Jakarta Beef Soup (Soto Betawi)

Well, if New York has it’s cheesecake, Jakarta has it’s beef soup .  This one is my edition of the soup,  which I used ONLY meat of the cow ??! ( the original contains beef intestines too) .

The great thing about Indonesian dish is it has a lot of exotic spices and herbs. Cooking  it, is like formulating your own “love potion”, as cheesy as it sounds but really … you can almost just smell it in the air if your dish is done or has the perfect combinations of ingredients.

I’m sending this for Waiter There’s Something In My… Indonesian  over at the Spittoon Extra

Ingredients

• 1 kg sirloin beef (trancher)
• 1/2 kg small potato (cut in halves)
• 2 big tomatoes (diced)
• 500 ml coconut milk-liquid or 1 cup coconut milk powder
• 2 cups of water (if you are using liquid coconut milk) or 3 cups of water (for powder)
• 3 tbsp sunflower oil
• Juice of 1 big lemon
• 1 stick of lemongrass
• 2 lemon leaves
• 2 (Indonesian) bay leaves
• 1 medium red onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 knuckle of ginger
• 1 candle nut
• Salt

Direction

1. Make paste out of the onion, garlic, ginger and candle nut.
2. Heat the oil and saute the paste until soft.
3. Add the meat, and saute  again until the meat changes its colour.
4. Add the coconut milk, stir, add water , stir the add the lemon grass, lemon leaves and bay leaves.
5. Add the potatoes, season with salt.
6. Cook for 30 -45 minutes, stir every once a while.
7. Just before serving, add the lemon juice and fresh tomatoes.
8. Serve hot with minced green chillies (optional ), melinjo crackers and  steamed rice.

Tags: Meat, Soup