Entree: Indonesia – Java – Lontong Balap (Javanese plate of compressed rice cakes with sprouts, fried tofu and savory petis sauce)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 15 min

Total 35 min

Ingredients

Lontong (compressed cooked rice cakes), 225 g total, sliced; represented for the estimate by 225 g cooked white rice
Bean sprouts, 150 g, trimmed and rinsed
Firm tofu, 225 g, cut into 8 wedges and fried until golden
Petis udang (Javanese shrimp paste sauce), 45 g (estimated edible portion: 45 g)
Kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), 45 ml (about 58 g)
Vegetable oil, 30 ml (about 28 g) for the sauce, plus about 30 ml (28 g) for frying; estimate 10 g retained in the food
Shallots, 4 medium (about 60 g), thinly sliced
Garlic, 4 cloves (about 12 g), minced
Tamarind paste, 5 g, dissolved in warm water, 30 ml
Salt, 2 g
White pepper, ground, 0.5 g
Eggs, 2 large (about 100 g edible weight), hard-boiled and halved
Krupuk udang (shrimp crackers), 30 g, for serving (estimated edible portion: 30 g)
Fried shallots, 15 g, for garnish
Green onions, 2 (about 30 g), thinly sliced
Lime wedges, about 60 g whole lime (about 30 g edible portion), for serving

Instructions

1. Slice the lontong into 1.3 cm rounds. Bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer, warm the slices for 1–2 minutes, then drain and keep warm.
2. Blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain and set aside.
3. Warm 30 ml vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced shallots and cook until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Stir in the petis udang, kecap manis, tamarind paste dissolved in 30 ml warm water, salt, and white pepper. Simmer gently, stirring, until glossy and slightly thickened, about 4–6 minutes.
5. Heat additional vegetable oil in a skillet or wok for shallow-frying. Fry the tofu wedges until crisp and golden on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side; drain on paper towels. If desired, fry the shrimp crackers briefly according to package directions.
6. Divide the lontong among four bowls or plates. Top with bean sprouts, 2–3 tofu wedges per serving, and the halved hard-boiled eggs.
7. Spoon the warm sauce over the servings. Garnish with fried shallots and green onions; serve the shrimp crackers and lime wedges alongside.