complete in seconds. Like any other tool, investing in a good quality food processor will save on costs in the long run—a sturdy one should last for many years if not several decades.
Meat Pounder This is a tool that is not often discussed in Indonesian cooking but I have found it to be a great way to make perfectly cooked meats. For example, the recipe for Banjar Chicken Steak (page 65) calls for pan-frying chicken breasts. You can’t always get perfectly shaped chicken breasts; one side is often much thicker than the other which means that cooking will be uneven. One side will be completely done cooking while the other is still raw on the inside. Using a meat pounder solves this issue easily. When using a meat pounder, I like to lay the meat across a plastic cutting board and cover it with a large piece of plastic wrap to protect from splattering bacteria all over the kitchen, other ingredients, and myself. With this method, you can then pound on the meat to whatever desired thickness without worrying about raw meat and its juices flying all over the place.
Metal Ladle A metal ladle with a long handle is necessary to work with soups and certain noodle dishes. Purchase one that’s a good size with a sturdy handle, preferably one that is metal throughout or those with an outside layer of wood on the handle. Plastic ladles are never used in Indonesian cooking unless for serving desserts or cold dishes, and wooden ladles can often impart a strange flavor to the dish so should be avoided as well.
Mortar and Pestle (Cobek or Ulek) A traditional Indonesian mortar and pestle is one of the greatest kitchen tools of all time. Unlike those from other countries, Indonesia’s version is flatter and more open on top, like a plate with rounded edges rather than an enclosed bowl-like contraption. The pestle is also shaped differently, having a distinctive curvature for ease of grip allowing for Indonesia’s unique technique of grinding. Made of basalt stone, the Indonesian mortar and pestle allows herbs and spices to have optimum surface area contact with the rough stone that produces the delicious and spicy sambals with their smooth texture. Typically heavier than their Thai or Mexican counterparts, the Indonesian mortar and pestle is more readily available in Western regions in recent years. These should never be washed with soap of any kind but rather rinsed thoroughly with warm water and allowed to completely air dry before storing.
Rice Cooker One of the easiest tools to use in an Indonesian kitchen is a good quality rice cooker. I can’t imagine any modern day kitchen without one; it saves on time, cleanup, and effort while cooking perfect, fluffy rice. You should follow the general instructions of your particular rice cooker though my personal rule of thumb for perfect white rice is 2 parts water to 1 part uncooked rice. These days you can find all types of rice cookers with price tags ranging from as low as $15 to as high as several hundred dollars. For the average home kitchen a rice cooker somewhere in the middle range does just fine. It does pay in the long run to invest in at least a decent rice cooker rather than the cheapest one because this is a tool that should last you for years. The great thing about modern day rice cookers is that you can just set the rice to cook and it will stay warm from at least a few hours to a few days (for the more expensive models) and you never have to worry about burning the rice or water over-flowing.
Wok (Wajan) One of the most invaluable tools in an Indonesian kitchen is of course, the wok. The type of wok you need depends on whether you have an electric or gas range. Home cooks with gas stoves are lucky because nothing surpasses the quality or speed of a real fire. However, with the proper tools, you can create great dishes on either type of stove. If you have a gas stove, you can use the traditional and original cast iron wok with its rounded bottom. Make sure to find one with a long, sturdy handle on one side rather than the two short handles on either side. Unless you’re a professional wok chef, working without a handle will be extremely difficult. Depending on the exact shape of your gas stove, you may also need a wok ring to stabilize it. For those of you with an electric stove, you’ll do best with a carbon steel wok with a flat bottom so it can sit properly on the range. This too should have a long, sturdy handle. When purchasing a wok, don’t be afraid to look it over carefully and run your hands all over it, roughly yanking at the parts to ensure that it is in fact, a sturdy model. There are plenty of people who have all types of fancy methods of caring for a wok but most of those steps are really unnecessary for modern day woks. If you’re handling a brand new wok, simply pour a few tablespoons of vegetable oil on a paper towel and rub thoroughly all over the inside of the wok. Place the wok on the stove over high heat until smoke rises. Tilt the wok in every direction so all parts of the wok come into contact with the heat. Do this for just a couple of minutes. Remove the wok from the heat and cool. Once it has cooled, rinse thoroughly under warm water and air dry. Once you begin using the wok regularly, make sure to use a soft sponge to clean with soap and water. Never use harsh bristles or any type of steel wool sponge. When working with the carbon steel type woks, also make sure to use only wooden or silicone spatulas and never metal ones that can scrape and ruin the wok.
Wooden Spatula With many Indonesian recipes calling for stir-frying techniques, it’s essential to have at least one very sturdy and good quality wooden spatula. These come in various shapes and sizes; any of them are fine as long as they feature a long enough handle, a wide enough surface area and are sturdy.
Buying the Right Ingredients
I’ve always been a proponent of fresh and authentic ingredients in order to recreate the dishes of Indonesia. The following are some key ingredients for the typical Indonesian meal. Although these ingredients are slowly finding their way into many grocery stores, I have provided substitutes for those that are still difficult to find.
Bird’s-Eye, Chili Pepper (Cabe Rawit) Amongst the spicier peppers, coming in at 100,000 to 225,000 on the Scoville heat scale, these peppers are typically harvested when they are about one-inch long and range from a bright green hue to a beautiful, deep red when mature. As with all peppers, the heat is found most intensely in the seeds, although this pepper packs a punch just in its skin alone. Widely used in stir-fries and curries, these tiny peppers are indispensable to Indonesians when making chili pastes, or sambals. Traditional methods of making sambals involve using a mortar and pestle to mash bird’s eye chili peppers with fresh garlic. You can find these in the fresh produce section of a well stocked grocery store. You can substitute Dry Ground, Chili Peppers (see this page) if you can’t find them fresh.
Coconut Milk (Santen) Coconut milk is indispensable to Indonesian cooking. A large variety of coconut milk can be found in western markets these days, which include brands from Thailand, Vietnam, and even Cuban companies based in Miami. They are found in cans, occasionally in cartons, and in powder form. Any of them are fine to use in Indonesian cooking. You can find coconut milk in the Ethnic food sections of most grocery stores. It will keep for a few days in the refrigerator if covered.
Coriander, Ground (Bubuk Ketumbar) A vital ingredient in many stews and soups in Indonesian cooking, ground coriander has a somewhat citrusy and nutty flavor. Not a spice with a particularly overwhelming fragrance or taste, it’s easy to overlook its use until you notice that something isn’t quite right in a dish. Ground coriander is one of those subtle ingredients that
