Bamie Dutch Indo Style Recipes

ZOOLBIA AND BAMIEH

Steps:

• For the zoolbia: Mix the cornstarch and yogurt in a medium bowl using a spoon. Add the flour and rosewater and mix to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for at least 2 hours at room temperature and up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
• For the saffron syrup: Meanwhile, sprinkle the saffron on the ice cubes and leave it at room temperature until the ice melts. This will be your bloomed saffron.
• Put the sugar, lemon juice and 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium low and simmer until the syrup starts to thicken a bit, about 10 minutes. If you see sugar crystals on the sides of the saucepan, dip a pastry brush in some water and brush down the sides.
• Add the rosewater and 1 tablespoon of the bloomed saffron to the syrup (reserve any remaining bloomed saffron in the refrigerator for another use). Simmer until the syrup is the consistency of warm honey (thicker than maple syrup), about 5 more minutes. To check the consistency of the syrup, pour some of it on a small plate and wait for 2 minutes. Rotate the plate and if the syrup does not run easily, it's ready. Cover to keep warm and set aside.
• For the bamieh: Put the butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the saffron syrup and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer. Once the mixture starts simmering with small bubbles, add all the flour at once and start mixing using a rubber spatula. Turn the heat to low. Keep mixing, folding and spreading the dough in the saucepan over low heat until the dough is smooth, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer the dough to a medium mixing bowl and let sit until it's almost at room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• Break the egg in a small bowl and whisk it with a fork. Add the egg to the dough and start mixing using an electric hand mixer until the egg is fully incorporated into the dough. The dough will be very sticky. Transfer the dough to a piping bag with a star tip (see Cook's Note).
• Pour 1/4 to 1/2 inch of oil into a large frying pan. Brush both blades of a pair of kitchen scissors with oil. Hold the piping bag over the room-temperature oil in the frying pan, squeeze out the dough into the oil and cut every 1 inch with the scissors. Don't overcrowd the pan since the pastry will puff when fried. If necessary, work in batches. Place the pan over medium-low heat and wait for it to bubble around the dough.
• Meanwhile, set a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Check the consistency of the saffron syrup and gently rewarm if necessary.
• After about 8 minutes, the bamieh pieces will start to puff up and float on the oil. Turn them with a slotted spoon and cook until golden on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes more. Immediately transfer the bamieh to the saffron syrup with the slotted spoon, turning them to coat. Transfer the bamieh to the cooling rack to allow excess syrup to drip off.
• For the zoolbia: Uncover the bowl with the zoolbia batter and add the baking soda and 1 tablespoon room-temperature water. Stir very well for 2 to 3 minutes. The batter will be a bit bubbly. Let the batter sit at room temperature for another 20 minutes to become smooth. Transfer the batter to a squeeze bottle.
• Pour 1/2 inch of oil into a small frying pan and heat over medium heat until shimmering. To test if it's ready, drop a little bit of the batter into the oil--it should puff up and float right away. Turn the heat down a notch so it doesn't become too hot.
• Squeeze the batter into the oil in a circular pattern, crisscrossing occasionally to create a floret-like pattern 3 to 4 inches wide (it doesn't have to be perfect). Fry until golden on the bottom, 5 to 10 seconds, then flip using a chopstick or slotted spoon and fry until golden on the other side, another 10 seconds. Transfer the zoolbia to the warm saffron syrup and submerge for a few seconds, then transfer to the cooling rack to allow excess syrup to drip off. Repeat with the remaining batter.
• Serve the bamieh and zoolbia together at room temperature.

BAMIEH (MIDDLE EASTERN OKRA STEW)

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, salt and black pepper; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned a light golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Add the lamb, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and garlic paste. Cook on medium heat until the lamb starts to brown, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste; cook and stir for another 5 minutes.
• Dissolve the beef bouillon cubes in 4 cups of boiling water. Pour the broth into the pot with the lamb and stir in the okra. If necessary, add water to cover the okra. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the cover and cook for another 45 minutes to 1 hour until the lamb is very tender and the stew reaches your desired thickness.

BAMI GORENG ( INDONESIAN STIR FRIED NOODLES )

Steps:

• Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.
• Heat a large wok or frying pan and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
• Swirl in the beaten egg to make a thin omelet.
• Remove from pan allow to cool; cut into thin strips and set aside.
• In a large wok style pan heat oil.
• Saute the chicken with garlic, coriander, ginger and broth until chicken is no longer pink (5 to 7 minutes).
• Add sliced onion, carrot, red pepper, leek and ketjap manis; sauté 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add cubed ham, uncooked shrimp, and sambal oelek; cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until shrimp turn pink.
• Add sliced omelet and noodles; mix well and heat throughly before serving.
• Serve with lychees and kroepoek, enjoy!

BAMI GORENG (INDONESIAN VERSION OF LO MEIN)

Steps:

• Stir fry chicken in wok in oil on medium-high heat.
• Add leeks beansprouts and cabbage. Stir fry until cabbage wilts. Add next 7 ingredients.
• Simmer until it comes together and enjoy the smell. In the meantime, fire up a pot of boiling water and prepare spaghetti.
• Throw noodles into chicken mixture. Mix and add more ketjap and/or sambal to taste. Top with fried onion (optional).
• NOTE: A tablespoon of pepper seems like a lot, but it gives the dish a nice zing!

BABI PANGANG (DUTCH STYLE INDO-CHINESE GRILLED PORK)

Steps:

• Dice the onion but keep one slice aside for the sauce.
• In a bowl, combine the vegetable oil and kecap manis . Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. Grate the ginger into the bowl then add the five-spice, 1/2 of the salt, garlic and stir well.
• Add the pork to a large casserole pan. Cover the meat with the chopped onion and pour the marinade over. Marinate the pork for 2 hours.
• Transfer the pork to a large heavy lidded pan. Add the marinade and onions to the pan.
• Add the remainder of the salt and pour enough water in there so that the pork is covered by 1/2 inch of liquid. Simmer over low heat with the lid on for 60 minutes. Flip the steaks halfway through the cooking process. Turn off the heat and allow the pork to cool in the pan. (At this point, you can refrigerate pork chops to finish at another time. Remember to chill onion slice as well).
• Next, mince the slice of onion you set aside and the garlic. Heat the oil and saute the onion and garlic until they soften. Don't brown them.
• Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute to sweeten it up. Add the ground ginger, water, chili sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, ketchup, vinegar and salt. Stir well.
• Simmer the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The color will deepen and turn more reddish. Taste to check the seasoning. There should be a perfect balance between sweet and sour. Mix corn starch with 1 tbsp water and whisk into the sauce. Simmer for an extra 2 to 3 minutes.
• Dab the pork steaks completely dry with a clean paper towel. Heat the oil to 355 degrees F and fry the steaks for 1 minute each side. They will almost blacken.
• Slice the pork and serve along with sauce. White rice and acar campur (Indonesian pickled vegetables) work well with the pork.

BAMIE (DUTCH-INDO STYLE)

Steps:

• Get a large pot of water heating to boil the noodles.
• Cut cabbage into bite-sized pieces, chop green onions, mince garlic and thinly slice onion.
• Melt bacon grease in a wok or large skillet, brown garlic while stirring constantly.
• Add onion and continue to stir until really brown and most of the juices are absorbed.
• Add chicken. Once chicken is cooked through add the green onions and cabbage.
• Cook until cabbage is limp, just a few minutes.
• Sprinkle on the bouillon, salt and pepper.
• Cook noodles (5-7 minutes) and combine with veggie/chicken mixture.
• Can be served as is, or over rice. I like to include a dash of Maggi Seasoning sauce or Soy sauce too.