Our travels have always influenced our dinners. Every bit of travel leaves a lingering taste from the places you have had food. A bit of that Pizza, a flavour of the thali meal from India, the glorious Laksa, a bit from the family kitchen, a mango float from Manila so on and so forth. These are the ones which predominantly contribute to this blog of ours.
This time borrowing a beautiful recipe from a friend to satiate the yellow cones of rice we had an Indonesian restaurant.
The recipe source
The recipe comes from Dewi, the mother of a very dear friend Dian. Being a fellow school mother and a mum to two beautiful talented children, Dian too has taught me to smile through the worst days, inspired to keep up the yoga bits and learn to love life. This is her family recipe to cherish and celebrate the friendship with.
Turmeric
Coming to turmeric, it is a significant part of all Asian cooking, not just Indian. Asian cooking sees n more of the fresh turmeric root than the dried powder as in the Indian cooking. The flavour profile using both are starkly different. This poor man’s saffron indeed needs no introduction even yo the western cuisine. The well-marketed benefits beginning from relief from common cold to curcumin in cancer treatment are widely published. So here is a simple recipe to incorporate the same.
The call for recipes using Indian superfood like lotus seed, turmeric, gooseberry etc from Vidhya (click here for her blog) was the inspiration to reach out for this recipe. The recipe features on Foodie Monday blog hop along with the other participating bloggers.
Turmeric rice
Nasi tumpeng is similar to the Malaysian style Nasi Kuning ( turmeric rice). Tumpeng (as learnt from Dian) calls for the little conical mountains created with this turmeric infused rice. This yellow rice is served on most festive celebrations, like birthdays, cultural and religious days but rarely for a wedding. Served with a creamy curry, fritters, peanuts, rice crisps or salad the flavour of the rice itself is exciting.
Enjoy this Javanese Indonesian style rice with Mushroom masala which also doubles up as my filling for the Mushroom finger rolls. Serve it up with cooling cucumbers, spicy sambal and some crispy rice crackers.
Here is the recipe for the mushroom masala
The recipe is so versatile it can be done using practically any cooking method, Check the recipe notes for details.
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Nasi tumpeng
Indonesian turmeric rice.
Ingredients
for the rice
- 1 cup Raw rice short grain, asian rice
- 1/4 cup glutinous rice
- 2 cups drinking water
- 0.5 cup coconut milk (low fat will do)
- 1 stalk lemongrass leaves/ half a stalk crushed
- 1 ppandan leaf tie into a knot
- 1 inch fresh tumeric root sliced thin
- salt to taste
to make the conical shape
- 0.5 meter banana leaf
Instructions
- Wash the rice and glutinous rice gently in running water and add to the rice cooker pot.
- Add the pandan leaf knotted, the lemongrass stalk crushed, salt and turmeric bits to the rice
- Add the water and the coconut milk and stir to mix
- Cook till soft, I used sushi mode
- Fluff the rice upon cooking, remove the lemon grass and the pandan leaves and lemon grass to discard
- Create a conical shape with the banana leaf and fill in with the rice. Pack it in well and wrap and set aside. ( see our alternate)
- When ready to consume gently tip over the rice cones on a plate so it stays the tall shape.
Notes
The glutinous rice though so-called has no gluten in them. If you cannot get banana leaves to make a cone use aluminium foil to do the same Other methods for cooking the same recipe You can use an Indian pressure cooker to make the same recipe, set the same quantities and allow one whistle to cook and remove from heat. When the pressure releases continue the process In an instant pot, use the same recipe and set at 3 minutes on a high temperature. In a saucepan, increase the water to 4 cups to aid the evaporating water and don't forget to stir. Let the rice sit for a while before you fluff.
Nutrition
Calories: 129kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.05gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 678mgPotassium: 19mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 0.4g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
This is something very new to me! The rice sounds so flavourful and lovely!
I’d love to try this out soon. What do you mean by glutinous rice? What can I use in place of it, here in Bangalore?
so wonderful of your friend to share such a simple, yet yummy recipe. the flavours of turmeric would have definitely seeped into this..
A simple and delicious looking rice. I’m sure the flavours from the lemongrass and pandan imparted into the golden rice makes it festive.
Rice looks delicious. Fresh turmeric root made this flavourful and healthy. Thanks for sharing a new recipe. Lovely share.
When look at the pic the rice looks like a simple Turmeric rice, but when you read the recipe you know what flavours have gone into it.. with all the herbs in it it is one aromatic rice, that I will to try with any paneer curry. Interesting way of serving it.. Want to know more about glutinous rice.
Wow this looks beautiful and sounds so delicious. Thanks to your travels you have picked up lot of delicious food memories. Love the rice. Can we use ordinary rice to make this rice?
Your turmeric rice reminds me of the Malaysian Nasi Lemak, where I had used Pandan leaves, coconut milk and lemon grass. With spicy sambal I am sure this Nasi Tumpeng must have tasted great.
Good to know about the Malaysian Dish and how nicely they have used the turmeric to flavour the rice along with pandan leaves. A great way to incorporate turmeric on daily basis to your diet and like you have, incorporate a vegetable on gravy as an accompaniment making it a complete meal.
Travelling to place does enrich our culinary skills and knowledge.Turmeric rice cooked with Pandan leaf and lemongrass is so flavorful and looks festive too.
This gorgeous looking Indonesian rice is new to me, but your clear step by step instructions will make it easy to prepare. I noticed recently that white glutinous rice is available in some online stores in India, and I would enjoy trying the Nasi tumpeng the next time I get some raw turmeric root to cook with.