Foods with strong spices, the theme for Potluck No. 8 organized by ACMI made a lot of its members thought very hard on what to cook for the event.

ACMI (Aku Cinta Masakan Indonesia/I love Indonesian Cuisine), is a community with a vision to preserve, develop, document and disseminate a wealth of information on traditional culinary culture of Indonesia. 

Initiated by culinary connoisseur William Wongso and food scientist Santhi Serad, ACMI attracts food lovers through its regular activities ranging from potluck and market tour to culinary diplomacy and cooking clinics.

We, at Omar Niode Foundation, decided to bring Kua Bugis Gorontalo, the ultimate spiced dish in the region that we love. Kua Bugis, is some kind of a rich beef soup using beef or poultry with all kinds of herbs and spices imaginable. This cuisine is commonly served in weddings, family gatherings and special events.

Preparing Kua Bugis, a comfort food for many, is a family affair as it takes a long time and many people to grind the herbs and spices and to wait for the meat to become tender.

We had to consult aunties in Gorontalo who often cook this delicacy to learn about the process. The original Kua Bugis is blackish, due to the grated, toasted and grinded coconut. This ingredient also differentiates Kua Bugis from Rawon Surabaya (an East Java cuisine with its black broth coming from black nuts). 

It took 3 hours and 6 people to have the Kua Bugis ready for presentation at ACMI’s potluck. Ours was not as black as the traditional one because we were afraid of over toasting the grated coconut.

We had Burasa, rice cakes from Makassar in South Sulawesi as the perfect companion to our Kua Bugis and served the dish with sprinkles of fried shallots.

Many Indonesian foods are influenced by Indian and Arabian cuisines, ACMI stated, hence the theme Foods with Strong Spices for the potluck.

The tasting part of the potluck, was the highlight of the evening. Armed with a piece of paper we each wrote down our favorite foods of the evening. Going from one plate to the other, 15 dishes all together, we were amazed by the variety of Indonesian foods and their exquisite tastes.

It was really hard to figure out what spices were used in each as some of the dishes had 10 or even 20 different spices. Members enthusiastically explained about the process of preparing their foods as well as the story behind each dish.

At the end of the gathering, ACMI officials revealed their choices: Laksa Tanjung Pinang (noodle and fish soup cooked with 20 diferent spices) by Tria Nuragustina, food editor at Femina Magazine; Mie Gomak (traditional noodle dish from North Sumatera) by Valentina Limbong, a food stylist and food writer; and Ayam Rempah (shredded spicy chicken) by Caroline Prasetyana.

We were ecstatic when the people's favorites were announced: Kua Bugis Gorontalo by Omar Niode Foundation and Samosa by Dante.

In preparing Kua Bugis Gorontalo for the potluck, as in most traditional foods, the key is not in the precise measurements of the ingredients but tasting as we cooked, adding more herbs and spices as we see fit.

However, the following recipe for Kua Bugis Gorontalo, from a recipe book titled Menu Khas Daerah Gorontalo (Typical Menu of Gorontalo Area)  courtesy of Dr. Arifasno Napu et.al. will give our readers an idea on what is involved in the process.

INGREDIENTS

• Beef 300 gr • Tetelan (bones with a bit of adhering meat) or short ribs 500 gr • Coconut oil 30 gr • 100 grams of coconut, grated, toasted and grinded • Lime 1 piece • Basil leaves 1 sprig • Spring onion 1 stalk • Lime leaves to taste • Tamarind to taste

HERBS & SPICES

• Chili pepper 10 pieces ( 25 gr ) • Bird’s eye chili 10 pieces • Pepper 1 tsp ( 25 gr ) • Garlic 5 pieces ( 25 gr ) • Shallot 10 pieces ( 30 gr ) • Ginger ½ knuckle • Turmeric ½ knuckle • Galangal ½ knuckle • Tomatoes 5 pieces • Lemongrass 2 stalks • Candle nut 5 pieces • Coriander 2 tbsp • Cumin 1 tbsp cumin

INSTRUCTION

1. Clean and cut meat and tetelan into pieces with sizes according to preference 2. Boil water, add meat and tetelan pieces, boil until cooked 3. Grind and blend all herbs and spices, except galangal and lemongrass (crushed) 4. Sauté the blend until fragrant, pour coconut and boiled meat, add enough water 5. Cook until the meat is juicy and tender, add sliced basil leaves, spring onions, lime leaves and freshly squeezed lime. 6. Remove and serve.

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Images: Omar Niode Foundation