Lontong Sayur

Lontong Sayur (Compressed Rice Cakes in Coconut Vegetable Broth)

A classic Indonesian dish of firm, sliceable rice cakes served in a pale, savoury coconut broth loaded with chayote and long beans, finished with a boiled egg and fried shallots. Making the lontong takes patience but is straightforward; the broth comes together quickly while the rice steams.

Prep

40 min

Cook

90 min

Total

130 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) long-grain rice, washed until water runs clear, then soaked 1 hour and drained
• •8 banana leaves (8 leaves) banana leaves, or 8 heatproof baking paper parcels; wilt leaves over a flame or in hot water to soften
• •600 ml (2½ cups) thin coconut milk, first pressing, for cooking the lontong
• •400 ml (1⅔ cups) thick coconut milk, for the broth
• •400 ml (1⅔ cups) thin coconut milk, for the broth
• •300 g (10½ oz) chayote, labu siam, peeled, seeded and cut into 2 cm batons
• •150 g (5 oz) long beans, kacang panjang, cut into 4 cm lengths
• •4 whole eggs, hard-boiled, peeled
• •8 whole shallots, 6 thinly sliced for frying, 2 for the paste
• •4 cloves garlic, 2 sliced for frying, 2 for the paste
• •3 whole red chillies, large, seeded, for the paste
• •1 tsp dried shrimp paste, terasi, toasted briefly in a dry pan
• •1 tsp ground coriander
• •2 cm (¾ inch) galangal, sliced, or substitute ginger
• •2 leaves Indonesian bay leaves, daun salam, or substitute 1 bay leaf
• •1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
• •1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• •1 tsp sugar, palm sugar if available
• •3 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying shallots and the paste
• •2 tbsp fried shallots, store-bought or from step above, for serving
• •2 tbsp sambal, sambal oelek or homemade, for serving

Steps

1. 1 Make the lontong: line each banana leaf with a second leaf, shiny side in, to form a sturdy pouch. Spoon 35–40 g (about 3 tbsp) of drained soaked rice into each pouch, add 75 ml (⅓ cup) thin coconut milk, fold the leaves over tightly and secure with toothpicks or kitchen twine. The parcels should be about 12 × 8 cm (4½ × 3 inches) and only half full - the rice expands.
2. 2 Stand the parcels upright in a deep pot, pack them snugly so they cannot tip, and cover with water by 5 cm (2 inches). Bring to a boil, then simmer gently, covered, for 60–70 minutes. Top up with boiling water if the level drops below the parcels. The lontong is done when the parcels feel firm and springy when pressed and no loose rice remains inside; a skewer inserted should meet resistance rather than mush. Remove and drain upside down for 10 minutes, then cool completely before slicing into 2 cm (¾ inch) rounds.
3. 3 Meanwhile, hard-boil the eggs: lower into boiling water, cook 9 minutes, then transfer to cold water and peel.
4. 4 Make the spice paste: pound or blend the 2 shallots, 2 garlic cloves, red chillies, toasted terasi and ground coriander to a rough paste.
5. 5 Fry the garnish: heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the 6 sliced shallots and 2 sliced garlic, stirring, until deep golden, 5–7 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper; reserve the fragrant oil.
6. 6 In that same oil, fry the spice paste over medium heat for 4–5 minutes until it darkens and the oil separates. Add the galangal, salam leaves and lemongrass; stir for 30 seconds.
7. 7 Pour in the 400 ml thin coconut milk, add salt and sugar, and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the chayote and cook 8–10 minutes until a knife slides through with slight resistance.
8. 8 Add the long beans and the halved boiled eggs; simmer 4–5 minutes more, until the beans are tender-crisp and bright green.
9. 9 Stir in the 400 ml thick coconut milk and heat gently to just below a boil - do not boil hard, or the coconut milk will split. Taste and adjust salt. The broth should be pale, creamy and lightly savoury.
10. 10 To serve, arrange 2–3 lontong slices in each bowl, ladle the hot broth and vegetables over them, add an egg half per person, and top with fried shallots and a spoon of sambal. Serve immediately, as the rice cakes soften if left sitting in the broth.