Finding Balance…Southeast Asian Way

Nasi Uduk (in the middle) and its accompaniments

When I feel off balance, I gravitate toward rice. Center, stable and truly grounded, rice is a neutral field. It can be infused by other flavors and textures stand on its own and act as an equilibrium agent.

Most Asian meals do not typically draw a clear separation of ingredients such as starch, meat and vegetable, like Western meals. There are no courses. The concept of layering flavors and textures in a balanced way is as old as its civilization, depending on what one can grow, harvest, raise and catch. "There is always an underlying order in the midst of chaos" is how one of my friends refers to Southeast Asia and its food. I agree.

One of the most comforting Southeast Asian rice dishes is "Nasi Uduk". Not only does it illustrate the Southeast Asian layering of taste and texture, it also gives you a hint of how the meal is served in an individual scale and speaks volumes of its culture. In Hinduism and Buddhism, Mount Meru is the center of the world, surrounded by ripples of water. According to the ancient legend, Java (one of the Indonesian islands) is the Mount Meru. Many temples throughout Southeast Asia were built to represent this belief. The cone shape of rice in the center with surrounding ripples of flavors reminds me of the legend. 

Ankor Wat

During my visit at Angkor Wat, a wall carving of Vishnu (Hindu god), standing on top of a turtle, churning the ocean (the milky way) and being pulled in the opposite directions of good (Devas) and evil (Asura), to find immortality, the balance way was engraved...and my underlying order was awakened.

The Left

The Center

The Right

"Nasi" means rice in the Indonesian language. "Nasi Uduk" is the coconut rice, typically served with fried shallots, fried peanut-anchovies, cooked vegetable salad with peanut sauce (Gado Gado), Sambal (chili paste), rice crackers, chicken satay (curried or fried). In Malaysia, this similar dish is called Nasi Lemak.

This dish gives me balance. The rice is the centerpiece of the plate. Surrounding the coconut rice is the rest of the components, in small portions. Each side has its unique flavor that contributes to the flavor balance of the dish. The coconut rice is mild, sweet and nutty with hints of lemongrass, cinnamon and nutmeg. The Gado Gado gives green beans and sprouts a cooked but bouncy texture, dressed with creamy peanut sauce. The sambal provides chili and tangy heat. Top the dish off with the crunchy crackers and the fried shallots. How could you not be balanced?

The etiquette in eating a Southeast Asian meal is understood here as well--no knife or chopsticks, just hands and in small bites. One can adjust the flavor to his or her liking by adjusting the amount of different food in a bite. (You are allowed to adjust flavor to your liking, unlike the scorn you get from the western chefs). There are no courses of food here, but all together at once. If you grow up eating meat, potatoes and Mac and cheese, take small bites. You will need time to build and train your palate to understand and enjoy the food. The point is to taste the complexity and how raw ingredients transform, not tasting the food in its original state. Take steak and sushi out of your mind for a moment.

I have searched for an Indonesian or Malaysian restaurant to try this dish in the Triangle area and I came up empty. In the DC metro area, I visit Satay Sarina in Alexandria, VA and Malaysian Kopotium (at M st and 19th in DC).

So here is how I cope with my craving:

Beginning of Nasi Uduk

Nasi Uduk:
2 1/2 cups of white Jasmine rice
4 cups of Coconut milk
1 cup of water
4 stalks of Lemongrass
2 of each cinnamon stick, whole nutmeg
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
Simmer all ingredients except rice, on the stove top for 5 min.
Add all ingredients to rice cooker and cook.

Simplified Gado Gado

Gado Gado:
Blanched green beans, sprouts
Fresh sliced cucumbers
Peanut sauce
Boiled eggs
 

Peanut sauce:
1/2 cop rough ground peanuts
1/2 cup Coconut milk
to taste-Tamarind, Palm sugar, fish sauce
2 tablespoon of roasted chili, garlic, onion paste
1 teaspoon Shrimp paste

Teri Kechan

Teri Kechan (Anchovies peanut)
Dried anchovies, fried
Peanut, fried
In a mortar and petal, grind:
1/2 teaspoon Shrimp paste
5 Thai Chili
3 garlic cloves
Sauté on low heat for 10 min. With 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
Add:
3 tablespoon of Palm sugar
2 tablespoon Tamarind pulp
Simmer for another 10 min
Add anchovies and peanuts...done.

A Balanced Dinner

I serve Massaman curry with this dish since it was soo cold outside. Hope you feel balanced...I do.
Cheers!

Teera

My Chinese Cupboard

Bean Curd Skin and Dry Mushroom

I found myself craving for a bowl of Chinese Hot and Sour soup on a rainy day.  After emptying out my cupboard and freezer, I found left over roast duck (with bones), bean curd (tofu) skin and dried mushrooms.  Bean curd skin is a product of soy beans.  During the boiling process of making soy milk, a film of soy forms at the surface of the pot.  That skin is harvested and air dried and it is ready to use.  You will find this product at Asian markets in the freezer section.  The sheet can come as large as three feet in diameter and as thin as paper.  My grandmother uses the bean curd skin (the dried version) in the mung bean noodle and ground pork soup.  I find that it can handle a stronger flavor such as duck stock.  My uncle uses it to wrap fried crab and pork rolls.  Many Dim Sum places use the skin as a wrapper for steaming dishes.  The texture is a bit hardier than noodles after cooking and you forget that you are eating protein rather than starch. And when it is fried, it is so crispy delicious.

