Indonesian Beef Stew

Name: Indonesian Beef Stew
Ingredients: 500 g beef (chuck or brisket), thinly sliced; 5 pc shallots, thinly sliced; 2 gloves garlic, thinly sliced; 1 pc cinnamon stick ((replace with 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon if not available)); 2 pc cloves; 4 tbsp Indonesian sweet soya sauce / Kecap Manis; ¼ tsp ground nutmeg; 1 pc middle size tomato, cut in wedges; 1 tsp salt or to taste; 1 tsp sugar (or to taste); 500 ml hot water; 2 tbsp margarine or butter; 2 tbsp fried/roasted shallot/onion for garnish; 2 gloves garlic; 2 cm fresh ginger, peeled-off; ½ tsp ground pepper

Origin: Indonesia

Ingredients

500 g beef (chuck or brisket), thinly sliced
5 pc shallots, thinly sliced
2 gloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pc cinnamon stick (replace with 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon if not available)
2 pc cloves
4 tbsp Indonesian sweet soya sauce / Kecap Manis
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 pc middle size tomato, cut in wedges
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp sugar (or to taste)
500 ml hot water
2 tbsp margarine or butter
2 tbsp fried/roasted shallot/onion for garnish

Spices for marinating

2 gloves garlic
2 cm fresh ginger, peeled-off
½ tsp ground pepper

Indonesian Beef Stew

Semur is a variant of Indonesian dishes which inspired by the Dutch, cooked with a braising technique: by boiling or simmering over low heat until the meat becomes tender.

In Indonesia, semur is a stewed meat dish which's cooked in a dark brown sauce made from indonesian sweet soy sauce or known as kecap manis.

Beside meat, Indonesian stews are also made with a variety of ingredients such as chicken, potato, tofu, hard boiled egg, fish and vegetables.

Tips: Use only a good quality of kecap manis to get an optimum result. A simple trick to recognize it's authenticity: Just shake the bottle downside, if the sauce has a thick, almost syrupy consistency then you get it right. If it flows like water, never think a twice to even try, otherwise you will ruin the taste!

Have a try and hopefully you have another insight of indonesian dishes. This time it's NOT spicy at all 🙂

Instructions

for Indonesian Beef Stew:

Cut the meat into thinly rectangles or square shapes. If necessary prick with a fork to prevent the meat becomes wavy or curled when it's cooked.
Marinating the beef: Grind garlic, ginger and pepper with mortar & pestle or wet mill into smooth paste.
Rub the paste into the entire surface of the meat.
Put in a fridge for about 15 minutes to let the marinating process.
Peel off (if necessary) & prepare all ingredients for the seasoning. Slice shallots & garlic thinly.
Heat 2 tbsp of margarine or butter over medium heat in a fryingpan/wok, first saute garlic until fragrant.
Add shallot and stir continuously until translucent and fragrant.
Add the beef and stir constantly until the meat becomes harder & changes color.
Add enough hot water *** until the meat is fully submerged. (approx 500 ml/2 cups hot water)
Add 4 tbsp kecap manis, stir to mix.
Add cinnamon, cloves and ground nutmeg. Bring to boil then simmer over low heat until the meat is tender and the broth has shrunk. (approx.20-30 minutes).
Add tomato and cook briefly until just wilted.
Adjust the taste, add salt and sugar if necessary. Remove from heat, garnish with fried onions and serve hot with rice.