Overseas Pinoy Cooking

Babi Kecap Manis, Pork in Sweet Soy Sauce is one of my favorite Indonesian pork dish. It is a sweet pork dish that is braised with an Indonesian condiment kecap manis. Kecap manis is made up of thick soya sauce sweetened with palm sugar. It is a popular condiment that is added to nasi goreng (fried rice) to mee goreng (stir fried noddles) and other uses in Indonesian cusine . Babi ketcap manis is made up of thick strips of porks sautéed with garlic and onion then braised with the sweet soy sauce until it renders oil. The dish is really sweet and it is suitable to the sweet food preference to most Pinoy. Here is the recipe, enjoy. Ingredients: 1/4 kilo pork, cut into thick strips 3-4 tbsp. of ABC sweet soy sauce 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 small size onion, chopped salt and pepper to taste cooking oil Cooking procedure: In a small sauce pan saute garlic and onion until fragrant. Stir in the pork and stir cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the sweet soy sauce and s...

I can not let go off my recent Batam trip. To those who do not know Batam is and Industrial Free Zone Island, the Island is part of Indonesia’s Riau of Islands. It is located below Singapore and slightly smaller in size. Batam is a weekend paradise to most Singaporeans. They go to Batam for its cheap food, beach resorts and their infamous night entertainment or just simply getaway from the fast paced life in Singapore to relax or play golf. I have previously mentioned the place in some of my previous post for the reason that I have work in Batam in several occasions in early 90’s and again in early 2000. During those years I have discovered and learned to like some of the cuisines that this part of Indonesia has to offer. Some of the foods especially the Chinese dishes are however influenced by the food from adjacent Singapore. Nongsa Point Marina During the visit I was lucky enough to stay at Nongsa Point Marina a hide away beach resort located northeast of Batam Island su...

Pinoy Style Mee Goreng , this is my tweaked version of the famous mee goreng. Mee goreng the Malay word for fried noddles is popular in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. There are several versions, there is even the Indian version which uses curry to the noodle dish. It is one of the favourite hawker center food on those countries. For my version I substituted some of the ingredients which are commonly used by Pinoys. Except perhaps for the chili paste I used sambal belacan which is the key ingredient everything should be available locally in the Philippines. Chili paste is most likely available if you live in the vicinity of major supermarkets. Here is my Pinoy Style Mee Goreng Recipe, try it. Ingredients: 1/2 kilo yellow noodles, blanch 1/2 cup thinly sliced pork 1/2 cup thinly sliced chicken 1/2 cup medium size shrimp, shelled 1/2 cup thinly sliced kekiam 1/2 head garlic, chopped 1 medium size onion, slice thinly 1/2 cup green peas, pre-cooked 2 cups togue , bean s...

Nasi Goreng is the Indonesian version of fried rice, it is one of the most popular all in one meal in Indonesia and other neighbouring places, Singapore and Malaysia who got their own version of this all in one meal fried rice. A day old rice is stir fried with sambal belacan made up of powdered and toasted dried krill and hot red chili paste. An Indonesian sweet thick soya sauce called ketchup manis is also added, Other vegetable, meat and seafood ingredients may be added, and garnished with crispy fried garlic slices. Nasi goreng is served with sunny side up fried egg and kerupuk an Indonesian shrimp or fish crackers. For my version I used bottled sambal belacan which is now readily available in supermarkets and Asian stores. The quantity defends on how much heat you could take. I also added pork cutlets and some shrimps. you may use chicken if you want. Here is my Indonesian Nasi Goreng recipe. Ingredients: 3-4 cups day steamed old rice, crumbled 1/2 head garlic, thinly...

I was looking for something to cook for dinner in an Indonesian grocery store at our neighborhood when I chance upon this beautiful teri asin or dried silver fish or daing na dulong . The Indonesian usually fry them and use as garnishing on their fried rice, nasi goreng ikan asin or fried rice with dried fish. Don’t be mistaken it with the dried anchovies or daing na dilis or ikan bilis asin in Bahasa Indonesia . Ikan bilis is also used as garnishing on their fried rice or as a side dish for nasi lemak or coconut rice. Dulong or ipon in Ilocano, up in the north when in season they are plentiful the fishermen use to sun dry their excess catch or make into bagoong . Daing na dulong are very rare in Metro Manila market though. I would recommend them on your next trip to Ilocos, grab a kilo or two they are always available at Vigan market. Cooking is simple just lightly oil the skillet and toss them for a minute or two or until cook and crispy. See other related p...

Sop Buntut, Sup Buntut, Indonesian Oxtail Soup . These oxtail soup stew is a very popular dish in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. Oxtail slices are boiled till the meat nearly fall off from the bones with clove and nutmeg, not common spice in Pinoy cooking. Margarine is used to sauté the aromatic ingredients which gives a yellowish tint to the broth, The combination of margarine, clove and nutmeg gives a distinct aroma and flavour to this soup stew. The kamote or sweet potato makes the dish sweetish and adds more texture to the already gelatinous broth. It is garnished with diced tomato, chopped spring onion and fried garlic. I really miss this dish it was one of my favorite Indonesian or Malaysian food during my many years of working in Batam and Singapore. Here is my version, I have reduced the amount of spices and tweaked out some exotic ingredients to make it more of a Pinoy version. Ingredients: 1 k. oxtail, saw cut crosswise 1 large size sweet potato, cut into wedg...

Seafood Fried Rice , the best fried rice I ever had is the Indonesian or Malay seafood fried rice or nasi goreng seafood. It is generously loaded with assorted seafood that are probably available in the kitchen at the time it was prepared. In fact it is already a meal on its own, when ever I had it at hawker centers or food courts it would already unnecessary to order for other main dish. The main ingredients of course leftover rice, sambal blacan (a sambal blacan is made of chili pounded with toasted shrimp paste) , assortment of seafood including fish meat, eggs, garlic, onioins and ketcap manis (it’s a Indonesian sweet thick soy sauce) . To my readers who have tried it during your travels to the far east, I am sure the reminiscence of the aroma of this dish in a hawkers center setting has now made you crave for this dish and all those hawker center foods be in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta or even in Johor or Batam. Here is my version of seafood fried rice. Ingredients:...