Balinese Lamb (Kambing Mekuah)

Locale: Indonesia

Source: Heinz von Holzen/Lother Arsana, The Food of Bali [p. 64]

Ingredients

  • 1.25 lb boneless lamb leg or shoulder, cut in 3/4-inch cubes
  • 2 tbs oil
  • 1 c basic spice paste
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
  • 1 tbs white vinegar
  • 12 whole cardamom pods
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
  • 1.5 c water
  • 2 c coconut milk

Basic Spice Paste (p. 39)

  • 12 shallots, peeled and chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 3 red chilies, seeded and chopped
  • 1 inch laos [galangal], peeled and chopped
  • 1 inch kencur root, peeled and chopped
  • 2 inches fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped

Steps

  1. Mix spice paste ingredients. Grind to a paste.

  2. Heat oil. Add spice paste and coriander, fry for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add lamb, vinegar, cardamom, lemongrass, water, and bring to a boil and simmer until 3/4 cooked.

  3. Add coconut milk. Bring back to a boil, and simmer uncovered until meet is tender.

Notes

  1. I used ginger for kencur. I omitted chilies from paste, but initially fried 2 whole dried chilies.

  2. Instructions are vague in cooking times. I initially stopped when the sauce was still light tan, but after reading the beef redang recipes, I decided to cook this further. As you continue cooking, the sauce will darken, and eventually the oil will separate and fry to meat. I think that's the intent here. The photo shows the meat quite brown, with lots of green and red chilies, not specified in the recipe.

  3. Sallie Morris uses: boiled potatoes, cabbage, bean sprouts, spinach, hard-boiled eggs, bean curd, and cucumber, with prawn crackers and deep-fried onions. She also has a fruit and raw vegetable recipe with: pears, apples, lemon juice, lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, pineapple, eggs, egg noodles, and fried onions.

Log

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