Spicy Black Squid (Cumi Hitam)

Ingredients

• 500g fresh squid, cleaned (reserve ink sacs carefully), cut into rings or bite-sized pieces
• 3 tbsp cooking oil

For the Spice Paste (Bumbu Halus)

• 8-10 shallots
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 5-10 bird's eye chilies (or to taste)
• 3-5 red chilies
• 1 inch ginger

Aromatics

• 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
• 2-3 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 1 inch galangal, bruised
• 2-3 Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam)

Seasoning

• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp sugar (or to taste)
• 100ml water

Instructions

1. Clean Squid: Separate squid body from head. Carefully remove innards, preserving the ink sacs. Remove the clear cartilage (pen). Rinse squid thoroughly. Cut the body into rings and the head into pieces. Set aside the ink sacs.
2. Prepare Spice Paste: Blend or grind shallots, garlic, bird's eye chilies, red chilies, and ginger until a smooth paste is formed. Add a little oil or water if needed for blending.
3. Sauté Aromatics: Heat cooking oil in a pan or wok over medium heat. Add the prepared spice paste, bruised lemongrass, torn kaffir lime leaves, bruised galangal, and Indonesian bay leaves. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the oil separates.
4. Add Squid: Add the cleaned squid to the pan. Stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes until the squid changes color and starts to curl.
5. Add Ink: Gently add the reserved ink sacs to the pan. Stir carefully to release the ink and coat the squid evenly, turning the mixture black.
6. Simmer: Add water, salt, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the squid is tender and the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency. Be careful not to overcook the squid, as it can become tough.
7. Adjust Seasoning: Taste the dish and adjust salt and sugar if needed.
8. Serve: Serve hot with steamed white rice.