Soto Betawi – Indonesian Soup

I’ve posted the recipe previously in this blog – and two other blogs. I just want to give a different touch to the dish being served with sprinkles of toasted coconut, accompanied by a bowl of steamed rice. The yellow stuff on top of the rice is “Serundeng” or spicy toasted coconut. I made it from dessicated coconut, sprinkles of palm sugar, ground chilis, a touch of ground dried shrimp and shredded fresh lime leaves. It matches beautifully with the soto.

Soto is another word for Indonesian soup, which usually more fragrant than the normal soup people know, as we would use lemon grass (plus other basic “soto” ingredients) lime leaves and coconut milk. Probably the best beef ribs soup – that is if you like rich oriental spices in your soup combined with a dash of light coconut milk stewed until the ribs are juicy and tender. Roasted candlenuts, fresh galangal, ginger, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves make this soup so refreshingly different.

SOTO BETAWI

Ingredients:
* 400 gram beef ribs
* 1 kg brisket (some bones if you have)
* 2 pcs bay leaves
* 3 stalks of lemon grass – bruised, tied into a knot & dump into pot
* 3 cm fresh galangal – roast in naked flame until fragrant
* 2 cm fresh ginger, sliced
* 3 pcs kaffir lime leaves
* 250 ml coconut milk
* 500 gr potatoe – cubed
* 4 cm cinnamon stick

Ground spices:
* 12 pcs shallots
* 7 pcs garlic
* 5 pcs red chilis
* 8 pcs candlenuts – roast in naked flame till fragrant
* 1 tbs coriander powder
* 1 tsp cumin powder
* 1 tsp white pepper powder
(all ground smoothly, then stir fry in cooking oil until fragrant)

Cooking Direction:

1.) Boil water with lemon grass, roast galangal, bayleaves in a pot &
cook ribs + brisket until tender. This should take a while.
2.) In the mean time shallow fry cubed potatoes until golden brown
(this time, I only steamed the potatoes, running out of cooking oil)
3.) When ribs & beef are tender enough, mix in the stir fried
ground spices, kaffir lime leaves and cinnamon stick.
Add salt + pepper, and pinch of sugar if needed
4.) Serve steaming hot. Place cubef potatoes first, then the ribs & soup.
Sprinkle with chopped spring onions, chopped tomatoes

Nothing beats this steaming hot soup and a bowl of warm rice with sprinkles of toasted coconut in the freezing winter like out here in Inner Mongolia 

RECIPE for  SERUNDENG  (toasted coconut topping)

Ingredients:
* 200 gr desiccated coconut
* 4 pcs kaffir lime leaves – shred to pieces
* 6 pcs shallots - ground smooth
* 4 pcs garlic – crushed
* 1 tsp powder red chili
* 1/2 tbs powder coriander seed
* 1 tbs palm sugar (gula jawa)
* 1 tbs dried baby shrimp (rebon) – ground smooth
* 2 slices of fresh galangal root
* salt & pepper to taste

Cooking Directions:

1.) Stir fry shallot + garlic in 1 tbs of olive oil until fragrant
2.) Add ground baby shrimp, galangal, coriander
3.) Stir in coconut & mix throroughly. Add sugar, salt, pepper
4.) Keep on low heat, keep stirring, this may take a while
until the coconut takes the beautiful color of golden light brown.
5.) Some kaffir lime leaves may leave a bitter-ish taste if cooked
too long, some are just fine.
6.) Serve as topping of the steamed rice, or mix in with the rice

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