If you’ve been to Indonesia, or have the pleasure of living here like I do, you’ll know that nasi is one of the go-to staples of every day eating. It’s Indonesia’s spaghetti, you could say, with just as many variations as you might expect.
Nasi campur definitely wins in terms of overall fame, but one of its lesser known siblings, nasi lewit – coconut braised chicken with rice and condiments – is actually one of the best.
When I was in Jogja shooting the first episode of my new show Street Food Chef, I got a chance to tuck into a bowl of it at the Beringharjo market, and was reminded of just how much I enjoy it.
Beringharjo is the biggest market in Jogja and the morning I was there it was packed! The vibe was chaotic – even entering the parking lot was kind of crazy, with each driver having to navigate through whizzing cards, horses, beggars, musicians strumming guitars, street hawkers and vendors, piles of rubbish.
In the midst of all this, the ibu-ibus who are cooking and dishing up are all very laid back – steady and calm. Surprisingly, there doesn’t really seem to be a lot of competition between them, the way you’d expect; instead they all help each other and point each other out, to make sure I tried other things too. It’s all smiles, which is something you see in regions that haven’t been completely taken over by Western tourism, the way Bali has.
It’s mornings like that which really help to tell the stories of street food.
Every time I have a plate of nasi lewit it takes me back to all the places I’ve eaten it: whether it’s handed out in paper-wrapped cones while we sit street-side on plastic stools, or dished up on chipped old plates in a warung, it’s usually always good.
While we were filming this episode of Street Food Chef, my co-host Ramita and I started doing the twist to some songs a local band was playing. It was such a perfect, totally spontaneous moment of fun. Food is all about the senses, and if I have to get up and dance because what we’re eating is so damn good then that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
So, let’s get into the recipe. This is one of those dishes that sums up the concept of food in the Jogjakarta region: the fragrant coconut rice, the sweetness of the coconut milk braised chicken (though I have to be honest, I like it less sweet than most versions you find) and the spicy kick of the choko sambals.
Don’t get nervous when you’re looking at the recipe – it looks complicated, but it’s actually not. The key is to make the spice pastes first, so you have them sorted, and then knock out the different elements next. Once you try it you’ll realize it’s pretty easy.
Traditionally it’s done with choko, which is one of those summer vegetables that grows like crazy and you never seem to know what to do with, other than make relish with it. I love choko though, the texture is perfect for this nasi. If you can’t find any choko, don’t worry, any kind of large summer squash will work.
There are a few other specialty ingredients in this recipe that you’ll need to seek out, like solid coconut palm sugar, fresh salam leaves and candlenuts.
I’m going to be posting a new regional Indonesian recipe every week on the blog, so if you’re keen to come along for the ride and get cooking with me, it’s really worth seeking out a couple of good local suppliers where ever you live: the local Asian wet market is a great place to start, especially for fresh leaves and roots such as galangal, and a quality Asian specialty store will either have, or be able to source, whatever you need.
***Note: The photos above is of Nasi Lewit Pecil, that is to say, it’s the version I had at the market in Jogja, served in a newspaper and eaten by hand either seated or on the go
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