By Lucinda Frye
Diverse and indigenous cuisine brought by the many ethnic people to St. Maarten from all over the world piques our interest. To this end, we are on a quest to find where it comes from, if it is used for celebrations, if it is exotic to some but normal food to others. Anything to do with keeping the body and soul nourished with what is produced from good old terra firma is what makes the world go around.
Lombok: Visiting an Indonesian island again.
It is hard to believe that the people of Lombok are having to deal with ongoing temblors (as they are called in that region – Origin Early 20th century: alteration of Spanish temblor “shudder” influenced by trembler. For the third week in a row, Sunday has meant fear as the shakes strike. This past Sunday there were three – the strongest being one of 7.0. It happened at night and kept the children awake and very fearful that once again everyone slept late on Monday morning and schools were once again closed due to more damage to buildings.
The resilient Indos are not letting this get them down and are all chipping in where they can to clear away rubble and help those less fortunate. Food stalls are set up everywhere. The street food is great in any case but now it is a means of sustenance to those who don’t have their own kitchens to cook in.
Lombok is an island and one of many places situated on what is called the “Ring of Fire.” This “ring” stretches in almost a circle from, and includes New Zealand’s two islands, the “ring” carries on past Australia taking a curve in towards Java and then arcs around and over all of Japan’s islands, along the coast over the Aleutian Trench and on down along and through Guatemala and ends almost near the tip of South America. It is a huge area.
Lombok’s weather is lovely. The island lies just south of the equator. There are two distinct seasons - the rainy season from October to March and the dry season from May to September.
Rain showers are a regular thing in rainy season and come in the form of brief but powerful afternoon thunderstorms. As the wet season tapers off in April, temperatures begin to drop and the countryside becomes lush with green vegetation and the tourists start returning. Mount Rinjani is 12,000 feet high and there are large flat areas.
The rainy season has its problems for the farmers who often have their fields flooded out. Recently, a new strain of shallots has been grown very successfully and now the yield is high. The farmers are thrilled because this strain of shallot is also resistant to pests – bigger yield, bigger profit.
Lombok agricultural area lies in a triangle with its base in the west and the top in the east. This area is known as the rice shed of Lombok as it regularly produces more rice than needed. The rice fields are called sawah. Irrigation projects are helping the number of hectares with sawah increase in size. New fast-growing species of rice with a high yield is also helping the increase of rice production. The taste of the new species of rice does not suit the locals and unfortunately the old style rice is becoming very expensive to buy.
Most farmers use crop-rotation in their fields (called field-change cultures.) They plant soy-beans after one or two rice yields. In the dryer fields, high-yield tobacco is grown. This crop is dried in local ovens and exports to Java and foreign countries. The farmers also export areka-nuts, beans, cinnamon, coffee, onions and flowers which are used for medication as well as spices such as clove, pepper and vanilla.
You can bet that food features very highly in Lombok’s lifestyle; after all, the name (loosely translated) means chilli! There is a wealth of exotic tastes, textures, aromas and more than a few spicy surprises in store. Local “Sasak” food is perhaps not as well-known as neighbouring Bali or Padang cuisines but it is varied and enjoyable. You can find dishes that are not overly spicy (but it could take some looking)! The true flavours of Lombok cuisine will be found in a traditional “rumah makan” the vibrant night market or street stall. People in Lombok love to eat out regularly; even the smallest street stall becomes a social gathering place for gossip or to hang out.
Foods typical to Lombok:
Despite being a Muslim island, alcohol is readily available in all the tourism areas.
Pork is rarely eaten and you most likely will not find lamb.
Lontong - small conical shaped rice cakes, wrapped in leaves and steamed.
Ayam taliwang - small, free-range cooked village chicken.
Ayam kampung – small chicken grilled over coconut husks, served with sambal.
Pelecing ayam - grilled chicken chopped up and added to a spicy and piquant sauce; slowly simmered.
Kambing – goat, this is very popular; whole young goat cooked on a spit is the meat of choice for celebrations, parties, and festive occasions.
Beef is a staple in Lombok diets. Beef rendang is simmered for hours in coconut milk and spices.
Large tuna, snapper, Spanish mackerel, barracuda, and a huge variety of shellfish are found in the seas off Lombok. Cumi cumi (squid) and udang (prawns) are cooked in fiery sambal, braised in oyster sauce, or deep fried.
