SimPle PleaSures (in EveRy BiTe)

Never ever knew these existed in Indonesia.  Man, was I soo anti-social!  Hehe.  I’ve always had siomay.  But that was way back when during "dimsum" days.  You know, going to the chinese restaurants early in the morning just to taste those lovely little dumplings.  I used to only eat the shrimps, since, um, most of the others contains pork, which… I absolutely cannot have.

After what it felt like a decade, I finally got married, and guess what!  He’s from Indonesia as well.  From Bandung, to be exact.  The funny thing was, when we first got to know each other, I asked him what his favorite food was.  And guess what!!  It has to be… Siomay Bandung!  Of course yours truly was clueless of what he meant by that food.  Thank God for the internet, I finally understood that it was a form of dumpling famously sold in Bandung, West Java. 

Instead of using chicken or beef like in chinese dumplings, Indonesian siomays mostly uses fish and prawns.  On top of that, you eat the siomays with yummy peanut sauce, instead of salty soy sauce and chilly paste as in the chinese restaurants.  I come to like this form of siomay lately, perhaps my husband’s taste is rubbing on me.. argggh!

Here is the recipe for those of you who like steamed food (or if you just like dumplings in general.. )

Skin

Any wonton skin available.  I usually get the thin ones cause they tend to melt in the mouth.

Filling

• Any fish fillet (I usually use smooth-dory or basa), blend and smooth out with food processor or blender, about 2 or 3 medium size, about 3 to 4 cups after processing.
• Ice water (about 3/4 cups)
• Tapioca starch (about 1/2 – 3/4 cups)
• Prawn, 1 cup, also blend with fish in blender
• Salt to taste (I usually put about 1 tbsp)
• Oyster sauce to taste
• Ebi (dried crushed shrimp), about 1 tbsp or to taste
• Sesame oil 2 tbsp
• One whole egg

Peanut Sauce

• One cup peanut butter
• 3 tbsp tom yum paste
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• salt to taste
• sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) to taste.
• water about 1/2 cup to 1 cup

Instruction

• Combine filling and knead until well mixed. 
• Take about 1 tsp of filling and center into wonton skin. 
• Take edges and fold in so that it makes a round shape
• Heat up steamer
• Put siomay or dumpling into steamer
• Steam until cooked (usually expands after about 20 minutes or so)

To make the sauce

• combine all sauce ingreadients in a pan on top of medium heat
• stir until mixed well, and wait until boiled
• Do not let it boiled too long, it can burn the bottom of the pan
• Take a way from heat.

Serve and enjoy!

    This lovely dish reminds me of beloved Mom.  It’s her favorite snack of all times.  When I was young and living in Indonesia, I used to like it, though never really made a big deal if I miss eating one.  It’s a popular snack there, which is usually being sold on the streets for cheaps. Like Rp. 250 ea.  That was indeed, 12 years ago.  I wonder how much they cost now, but it’s about $1 at T&T Supermarket.  . 

The taste is simple and sweet, a little oily but on the good side.  I have to say it’s a bit addicting, especially if you like "kacang ijo", or those small green beans.  Making it requires a lot of patience.   It took me about 5 tries until finally they turn out "round".  It was trying to blow up when I first fried it in the hot oil (oh yes!  It’s deep fried!).  Turns out that I had to turn the heat really low.

Ok, ready for the recipe?  Here goes.

Ingredients (skin)

• 3/4 to 1 package of glutinous rice powder
• Cold water (about 1/2 – 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1/4 tapioka flour + 1/4 cup water (cook & stir in low heat until becomes gluey)
• 3/4 cups sugar
• a pinch of salt
• A pinch of vanilla
• a cup of sesame seeds
• drops of sesame oil
• Vegetable oil for frying

Filling

• Small green beans (kacang hijau) or small red beans about 1/2 of the standard bag, soaked and boiled until soft, then put in blender to soften
• 1/2 cup sugar (also added to beans while boiled)
• vanilla essense to taste
• combine all ingredients until all becomes like a paste.  Let cooled.

Instruction

• Make the dough for the skin; combine all dry ingredients, mix well. 
• Add cold water little by little until it’s not too sticky to the hand.  Don’t forget to add the tapioca mix.
• Combine and knead until consistent.
• Prepare sesame seeds on a flat surface
• Take about a marble big of dough, round it by hand, and flatten until the thickness is about 1/2 inch.
• fill the dough with the green bean mixture. 
• close tight by pressing the edges together on top of the filling.
• shape the material so that it forms round balls again.
• Dip in cold water before rolling to the sesame seeds.
• Deep fry in medium heated oil.
• You don’t need to flip the rice balls during the frying process, when it is almost done it will float and turn itself on the hot oil.
• Enjoy!

And by the ways, it sooooooooo good while still fresh from the fryer! So good!

They can be sweet. They can be salty. They can be bland. They can be full of spices. They can be rich. They can be light. As light as a cloud in the sky. They can be sour. They can be bitter. They can be delicious, scrumptious, and addicting. They can be… what ever we want them to be. They are simple pleasures, one can magically create. As is with this journey of life. Ehem. My lovely food.