INDONESIAN RICE TABLE

This is a version of the traditional Indonesian rijsttafel (rice table), which is a bit like a smorgasbord of exotic dishes to enjoy with rice. The peanut sauce that accompanies these skewers goes with basically anything – it’s worth making extra jars for taking to barbecues.

500g ribeye steak (or any cut you prefer, with

fat), cut into cubes leaving fat on

250g portobello mushrooms, sliced 1cm thick 500g chicken breast or thigh, cut into strips 200g tempeh Marinade:

500ml white wine vinegar

100ml ketjap manis (Indonesian sweet soy

sauce)*

4 shallots, finely chopped

100g palm sugar, grated Peanut sauce:

200g crunchy peanut butter

100ml soy sauce

100g brown sugar

2 teaspoons sambal oelek (Indonesian chilli

paste)*

100ml fish sauce

4 tablespoons tamarind paste*

2 cloves garlic, peeled

Juice of 2 limes To serve (rice table):

Crispy fried shallots* Coriander leaves

800g cooked white rice Sambal goreng buncis (recipe left) Atjar (recipe page 125) Sambal oelek or sambal manis*

Pierce steak onto skewers, leaving enough room between cubes to allow even cooking. Weave chicken strips onto skewers. Thread mushrooms onto skewers. Cut tempeh into triangles and steam 7 minutes. Pierce onto skewers.

Combine all the marinade ingredients. Divide between 4 ziplock bags and place each type of skewer in one of the bags. Mix until all skewers are covered and leave to marinate for at least an hour, or overnight in the fridge.

Peanut sauce: Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Add a few tablespoons of water if the sauce seems too thick. Makes 700ml

Heat a grill pan over high heat and grill skewers, turning often, until cooked through. If using chicken thigh, it may need 15 minutes more in a moderate oven to make sure it is cooked right through.

Serve the skewers topped with fried shallots and coriander leaves, and with the peanut sauce, rice, beans, atjar and sambal on the side. Serves 6 as a main

* Can be found in Asian food stores and some supermarkets. >