Sayur asem

This vegetable soup is a must-have item on the menu of every West Java (Sundanese) restaurant in Indonesia. This soup has some kind of appetizing effect because of the use of tamarind or (dried) sour starfuit as one of the ingredients. Sayur asem is a compliment to main dish such as ayam Ayam Goreng Kuning, Pepes Ikan or fried salty fish.

Ingredients

* Vegetable for the soup
o 100 g yardlong bean
o 1 chayote
o 50 gr corn
o 100 g young jackfuit
o 50 gr Gnetum gnemon leaves and fruits
o 1 potatoes
o 105 g galangal
o 2 salam leaves
o 20 g fresh tamarind or Asam Jawa tamarind paste, or
o 5 (dried) Belimbing sayur

* Spice paste, using food processor grind the following ingredients:
o 1 fresh red chili pepper
o 2 shallot
o 2 g terasi
o 1/2 tbl. salt

Directions

1. Clean the vegetables, cut into bite size
2. Boil 1.2 liter of water in a pot
3. Put the spice paste and the ingredients, with vegetables needs longer cooking time first (potatoes, corn, young jackfruit etc.)
4. Add salt and sugar to taste