Sayur Asem (Indonesian Tamarind Vegetable Soup)
Sayur asem is a sour, lightly sweet vegetable soup that appears on the menu of nearly every Sundanese restaurant in West Java. Its tang comes from tamarind, or dried bilimbi if you can find them, and it is built on a quick paste of chile, shallot and terasi. Serve it beside fried fish or ayam goreng kuning, where the sharp broth cuts through rich, salty food.
Instructions
Grind the chile, shallots, terasi and the ½ tablespoon of salt together until you have a smooth paste.
Wash the vegetables and cut them into bite-size pieces so they cook evenly and are easy to eat with a spoon.
Pour 1.2 liters of water into a pot and bring it to a boil. Stir in the spice paste, the tamarind, the galangal and the salam leaves, and let the broth smell fragrant and turn cloudy.
Add the vegetables in stages, putting in the ones that take longest to cook first and the tender ones last. The soup is ready when the pieces are tender but still hold their shape.
Season with salt and sugar to taste, aiming for a sour broth with just enough sweetness to round it out.
Make it personal.
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