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Vegging out
Many people are now deciding that a meat-free diet is the healthiest option for their lives
M
any people are now deciding that a meat-free diet is the healthiest option for their lives. They will be spoiled for choice in Indonesia, a veritable vegetarian paradise of tropical fruit and vegetables.
A popular Indonesian salad gado-gado: JP/Ricky Yudhistira
A trip to the local traditional market is an assault on the senses with the kaleidoscope of colors and olfactory pleasures. The axiom “buy local” is certainly grounded in common-sense economics and with our health in mind.
It makes more sense to buy something that was plucked from the vine or tree or lifted from the ground only yesterday, rather than having sat on a shelf for a few days covered in plastic wrap and kept under the bright lights of the refrigerated section in the supermarket.
A vegetarian, or someone simply wishing to incorporate more vegetarian options into their diet, need not look far to find local veggie delights. They are not limited to the obvious choices, such as the ubiquitous gado-gado and karedok, a raw version of the salad of boiled vegetables in peanut sauce.
Still on the salads, there is ketoprak, served with peanut sauce and rice noodles, and asinan, a popular afternoon snack with bean sprouts, cabbage, cucumber, red chili and pineapple in a sour sauce with vinegar and sugar or lime juice, served with emping (melinjo crackers) and chopped peanuts. If you are making any of these dishes yourself, peanuts can be oven roasted instead of fried if desired.
Other important mainstays for the vegetarian are the spicy coconut salad urap, made from raw or blanched vegetables and grated fresh coconut; sayur asam, a refreshingly sour soup made with fresh tamarind, green jackfruit, long beans, sweet corn, the fresh melinjo nut and leaves; and sayur lodeh, French beans and labu siam (chayote) cooked in subtly spiced coconut milk – a Lebaran favorite.
Other vegetable dishes cooked in coconut milk are the banana “heart” (also called banana blossom) and gudeg, green jackfruit sometimes cooked with fresh pinto beans, which are cooked in coconut milk over a slow flame. Leaves of the mahogany tree are used to give it its characteristic color. Be aware, however, that dishes usually served with gudeg are not vegetarian, such as opor ayam (chicken in coconut milk; the chicken can be replaced with tofu and potatoes because it is essentially the spices that give this dish its characteristic taste.)
Also served with gudeg is sambal goreng kerecek, which can be adapted to the vegetarian palate without the kerecek, which is beef skin. Another spicy temptation for vegetarians is balado, in which potatoes or eggplant, tofu or tempeh are cooked in tomato and red chili giving it a red color – watch out, though, as it’s a bit oily. Many tasty fried side dishes are also vegetarian, such as perkedel jagung (corn fritters) and perkedel kentang (potato fritters). Of course, there are many vegetable dishes in which the veggies are lightly sautéed, the most common being cap cay.
With a little ingenuity and creativity, many other traditional dishes can also be made vegetarian, the key being maintaining the authentic spices. Obvious substitutes for meat are tofu, tempeh and mushrooms that have a meaty texture, such as abalone or shiitake. Faux meat, which is usually made from gluten or soya products, is neither necessary nor advised as it contains preservatives, chemicals, colors and flavorings – and after all, who are we kidding anyway? Confirmed carnivore favorites rendang (usually beef cooked in spices and coconut milk for hours until all liquid evaporates) and semur (a rich meat stew with cinnamon and cloves) to die for can be made with potato and mushrooms.
Another veggie convert is mie ayam (chicken noodles) in which tofu and shiitake mushrooms replace the chicken. Nasi Hainan (chicken rice) is another classic that works well with tofu and shiitake mushrooms. Even soto ayam (chicken soup) works well in its vegetarian version with tofu using the same yellow spice mixture that is usually used to cook the chicken.
Siomay, steamed dumplings served with peanut sauce or a dark sauce made with sweet soy sauce, salty soy sauce, ginger, sesame and lime, are another easy-to-prepare vegetarian dish.
The most obvious vegetarian staple of course is tempeh, the poor man’s food of Indonesia, which has gained fame worldwide as a health food for its amazing nutritional value and versatility. There are literally dozens of ways to prepare tempeh – but that’s another article!
A word of caution for the already converted or the would-be vegetarian: Dishes containing peanut sauce and kinds of sambal made with fresh chili and tomato sometimes contain shrimp paste, and some sautéed vegetables also have prawn or chicken added, so ask the vendor before purchasing. The krupuk that accompany many local salads are usually prawn crackers, but there are also plain crackers made from tapioca or emping as an alternative. Vegetarian grocery stores also carry wonderful vegetarian krupuk of various kinds containing seaweed as an alternative to the prawn-flavored ones.
The best option for any vegetarian is to cook at home. It may seem a hassle at first, but the results are rewarding, starting with the very freshest ingredients from that early morning trip to the market. Look at it as a way of supporting the local economy and honing your bargaining skills, and above all an investment in longevity and good health.
Selamat makan!
The writer, who can be reached at vijayantimala@gmail.com, is happy to share recipes for any of the dishes mentioned above by email.
