong and let it cool completely before slicing into desired shapes. Cooling is crucial for firm texture.

2. Making Vegetable Curry (Sayur Lodeh):

1. Blend or grind all ingredients for the ground spice paste until smooth.
2. Heat cooking oil in a large pot or wok over medium heat. Sauté the ground spice paste until fragrant and cooked through (the oil separates and the color deepens). Add salam leaves, bruised galangal, and bruised lemongrass; stir-fry for another minute.
3. Add tempeh and lightly fried tofu (if using) to the pot, stir well to coat with the spices.
4. Pour in the thin coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the tempeh and tofu are cooked through.
5. Add the harder vegetables first: chayote, eggplant, and melinjo seeds. Continue to simmer until they start to soften.
6. Next, add the long beans and melinjo leaves. Simmer until all vegetables are tender-crisp.
7. Finally, pour in the thick coconut milk. Season with salt and sugar to taste. Stir gently and continuously to prevent the coconut milk from curdling, just until it reaches a gentle boil. Do not overcook after adding the thick coconut milk.
8. Remove from heat immediately.

3. Assembly:

1. Arrange several slices of lontong in a serving bowl or plate.
2. Ladle a generous amount of the hot vegetable curry over the lontong.
3. Garnish with fried shallots.
4. Serve hot, optionally with boiled eggs, krupuk, and a side of sambal.