Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce

I have been living in Canada for 9 years now and I am well adjusted (I can say) here in Saskatoon - Saskatchewan, maybe not the winter - other than that I am good. But once in a while I missed my food - Indonesian food. In Indonesia we have lots and lots variety of food. Start from traditional food to foreign food, you name it we have it. Tourist will never get hungry there, they have lots of option of food while they are visiting Indonesia and I can say they all good as long as you know where to go. In this blog I am going to explain about one ingredient I use for my Sate Ayam or Indonesian Chicken Kebab - traditional bbq dish. The ingredient is "Indonesian sweet soy sauce". In indonesia there are few selection of this sauce, so we have option to choose our favorite one and it is very easy to find in any food store in case we run out of it, so we do not have to stock up. They are very common sauce and we use it for any kind of food. Here in Canada there only 1 (one) kind of this type of sauce we can find - the brand name is ABC. You can find this sauce in the Asian food aisle in any Superstore or you can find this at any Asian supermarket.

Sweet soy sauce made from soy bean, has a thick almost like syrup and sweet. We use this multipurpose ingredient as a bbq sauce, for dipping and general cooking.

Indonesian Chicken Kebab - Sate Ayam

Traditional Indonesian food. You can either make it yourself or buy from the street vendor or go to the restaurant, in other word you can find this food everywhere around Jakarta (Capital city). You eat this chicken kebab with rice or with lontong (rice wrap with banana leaf), mixed the kebab with peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce or sweet soy sauce itself.

Below is the recipe I usually used when I make chicken kebab.

What you need are :

Boneless chicken thigh - cut in cube bite size - 2 lbs or more it is up to you.

Indonesian sweet soy sauce (you need lots) - you can find it at the Superstore on the Asian food isles.

Fish sauce - 1 tbsp

Salt and pepper

Sugar - 10 tbsp

Margarine - 4 tbsp - melted

Garlic - 2 cloves - crushed

Lemon or Lime - 1

Skewer - you can find it at the $ store, short or long - your choice. Soaked the skewer in water before using it, so it won't get burn on the bbq.

Sweet soy sauce - lots

Chili pepper - cut thinly

Preparation :

After cut the chicken into bite size, put into the bowl and mixed it with salt - put a side for 30 minutes

in a big bowl mixed crushed garlic - fish sauce - sweet soy sauce - lemon. After 30 minutes put the chicken into the sauce, mixed them well and put aside for 1 hour.

In a small bowl mixed together sugar - melted margarine - sweet soy sauce.

After an hour skewer the chicken and get the bbq ready. If you are using charcoal bbq get it ready about 20 minutes before you start skewer the chicken, by the time you finish skewer the chicken the fire is ready.

Put the kebab on the bbq and brush it with the sugar mixed sauce. Brushing regularly.

When the chicken kebab done put it in the serving dish and drizzle with the sweet soy sauce and ready to eat. Eat the kebab with rice. If you like a bit spicy, in the small serving bowl mixed sweet soy sauce and thinly cut chili pepper, put a bit on rice and eat together with the kebab. it will give you a bit of spicy taste in your mouth. Delicious.

Publish

We were very very proud with Samantha because her writing is published in Saskatchewan Young author magazine. End of May 2010 her teacher Mme M. Zimmer informed us that Samantha's writing will be published in the magazine, we were very surprised at that time but also proud. Later when I met Samantha's teacher we chatted a bit about it and she said that she was proud of Samantha and her friend Connor, this is her first time that 2 of her students has their writing published in the magazine. She was hoping Samantha will continue writing. We - Greg and I are trying our best to encourage her to keep writing. I am going to make a scrapbooking page for this special occasion. When the page finish I will put my page in this blog. We went to the function at St Matthew's school library where they handed the magazine to all of the young authors, they had to read their story one by one in fronts their families and friends. We all proud of them, hopefully they will continue writing. Keep writing my daughter.

Last day in school for our daughter

Today June 25, 2010 is the last day in school for Samantha. She and all of her friends in grade 2 and 3 went to Pike Lake this morning. Samantha's dad (Greg) also went to the lake and he was very busy get all the bags in the van and drove to the lake together with the bus. The children had fun and most of all Samantha's dad really really had fun there. They went swimming and took turn with other children from other schools. In contrary I had to work from 9 to 5.30, not fair at all they had fun and I got stuck at work .....

We really impressed with Samantha's progress in grade 2, she did very well and looking forward to go to grade 3 .... time fly so fast, she will be 8 .... can you imagine 8 .... ooooohhh no can she still be 3 ... we always said that if we can put her in the freezer and keep her at that age and never grow up .... of course it will never happen, we love to see her growing up and become a beautiful little girl.

I made thank you card for Samantha's teacher, also for Samantha's bus driver.

Enjoy the summer and do not get sun burn ... use lots and lots of mosquito repellent.

Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce

I cooked this dish tonight (June 11) - mmmmm delicious. My daughter and husband really like it. This is a very easy recipe and quick. to accompany this dishes you also have to cook some rice.

The recipe :

7 pieces boneless chicken thigh - cut in medium cube (about 2 inch).

1 medium size onion - cut julien

2 cloves garlic - crushed

Salt and Pepper

Fish Sauce - 1 tsp

Sesame oil - 1/2 tsp

Water - 1 cup

ABC Sweet soy sauce (you can find it at the superstore - Asian food aisle)

Potato (optional) - small or big (your choice) if small cooked as a whole, if big cut into small cube bite size

Green onion - cut thin

Cooking oil - 3 tbsp

Preparation :

Pour cooking oil and sesame oil in the wok. Heat. Add crushed garlic and cook it until you smell it.

Add onion - half cook and put chicken - cook thoroughly - seasoned with salt and pepper.

Add Fish sauce and ABC sweet soy sauce together -mixed them well and add water.

Add potato cook until soft.

Taste and add the sweet soy sauce, fish sauce or salt/pepper as you desire.

Turn off the stove, pour the dish into the bowl and add green onion for the finishing touch.

Serving :

Put hot rice on the plate and pour the dish on top of rice and serve. If you like spicy food mixed them with ABC hot sauce (find it at Superstore - Asian food aisle), very delicious.