Sayur Asem Lamtoro
Kitchenesia.com - In Sunda-origin Sayur Asem (tamarind soup), sour is power move; but it employs other flavors as well. The layers of tamarind, variants of herbs, and chicken broth brings waves of sour, savory, and umami all the way at the back of your tongue. Juicy junks of sweet corn bring a low-frequency sweetness, adding not so much sweetness as depth.
All the flavors aside, the highlight of Kitchenesia’s Sayur Asem Lamtoro (river tamarind in tamarind soup) is river tamarind seeds. When you bite into it, you get an unexpected touch of tart flavor in the sour broth. Too much flavors in one dish, but in a good way.
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yields: 5 bowls
Half cut of chayote, chopped
100 grams green bean, cut into 3cm length
2 sweet corns, cut into 3cm length
100 gram gnemon nuts
25 gram gnemon leaves
2 1/2 tbsp tamarind, dissolve in 3 tbsp water
300 grams river tamarind
3 1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp palm sugar
3 bay leaves
3cm piece of galangal, crushed
2500 litre chicken broth
For spice paste:
4 candlenuts
6 shallots
3cm piece of turmeric
1/2 tsp shrimp paste
1. Place spice paste ingredients in a pestle. Grind using stone mortar until maing a fine, smooth paste.
2. Place chicken broth, spice paste, salt, palm sugar, bay leaves, galangal, and gnemon nuts into a pot. Bring them to boil over medium heat until simmers.
3. Add sweet corns and cook until tender, stir in between.
4. Add green bean, river tamarind, and chayote. Cook until tender.
5. Add gnemon leaves and tamarin water, stir briefly. Remove from pot and transfer to big, heat-proof bowl.
6. Serve Sayur Asem Lamtoro (river tamarind in sour soup) alongside steamed rice as a sohoor dish.