TOFU AND SHRIMP WITH TOMATO SAUCE (TAHU UDANG SAUS TOMAT)

Easy. Simple. Delicious. Those 3 words are really described this dish. If you lack of idea or want to use the ingredients left in your fridge *obviously I am talking about my own experience :)* this simple dish is really an answer for you! :). Especially on summer. The tangy of fresh tomatoes and the sourness plus the sweetness of the shrimps are really freshen your day!

Then, since this is my new experiment, of course I need someone to test it and tell me how is it. As usual, my hubby becomes my food tester :). And.....he likes it! *phewww*



Tofu and Shrimp with Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 lb shrimps, peel and devein
1 package firm tofu (you can use any kind of tofu as long as it is firm tofu)
2-1/2 cups water and salt solutions (2-1/2 cups water combined with 1/2 tsp salt)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 fresh tomatoes, sliced
2 tbsps soy sauce
3 tbsps cooking rice wine
2 tbsp ang ciu/shaoxing
3 tbsps thai sweet and sour sauce
150 ml water
1 stalk spring onion, sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsps tapioca starch solutions

Preparations:
Cut the tofu into the shapes you like. Soak the tofu in the water-salt solutions for about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the tofu and pat dry the tofu with paper towel. Fry the tofu in the preheated oil until both sides are golden-brown color. Strain it and let the oil dripped.
In another pan, fry the garlic with 2 tablespoons oil until fragrant. Stir in shrimp until the shrimp change into pink color (remember stir fry it until pink color only, do not fry the shrimp too long if you don't want your shrimp becomes rubbery). Add in tomatoes, stir fry for about 1 minute. Add in soy sauce, cooking rice wine, shaoxing, thai sweet and sour sauce, salt and pepper, to taste. Stir for another 1 minute. Add in water, stir well. Add in fried tofu, stir well and let the sauce boiled. Once the sauce is boiled, pour in tapioca starch solution, stir fast until you see the sauce is a bit thicken (you can add more starch solution if you want thicker sauce). Remove it from the stove. Transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle it with spring onion. Bon appetite! :)

REMPEYEK KACANG

Long time ago there was a little girl who lived in Indonesia. And everytime her family went to a city called Bandung which was famous with their local snacks, they were always buy this one kind of snack that unfortunately she hated it. She was confused why her dad, mom and siblings like this un-scrumptious-at-all snack. For her, she loves all kind of snacks (and snacking) but not this one.

Now, she is a grown up woman and guess what? She still dislike this snack. Tho she lived in a far away country from Indonesia, she never miss that snack. Until few days ago, when she accidentaly saw a pic of it, she can't stop thinking about it. Out of nowhere, she can smell a good smell of fried key lime leaf from that snack right in her nose!

So, she determined to try to make herself the snack that she hated when she was a kid. After the snack was well fried, and ready to serve, she can't wait to let her husband to try it. Unfortunately, her husband doesn't really like it :(. But, she does! When she fried the snack, the smell of fried key lime leaf and fried food is flowing on the air. Now, she knows and understands why her family are all like it.



Okay.......I tried to become a novelist but I guess I am failed! :). The story is lame huh? Now, let me tell you the real one. Actually, the story above is talking about me :). And "the snack" we are talking about is rempeyek kacang (it is made of rice flour, coconut milk, key lime leaf and peanut). That's true, I recently like rempeyek kacang. When I was a kid, never ever ask me to try it. I don't know why I hate rempeyek kacang so much. But, after these years hate it I am starting to like it now :). The crispy-ness of the rempeyek kacang and the smell of fried key lime leaf are really made me realize that I missed this good snack!

You will have no problem to find it in Indonesia. I guess, almost all cities in Indonesia are selling rempeyek kacang. Some people make it thick and not that crunchy, but some people (including me) make it thin and crunchy. And I loved the one I made, thin batter with a little bit peanut.
I got the recipe from the old old old NOVA magazine (or newspaper? since it doesn't look like a magazine)



Rempeyek Kacang

Ingredients:
150 gr raw peanuts, peeled and panbroiled
200 gr rice flour
450 ml thin coconut milk
2 small eggs, whisk
8 pieces key lime leaves, finely sliced
2 tsps lime stone
Vegetable oil for frying

Spice Paste:
7 cloves garlic
6 candle nuts
3 tsps coriander
2 tsps cutcherry powder
2 tsp salt, or to taste