So, this is not a typical ingredient to use in the traditional Chinese hot and sour soup, but who needs tofu when you have bean curd skin.  How did I manage to cook it? 

1.  The broth:

Sauté duck bones with a couple tablespoons of canola oil. (If you don't want to go through with making the broth, get yourself some beef stock or vegetarian stock.)

Add 1 gallon of water, 1 stick of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of each--whole clove, schezuan pepper corn, star anise, 2 whole nutmeg, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of thick sweet soy sauce, 1/4 cup of regular soy sauce, 1/4 cup of rice vinegar.

Bring the broth to boil and let it simmer until reduced by half.

2.  The substance:

Cut the bean curd skin into 1/2" wide stripe.  Soak the mushrooms and let them sit for at least 1 hour.

Strain the broth and bring it up to boil once more.  Add the bean curd skin, mushrooms, 1/2 cup of cornstarch liquid (2 tablespoon of corn starch and 1/2 cup of water).  Scramble 1 egg and drop it into the broth.  Keep stirring the pot in circular motion.  Boil for another 5 minutes and serve with duck meat, sprinkle of green onion, fresh coriander, white pepper and chili old.

My Hot and Sour Soup

The soup should have some tanginess to it.  Add white vinegar if the taste needs to be sharpened.
Enjoy...

Cheers!
Teera

Mexican Small Bite-AKA Taco

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Taco at Los Comales de Durham

Turkey came and went, leaving weeks full of turkey sandwich, turkey pot pie, turkey curry, and turkey noodles to name a few. Hanukkah, Christmas, kwanza and New Year holidays were filled with endless ways to gorge. My body feels tight and in search for a way to feel normal again. In addition to doing more exercise, the Thai in me lay out some food ground rules:
1. Keep the meal small. Too much of anything is never good for you.
2. Eat more often. Don't wait until the extreme hungriness blind you and instigates you to eat your whole house in the process.
3. Eat more garlic, ginger, crunchy green, chili, herbs and citrus to improve your metabolism and blood circulation. I feel rejuvenated after a few doses of the combination. (Next blog, I will tell you of how to eat these items raw and deliciously.)

The first type of food that fits these categories, I think, is Mexican food, or tacos to be exact. Corn tortilla, slow cooked or grilled meat, onion, cilantro, lime and a good salsa, the combination is comfortingly fresh in small bites.

According to the most recent census, North Carolina ranked #10 nationally in Hispanic population. Wake county (Mainly Raleigh, Wake Forest, Cary, Morrisville, Apex, Knightdale and Garner) ranks second to Mecklenburg county (Charlotte) in the state, surprisingly. I would have thought that Durham county would be on top when it comes to Hispanic population with the number of taco joints and Hispanic markets popping up on every corner. 

Mexican Market with Fresh Made Tortilla

North Carolina may not be California, Texas or Mexico, but the taco joints in the Triangle area can easily compete with those of a larger metropolitan area. As far as fresh tortillas, a little Mexican grocery store on Durham Road has the DC area beaten by a whole lot.

Basic rules of thumb when it comes to eating tacos.
1. Corn tortilla filled with assorted meat of one choice, topped with onion, cilantro, lime and salsa.
2. The popular fillings come from different parts of a cow and pig. Several joints offer goat and lamb. Often times the meats are slowly simmered or pit roasted until tender, in addition to grilled. For those with adventurous craving, you will also find innards like tripe and stomach on the menu.

Cow Cheek, Head, Goat and Lamb Taco

Los Cameles de Durham. I can't stop thinking about going back to this place, especially on a cold rainy day. Most of the meats here are slow cooked until shred. They offer all sorts of cow parts here--cheek, tongue, head, brain, stomach, and tripe in addition to the usual al pastor or carne adsada. The specialty, I really enjoyed were the goat (Birria de Chivo) and the lamb (Baracoa Borrego). Both dishes were slow cooked, but drastically different in taste. The goat stew was cooked with a different type of chili, as indicated by the reddish color. The lamb, traditionally BBQ/steamed in a pit, was less zesty, but still very tender and tasty. 

Menudo and Beef Tongue Taco

Los Cuates, Old Wake Forest Rd, Raleigh. This place has all the typical taco joint offerings, but I think the best tasting dish is the Menudo-cow tripe and foot spicy soup. Though, ask for a small serving when you order. Made with different types of chili, garlic, onion, oregano, this soup is very rich. I topped the soup with lime, oregano and onion and it was tangy, spicy, warm...tripe delicious.

Fish Taco

Pork Pibil Taco

Gonzo Taco and Tequila in North Raleigh is a more upscale joint. Unlike most clients at the 2 previous restaurants who were mostly Hispanic, this place, you will find Hispanic being a minority in attendance. My favorite tacos here are pork Pibil and the beef tongue (mysterious challenge of the day, according to the menu). Pork Pibil is a Yucatan slow-cooked pork that was marinated with citrus and annatto seed (for reddish color). The beef tongue was slow-cooked as well. Typically, it is boiled with Bay leaves, onion, garlic and peppercorn until tender. After the outer skin layer of the tongue is removed, what's left is pot roast tender.

 

Chain restaurant such as Chubby Taco also has decent, typical selections of taco, but they are not for me.  If a restaurant is not your thing, drive to taco trucks. There are several of them along route 98, between Durham and Raleigh. Knowing how to speak Spanish helps, but you can always point. 

Be adventurous and try. Who says that eating less (and affordable) is not more?
Cheers,
Teera