Sayur Asem Jakarta
(sah-yoor ah-sem)
Makan Tengah: The Weeknight Communal Table
Sayur Asem is the great unifier of the Indonesian table, a chaotic yet perfectly harmonized collision of hard corn, earthy peanuts, and vibrant leaves plunged into an unapologetically sour tamarind broth. This is the authentic Jakarta iteration—the Betawi style—which means we're utilizing unpeeled peanuts and the clouding richness of toasted macadamia nuts to build a deeply savory foundation. It's an essential palate cleanser built for communal weeknight eating, cutting right through the intense heat of sambal and the rich fat of fried chicken. Just don't let me catch you putting a Western bay leaf in the pot.
Before you start
Toast the shrimp paste to awaken its depth.
Wrap the pungent shrimp paste tightly in a small piece of aluminum foil and hold it directly over a gas flame with tongs for about a minute until deeply fragrant.
Prepare the tamarind water.
Vigorously mix the sticky tamarind pulp with a quarter cup of warm water, massaging it to release the sour extract, then strain out and discard the seeds and fibers.
Ingredients
- beef chuck1/2 lb
- water8 cup
- dried Indonesian bay leaves2 med
- fresh galangal1 med
- tamarind paste1 1/2 tbsp
- salt1 tbsp
- sugar1 tbsp
- small shallots6 med
- garlic3 med clove
- Fresno chilies4 med
- macadamia nuts4 med
- shrimp paste1 tsp
- sweet corn1 large
- raw unpeeled peanuts1/2 cup
- canned young green jackfruit1 cup
- chayote squash1 med
- yardlong beans5 med
- frozen melinjo leaves1 cup
Method
- 01
Simmer the beef to build your foundation.
If using beef chuck, bring the water to a boil, drop in the beef, and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming any scum that rises to the top. If skipping the meat, simply bring eight cups of water to a rolling boil.
- 02
Process the aromatics into a fine, uniform paste.
Blitz the shallots, garlic, chilies, toasted macadamia nuts, and toasted shrimp paste in a food processor until smooth, adding a splash of water if the blades get stuck.
- 03
Deploy the tough ingredients first.
Add the spice paste, bruised galangal, and Indonesian bay leaves to the boiling broth, followed immediately by the raw peanuts, sweet corn rounds, and young jackfruit. Lower the heat to a steady simmer and let it go for 15 to 20 minutes until the peanuts yield to the tooth.
- 04
Balance the sour broth and add the squash.
Stir in the strained tamarind water, salt, and sugar, tasting carefully to ensure a sharp, vibrant acidity grounded by savory shrimp paste. Drop in the cubed chayote and simmer for another 7 to 10 minutes until fork-tender but structurally intact.
- 05
Flash-cook the delicate greens.
Toss in the yardlong beans and melinjo leaves, letting them cook for exactly two minutes before cutting the heat entirely. The residual warmth of the pot will finish the job, preserving their crunch and vivid green color.
Notes
Never substitute Western bay laurel for Indonesian daun salam.
The Mediterranean leaf belongs in a French stew, not here; it will give your soup an unwanted medicinal pine flavor. Source the real thing from an Asian grocer, or omit it entirely.
Embrace the unpeeled peanut.
The red skins of the raw peanuts are the signature of a true Jakarta-style Sayur Asem, imparting a subtle earthiness and a beautiful, hazy reddish-brown tint to the finished broth.