Beberuk - typical Sasak side dish of finely diced snake beans and small, round eggplant, with tomato, chili, shallots, lime, and spices.
Pelecing kangkung locally grown kangkung - a type of leafy water spinach - boiled and served with fresh bean sprouts, topped with a fiery red chili and tomato sauce.
Pecel is a variant that combines kangkung, cabbage, and other vegetables, fresh bean sprouts, and sometimes tomato with spicy peanut sauce and prawn crackers.
Lalapan - a plate of fresh cabbage, snake beans, and cucumber served with spicy sambal.
Ares - made from the inner stem of the banana tree and mixed with coconut milk and spices. Olah-olah - heart of banana tree flower mixed with coconut cream, mild spices, and finely chopped snake beans.
Rujak - unripe fruit such as mango or papaya, mixed with ripe apple, guava, or pineapple, coated in a hot and sweet and sour sauce of sweet soy, palm sugar, and chilies.
RECIPES
Rujak Buah - Fruit with Spicy Palm Sugar Sauce. I make this easy salad here in St. Maarten quite often.
Ingredients
Sauce
200g palm sugar, shaved
15g tamarind flesh + 5 TBL water – mix, allow to stand for half an hour and strain
6 Thai chilies, seeded
¼ tsp toasted shrimp paste
Pinch salt
Typical fruits used in the salad
Jicama – I tend to leave this out
Starfruit
Cucumber – I prefer the hot house one
Water apple – I sub Asian pear
Pineapple
Ambarella – this is the fruit SXM islanders only use to make juice. I don’t use it
Mango
Unripe papaya
Method
Blend all sauce ingredients together in a processor.
Transfer to a dipping bowl.
Wash and cut some of the suggested fruits and arrange in a serving dish.
Serve the fruit bowl with the rujak sauce on the side.
Dip the cut fruit into the sauce prior to eating.
Lalapan – This dish has a mix of steamed veg and fresh salads. To the veggies listed, you can add lettuce leaves, papaya portions, basil leaves, etc. It is up to you.
Ingredients
Vegetables: Cucumber, yard-long beans and napa cabbage
Sambal: 4 Shallot, 3 Garlic cloves, 1 Red chili, 1 Lemongrass, 3 Tomatoes, ½ TBL Dried shrimp (Trassi), 3 TBL Vegetable oil, 2 TBL Fish sauce, 1 TBL Palm sugar, Pinch Salt
Method
This is one of those recipes that you have to guesstimate. The idea is to have a sambal that does not have any one flavour overpowering the other. Taste as you go along. I would start with the amounts above.
Cut the yard-long beans and cucumber into 3-inch lengths.
Peel apart leaves from the cabbage, wash well.
Steam the beans and cabbage until just soft in slightly salted water – drain well.
Finely slice then stir-fry the shallot, garlic lemongrass and chili.
Add the trassi and stir fry for a few minutes.
Add the tomatoes and simmer, keep covered until softened.
Stir fish sauce and palm sugar together.
Add fish sauce/palm sugar and salt and cook a few minutes.
Arrange the veg on a plate and serve with the sambal.
Fish Satay – These are delicious
Ingredients
500g fish fillets – I like to use tuna but mackerel, snapper, etc., are also very good
100g shrimps
50g fresh grated coconut – I use a TBL of ground coconut powder
6 shallots
3 cloves garlic
5 kaffir lime leaves
3 slices galangal
3 slices fresh turmeric
1TBL fresh lemon grass finely chopped
1 tsp palm sugar
2 red Bird’s eye chilis
Tamarind pulp mixed with 1TBL water (or tamarind paste)
Salt
2 TBL oil
Method
Some recipes call for the fish and shrimp to be minced. I usually leave out the shrimp and just use cubes or lengths of the fish which I then feed onto well soaked wooden skewers.
Blend shallots, garlic, galangal, lemon grass, chilies kaffir lime leaves and turmeric.
Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok, fry the blended ingredients.
Stir well.
Add salt, sugar, tamarind with water and grated coconut.
Fry a bit more, set aside.
Either mix with the minced fish or place the fish into the sauce to marinade.
If using minced fish and shrimp, place about a TBL of it in the palm of your hand and wrap around the skewer or simply thread the fish onto the skewer.
Grill or broil the satays until golden brown.
Serve with rice and peanut sauce or hot chili sambal.
