Nasi Jamblang Recipe

Ingredients

For the Plain Rice:

• 2 cups white rice
• 3 cups water (or according to rice cooker instructions)

For Sambal Goreng Tempeh:

• 250g tempeh, cut into small cubes
• 4 large red chilies (or more, to taste), deseeded if preferred
• 5-7 bird's eye chilies (optional, for extra heat)
• 8-10 shallots
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 candlenuts
• 1-inch piece galangal, bruised
• 2 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste, dissolved in 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp palm sugar (gula merah), grated
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 4 tbsp cooking oil

For Perkedel Kentang (Potato Fritters):

• 500g potatoes, peeled and cut
• 4 shallots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 stalk celery or 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• Cooking oil for deep frying

For Telur Balado (Spicy Boiled Eggs):

• 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
• 6 large red chilies (or more, to taste)
• 4 bird's eye chilies (optional)
• 8 shallots
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 kaffir lime leaf
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tsp sugar, or to taste
• 3 tbsp cooking oil

Instructions

Cooking the Plain Rice:

1. Wash the rice thoroughly until water runs clear.
2. Place rice in a rice cooker with water.
3. Cook according to rice cooker instructions. Once cooked, fluff with a fork and keep warm.

Preparing Sambal Goreng Tempeh:

1. Fry the cubed tempeh in hot oil until golden brown and crispy. Remove and set aside.
2. In a food processor or mortar and pestle, grind chilies, shallots, garlic, and candlenuts into a smooth paste.
3. Heat 2 tbsp of fresh oil in a pan. Sauté the ground spice paste until fragrant (about 3-5 minutes).
4. Add galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and bay leaf. Continue to sauté for another minute.
5. Pour in the dissolved tamarind paste, add palm sugar, and salt. Cook until the sugar melts and the sauce thickens slightly.
6. Add the fried tempeh to the pan and mix well to coat with the sambal. Cook for a few more minutes until everything is well combined and flavors meld.

Making Perkedel Kentang:

1. Boil or steam the potatoes until very tender. Drain well and mash them while still hot.
2. In a separate pan, briefly sauté finely chopped shallots and garlic until fragrant. Add to the mashed potatoes.
3. Add chopped celery/scallions, salt, and white pepper to the mashed potatoes. Mix well to combine.
4. Form the potato mixture into small, flattened patties (about 2-inch diameter).
5. Dip each patty into the beaten egg, ensuring it's fully coated.
6. Heat cooking oil for deep frying. Fry the perkedel until golden brown on both sides. Drain excess oil on paper towels.

Making Telur Balado:

1. Gently score the hard-boiled eggs a few times (optional, helps absorb flavor).
2. Fry the hard-boiled eggs lightly in a little oil until the skin is slightly golden and a bit crispy. Remove and set aside.
3. In a food processor or mortar and pestle, grind red chilies, bird's eye chilies, shallots, garlic, and tomato into a rough paste.
4. Heat 2-3 tbsp of fresh oil in a pan. Sauté the ground spice paste until fragrant and the oil separates (about 7-10 minutes).
5. Add kaffir lime leaf and bay leaf. Stir well.
6. Add salt and sugar. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
7. Add the fried hard-boiled eggs to the pan and gently mix to coat them completely with the balado sauce. Cook for a few minutes to allow flavors to meld.

To Serve Nasi Jamblang:

1. Traditionally, small portions of rice are wrapped in teak leaves (or banana leaves if teak leaves are unavailable).
2. Serve the wrapped rice alongside small portions of Sambal Goreng Tempeh, Perkedel Kentang, and Telur Balado.
3. Offer additional side dishes if desired, such as sate usus (intestine satay) or semur daging (braised beef).