Sayur Asem Jakarta
(sigh-yoor ah-sem jah-kar-tah)
The Weeknight Lauk
Sayur asem isn't a heavy, coconut-laced feast. It's a sharp weeknight reality where you toss sweet corn on the cob, chopped chayote, and tamarind paste straight into a rolling boil. In Jakarta, grandmas build this broth with toasted candlenuts, but roasted macadamias do the job perfectly in an Ohio suburb. The secret is a staggered timeline. You drop things into the pot in a precise, staggered order so the peanuts get tender before the long beans turn to mush. Ladle it hot over white rice. The broth bites.
Before you start
Toast the shrimp paste.
Raw shrimp paste (terasi) must be cooked before use to release its umami depth. Wrap the small block tightly in a piece of aluminum foil and hold it directly over a gas flame or hot burner with tongs for about one minute until fragrant.
Steep the tamarind.
Authentic young green tamarind pods are nearly impossible to find in American supermarkets. Instead, dissolve sticky tamarind paste in warm water, massage it with your fingers to release the sour pulp, and strain the tangy liquid to discard the seeds before adding it to the soup.
Ingredients
- water8 cup
- beef chuck or shank1/2 lb
- dried Indonesian bay leaves2 large
- fresh galangal1 inch
- tamarind paste1 1/2 tbsp
- salt1 tbsp
- sugar1 tbsp
- shallots6 small
- garlic3 large
- curly red chilies or Fresno chilies4 med
- macadamia nuts4 med
- shrimp paste1 tsp
- sweet corn1 large
- raw unpeeled peanuts1/2 cup
- canned young green jackfruit in water1 cup
- chayote squash1 med
- yardlong beans5 med
- melinjo leaves or sturdy spinach1 cup
Method
- 01
Build the foundation.
If using beef, boil the pieces in the eight cups of water, skimming any scum from the surface, until the meat is completely tender, which should take about thirty to forty minutes. If keeping it vegetarian, simply bring the water to a rolling boil.
- 02
Pound the spice paste.
In a small food processor or a traditional stone mortar, blitz the shallots, garlic, chilies, toasted macadamia nuts, and toasted shrimp paste into a fine, unified paste, adding a splash of water or oil to help the blades catch.
- 03
Execute the hard boil.
Drop the blended spice paste directly into the boiling broth along with the bruised galangal and Indonesian bay leaves to cook out the raw edge of the aromatics. Immediately toss in the tough crowd: the raw peanuts, sweet corn rounds, and young jackfruit, then lower to a steady simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes until the peanuts yield to the bite.
- 04
Balance the sour and sweet.
Stir in the dissolved tamarind water, salt, and sugar. Taste the broth—it should be vibrantly sour, grounded by the savory shrimp paste, with a gentle sweetness at the back of the throat, so adjust as necessary. Add the cubed chayote and simmer for another seven to ten minutes until it is just easily pierced with a fork.
- 05
Flash finish the greens.
Stir in the yardlong beans and melinjo leaves, cooking for exactly two minutes so they remain bright green and retain a distinct crunch. Kill the heat immediately; the residual warmth of the broth will carry them across the finish line without turning them into a drab, overcooked gray.
Notes
Respect the bay leaf.
Western bay laurel leaves impart an aggressive, eucalyptus-like pine flavor that will completely ruin the authentic profile of this broth. If you cannot find authentic daun salam (Indonesian bay leaf) in the frozen or dried section of an Asian grocer, omit it entirely.
The macadamia substitution.
Grandmothers in Jakarta use roasted kemiri (candlenuts) to give the broth its signature rich, slightly cloudy body. Toasted macadamia nuts share an almost identical fat content and texture, making them a flawless, highly accessible substitute.