Sayur Lodeh

Anita Jacobson’s sayur lodeh simmers vegetables and soybean tempeh in a seasoned coconut-milk broth. Her selected mixture brings together Chinese and Thai eggplants, long beans and tomato.

The selected orange-broth version grinds red chilies into a paste with shallots, garlic, toasted shrimp paste, ginger, galangal, candlenuts and ground coriander. Turmeric is an optional addition to this version’s paste.

The paste fries in oil until fragrant, with an optional Indonesian bay leaf added next. Coconut milk, the selected water base, salt and palm sugar are brought to a boil.

Long beans, both eggplants, diced tempeh and tomato enter the broth together. The stew simmers until the vegetables are tender, then its salt and palm sugar are adjusted to taste.

Jacobson serves the stew with steamed white rice and describes lodeh as part of festive meals. Opor ayam is one of the other dishes she suggests alongside it.