sayur asem

Anita Jacobson describes sayur asem as a Sundanese vegetable soup whose tamarind-and-tomato sourness meets chilies, lemongrass, ginger, galangal and shrimp paste. Her US kitchen version uses zucchini, green beans, kale and dry peanuts in place of several ingredients more readily found in Indonesia.

The dry peanuts boil separately until softened, then are drained. Tamarind is worked into hot water and strained to remove pulp and seeds, making the juice for the broth.

Red chilies, shallots, garlic, candlenuts, ginger, galangal and toasted shrimp paste form the spice paste. It cooks in water with tamarind juice, lemongrass, optional Indonesian bay leaves, coconut palm sugar, turmeric, salt and white pepper.

The boiled peanuts join the broth first. Cabbage, corn, zucchini and green beans follow and cook until tender; kale and tomatoes enter near the end, as the kale wilts and the tomatoes begin to soften.

The soup is tasted for salt before being served with steamed white rice. This version combines the sour broth with vegetables added in stages, retaining the fresh, earthy and spicy flavour contrasts Jacobson describes.