Grow your own lemon grass

Strictly speaking, lemon grass is really a tropical plant, which requires hot climate and high humidity to thrive. However, with the heating system around our home is now warmer than ever, you can experiment with growing this much needed spice on your window seal. It is so easy to germinate. You will need to do this little growing trick during the summer months if you live in a cold part of the world to give your lemon grass stalks a good starts in life. Steps you need to do. 

• Purchase fresh lemon grass stalks from your local super or Asian supermarket (5 or 6 stalks would be sufficient)
• Place them in the medium-size jam jar. Make sure they have enough space to breath. 
• Fill the jar with cold tap water, then place the jar on the window seal, make sure you place them in an area with good sunlight. 
• After several days (ideally about one week), you will be able to witness the miracle of nature :). Enjoy

A short Youtube Video about this experiment.

Hello Indonesia, Trafalgar Square 7th June 2015

Summer tarts in the UK next Sunday, we will be bringing you some amazing picnic food. Join us in Trafalgar Square and enjoy amazing entertainment and food. 

 

How to make Sambal Lado Ijo (The Green Sambal condiment) from Padang, West Sumatra

When we are learning how to cook, particularly when exploring recipes from another country, we often fantasise that the more complex the ingredients we are using, the more delicious the food would be. Not so in Indonesian cooking, one example is this sambal lado ijo from West Sumatra. Although many varieties of sambal (Indonesian condiments) use several unusual ingredients, but most actually use just 2 or 3 ingredients with a sprinkle of salt, sugar or lemon to taste.

The secret success of Indonesian cooking is your good knowledge of all the spices used within and your ability to use them appropriately.  Please remember, less means more when it comes to spice application in your cooking, as too much can totally change the taste of the food you are cooking. To achieve good confidence in cooking dishes from this part of the world is to cook the dishes as often as you can and experiment with all the unusual ingredients and learn what it does to your food.

Check this Sambal Lado Ijo out.  You only need green chillies, onion & a few green or yellow tomatoes. SIMPLE!! 🙂

If you like real hot chillies, use the small ones.  Please note, when using chillies the smallest are normally the hottest.  If you don’t like it “not so hot” mix the mild large chillies and the little ones. If you like it really mild, use only a few little ones and mix it with large green paprika.

To make this sambal you only need: 

1. half handful of green chillies  (as per advice of hotness above – be wise with the type of pepper you are using)
2. one medium-size onion (In Indonesia we normally use red shallots)
3. 1 cup of water
4. a tablespoon of olive or cooking oil for sautéing later.
5. one medium size green tomatoes or 2 small yellow cherry tomatoes (chopped)
6. salt to taste

 Ho to make it:

• Bring the water (No.3) to the boil in a small pan. Add ingredients No, 1 + 2, and boil for five minutes or until they look wilting but don’t over cook it.
• Put the cooked ingredients in a food processor and roughly blend but don’t pure it (make sure the bits are still slightly chunky)
• Heat the oil in a frying pan, then add the blended ingredients. Add the chopped tomatoes and further sauté for 3 minutes.
• Sprinkle some salt and add a squish of lime to taste.

Happy Cooking.  If you want to learn how to cook, we also do private lessons for group and individual. Contact us http://www.senggol-cafe.co.uk/contact