Preparation:
In a big bowl, combine spice paste, key lime leaves and rice flour. Pour in coconut milk, eggs and lime stone water gradually. Mix it until well combined.
In a small pan, brush the pan with oil. Scoope 1/8 to 1/4 cup batter. Sprinkle it with panbroiled peanuts (the amount of peanuts are as your desire). Pour the batter into the small pan. then move the pan into circular motion until the pan is covered by the batter. Don't worry about the shape, it doesn't need to be perfect). Cover the pan, and let it cook for about 2 minutes or until half cooked. When you didn't see any liquid batter, then it's the time to remove it from the pan and dump it into a prepared bigger pan with hot oil for deep frying. Fry the rempeyek over high heat until golden color and crispy dry.
Remove it from the pan, and let it dry from the oil on a strainer. Let it cool and keep it in a tight lid container. Ready to serve.

FRIED WONTON WITH SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

Who doesn't know Bakmi Gajah Mada (a franchise noodle restaurant in Indonesia)? I bet everyone who is Indonesian will know it. Bakmi Gajah Mada is a very famous noodle restaurant in Indonesia. You can found them easily in the malls. I remember, when I was a little girl (at 80's), the first and only restaurant of Bakmi Gajah Mada is at Jalan Gajah Mada (Gajah Mada Street). And it explained why they named it Bakmi Gajah Mada, because it is located at Jalan Gajah Mada.

I also remember, my mom and dad liked to bring us, the kids, to eat bakmi Gajah Mada. Besides noodle soups, they also sold the side dishes, such as fried wonton, wonton soup, meatballs soup, etc. For those who doesn't want eat noodle, they also sold rice and veggies or meats.

For me, who is a noodle lover of course I will order chicken noodle soup with beef meatballs *put a little bit of vinegar, hot chilli, and pepper....man....it's heaven!*. Usually, we will order fried wonton with sweet and sour sauce for the appetizer. And let me tell you, their fried wonton is sooooo delicious! The wonton is crispy and the sauce is very good and tangy! Grab one fried wonton then dip it into the sauce.....yummmmm!

So, from all those memories of the good foods and the fun eating out with the whole families inspired me to make my own 'Bakmi Gajah Mada' fried wonton with the sweet and sour sauce *minus the chicken noodles*. And.....the sauce is really good!



My hubby brought some to his work then he shared it with some of his colleagues....and they all like it! :). I am happy, not only because people like my food, but everytime people *especially my hubby's co-workers* gave compliments for my food, it always bring smiles on my hubby's face :). And I know, he proud of me :). That's the most great feeling that paid off all my tired-ness of cooking :).



Now, let's grab one fried wonton and dip it into the sweet and sour sauce........absolutely YUMMMM! :)

Fried Wonton with Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 lb (250 gr) pork butt, minced
3/4 cup minced young bamboo shoot
4 stalks of green onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 cloves shallots, thinly sliced
3 tbsps sesame oil
2 tbsps rice wine
4 tbsps fish sauce
1/2 tsp blackpepper
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 tbsp olive oil, for frying the shallots
Vegetable oil for deep frying
1 package of wonton wrapper

The Sauce:
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tbsps ketchup
1/2 to 1 tbsp sriracha chilli sauce
150 ml chicken broth
2 tbsps sugar
1-1/2 tbsps rice vinegar

Preparation:
For The Wonton:
In a small pan, fry the shallot with olive oil until fragrant. Set aside.
In a big bowl, combine pork, young bamboo shoot, green onion, garlic, fried shallots with the oil, sesame oil, rice wine, fish sauce, blackpepper, and tapioca starch. Mix it well. At this point, you should taste it by scooping 1 tsp pork mixture and microwave it for 20 seconds. And you can add more spices, as your desire.
Lay 1 sheet of wonton wrapper. Scoope 1 teaspoon of pork mixture in the middle of the wonton wrapper. Then fold the wrapper to form a triangle, then pull each corner down and glue it with water. Do it until all the wrappers are gone.
Fry the wonton into a 350F hot oil until crisp and brown. Drain it from the oil then place it on the paper towel. Keep it in the lock and lock container. Do not cover the wonton when it still hot, because it will make the wonton soggy!
Serve it with the sauce.

For The Sauce:
Combine all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Cook it over medium-high heat. Keep stirring until the sauce is thicken.