Soto Betawi Recipe
Soto Betawi originates from the vibrant city of Jakarta and is now recognized as a delicious Indonesian beef stew.
Ingredients
- 1 kg of fresh beef (cut into ½ inch pieces)
- 2 vegetable oil
- 3 leaves of bay
- 2 leaves of kaffir lime
- 2 stalk lemongrass (cut it into 2 pieces and bruise it)
- 500 ml of Water
- 300 ml of Fresh Milk
- 100 ml of Coconut Milk
- 1 tbsp salt (or as per your taste)
- 2 tsp sugar (or as per your taste)
- 1 roasted cinnamon stick
- 2 roasted dried star anise (roasted together with cinnamon)
- 2 large potatoes (peel them and cut them into cubes)
Ground Spices
- 2 shallots
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 3 candlenut or macadamia nuts (roast them before grinding)
- 1 tbsp of cumin seeds (roast them before grinding)
- 2 cm ginger
- 2 cm galangal
- 5 red chilies (you can add more if you are a spice lover and can skip if you prefer less spicy)
- 1 tbsp coriander seed
Topping
- 1 fresh scallion (thinly sliced)
- Fried potato cubes
- Fresh diced tomatoes
- Fresh, dried shallots (or store-bought)
- Emping or Melinjo crackers (or shrimp crackers)
- Acar (Pickle)
Instructions
- In a big saucepan, heat 3/4 tbsp oil on medium heat. Add Lemongrass, bay leaves, and kaffir lime leaves. Then sauté the crushed spices till they are aromatic. For an additional 40 seconds, sauté.
- Add the meat and cook for an additional two to three minutes. Bring Water to a boil after adding it. Add the star anise and toasted cinnamon, cover the pot, and bring the soup to a boil over high heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Turn down the heat and let the meat simmer until it is soft and well-flavoured.
- Add the coconut milk, sour cream, and fresh milk. After one minute of boiling, taste and adjust the seasoning. Cut the heat off.
- Serve the Soto Betawi hot with optional toppings such as emping or shrimp crackers, fried potato cubes, fresh tomatoes, sliced scallions, and fried dry shallots. For a filling supper, serve the dish over steaming rice.
