Here’s another from my friend in Indonesia – thank you! I asked my son if he would pick which one I’d review today and this was what he picked – he wanted to make sure it was a spicy one. I did some looking and found this on Wikipedia:
Semur is a type of meat stew that is braised in thick brown gravy commonly found in Indonesian cuisine. The main ingredient used in semur gravy is kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), shallots, onions, garlic, ginger, candlenut, nutmeg and cloves, sometimes pepper, coriander, cumin and cinnamon might be added. Soy sauce is the most important ingredient in the Semur-making process because it serves to strengthen the flavor, but it should still feel blends harmoniously with other ingredients. In addition to the main ingredient, semur might also consists of wide range of variation in the presentation, such as the addition of meat (mainly beef), beef tongue, potato, tofu, tomato, tempeh, eggs, chicken, fish and often sprinkled with bawang goreng (fried shallot) or other variations according to the tastes of the communities in each regions.
A spicy stew eh? It also mentioned that Semur Ayam originated in Java. Let’s check it out and see if Andy picked me a winner!
Here’s the back of the package (click image to enlarge). Looks to be meat-free but check for yourself. Boil the noodles in 400ml water for 3 minutes.Put your seasonings in a bowl. Pour noodles and liquid into bowl, stir, and you’re done.
The noodle block.
A dual sachet: bumbu (seasoning) and cabe (chilli powder).
The chilli powder atop the powder base.
The liquid sachets: seasoned oil on the left and kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) on the right.
The sweet soy sauce is very thick and sticky while the oil flows more freely.
Finished (click image to enlarge). Added lime, hard boiled egg, and chicken and onions baked in the over under foil with a little garlic salt. The noodles are good – very standard instant that has a common gauge and good texture. The broth is really quite good. It has a nice spiciness and depth of flavor. The heat is probably more than someone who is leary of spicy foods. The flavor is an amalgam of different spices and flavors with a nice light oiliness that compliments but never overwhelms. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 8992388111138.
A market in Java.
