Rempah - Java

Savoury Meat

Cooking with leaves as promised.  Rempah is savoury meat that is wrapped in banana leaf, and It cooks by steaming.  This is the traditional food from the island of Java.  A matter of fact, rempah was my mother's favourite.  This cooking is dedicated to her, I am sure she would have been proud of it. 

I prepared rempah differently.  This rempah is wrapped in the green cabbage leaf instead of the banana leaf.  It is braised, instead of steamed.  Cabbage goes very well with coconuts, it tastes delicious together.  The original rempah, only the rempah- the filling is eaten, the banana leaf is not.

Susy's Rempah Recipe to share.

Susy’s Rempah

 Ingredients:

300 gr the best lean mince beef

1 cup desiccated coconuts
A ½ cup of water
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon galangal powder
1 small onion, chopped finely
1garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
1tablespoon brown sugar
Juice of a half lime
1 tablespoon oil

6 Huge green cabbage leaves, blanched for a few minutes

For braising:

A ½ cup of coconut milk
1tablespoon oil
1teaspoon salt
1tablespoon sweet soy
(Put all ingredients in a jug; mix them together)

 Method

Add the water into the desiccated coconut, mix together, and keep aside

Sugar and Spice mix:
In a small bowl, place the garlic, onion, sugar and oil, mix together; keep aside
Grind the coriander seed with the salt,
Add the ground coriander into the onion/garlic mixture, and mix together
In a larger bowl place the meat, the desiccated coconuts, and the sugar/spices and mix
Add in the lime juice; then mix all together; divide the mixture into 6, make into small balls

Wrapping the Rempah:
Place a blanched cabbage on a plate, open the leave and put a ball of meat mixture in the middle
Wrap it up to enclose the meat mixture and secure it with a wooden pin.  Do with the rest.
Place the six rempah in a heavy-based braising pan, fit in snugly then add in the braising mixture.
Cook over medium heat, bring it to simmer, do not put the lid on in this stage,  and keep on cooking for 10 minutes.
Put the lid on, reduce the heat into low and cook for one hour.
When it is cooked, keep in the cooking pan until serving time.

To Serve:  Serve with steamed white rice.

Ingredients and The Cooking Process

Left   To   Right

Sugar and Spices

Desiccated Coconut with Mince Beef

The rempah Mixture

The rempah Wrapped in Cabbage Leaf

The rempah is in a Pot

Braised Rempah

Water and Desiccated Coconuts

D Coconut, Mince Beef, Sugar &Spices

Some Rempah on Cabbage Leaf

A Few of Rempah are Ready to Braise

Adding some Braising Mixture

The Cooked  Rempah

REMPAH   IN   CABBAGE   LEAF

I had a lot of fun to prepare and cooked this dish. 
I think it is a success, my family enjoyed it, it is very delicious.  It keeps in the freezer very well too.

I do hope to anyone who wishes to try this recipe will have so many enjoyments as I did.



Have Fun
Susy