Recipes By Mia Leimkuhler
4 recipes found
Sambal Oelek
The best thing about making sambal oelek yourself — besides the fact that the finished result is much more nuanced and complex than what you can purchase in stores — is that you can tailor it to your taste. Add more tomatoes and fewer chiles if you want it less spicy; leave out the nuts if you like (although they do add a nice body and nuttiness to balance out the spice and salt). Use this sambal oelek, which was adapted from Zulfikar Fahd, the chef and owner of Java Bali Kitchen, a Indonesian pop-up restaurant in Toronto, as an ingredient in other recipes or on its own as a bright, punchy condiment to complement any number of mains. (Try it with fried chicken!)
Nasi Lemak
Nasi lemak is the name of a Southeast Asian coconut rice that’s fragrant with lemongrass, pandan leaves, ginger, galangal and spices, though sometimes you’ll see it referring to a meal that includes ikan bilis (crispy fried dried anchovies with peanuts), hard-boiled eggs, sliced cucumbers and sambal oelek. The latter presentation of nasi lemak, which is the recipe that follows, is common in Malaysia and Singapore, according to Zulfikar Fahd, the chef and owner of Java Bali Kitchen, an Indonesian pop-up restaurant in Toronto. A more Indonesian iteration might pair nasi lemak with chicken, sweet tempeh or an omelet. All of which is to say that this gorgeous, easy coconut rice will perfume your home and be a wonderful anchor to your meal.
Mie Goreng
The key to achieving the signature sweet-smoky-salty flavor of Indonesian stir-fried noodles is to let the noodles cook, undisturbed, over high heat until you see small wisps of smoke. Javanese sweet soy sauce, also known as kecap manis, can be very sweet, so giving it a good cook will bring just enough of a bitter edge to its sweetness. If you’re making this dish for a crowd, don’t prepare more than two servings at a time, otherwise the noodles will crowd the pan and not brown properly, and you won’t get that smoky wok hei flavor. But don’t let all of this scare you from making mie goreng. This recipe, from Zulfikar Fahd, the chef and owner of Java Bali Kitchen, an Indonesian pop-up restaurant in Toronto, is satisfying and versatile, a quick and filling meal that uses up the odds and ends in your fridge.
Chan Chan Yaki (Miso Butter Salmon)
Chan chan yaki, or miso butter salmon, is a classic dish from Hokkaido, Japan, a place known for its excellent salmon. The fish-and-vegetable dish is frequently made on a teppan (a large grill), with everything chopped and mixed with two metal spatulas that make the onomatopoetic “chan chan” sound. (Other possible “chan chan” derivations include “cha cha,” used to describe something that’s quick, and “otō-chan,” meaning “dad,” since it’s often prepared by patriarchs.) This clever version from Marc Matsumoto, the Tokyo-based blogger behind No Recipes, streamlines the dish for home cooking, calling for a lidded skillet and keeping the salmon in one large piece for easier preparation and presentation. You can replicate the chan chan action in your own bowl or plate, composing perfect bites of salmon, veggies and the miso butter sauce. And the vegetables are flexible: Shimeji mushrooms, bell peppers, corn or negi (long green onions) would all be delicious.