Kecap manis

Ingredients

Preparation time: 10 minutes + 30 minutes steeping

• 2 lemongrass stalks, the white part
• 6 lime leaves
• 2 star anise
• 4 cm galangal
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 175 g Javanese sugar
• 2 tbsp. Tomasu soy sauce

Photography - Remko Kraaijeveld

Preperation 

1. Crush the lemongrass in the mortar and tear the lime leaves. Crush the star anise, galangal and cinnamon stick by hitting them a few times with the pestle of the mortar.
2. Put the Javanese sugar with 3 tablespoons of water and the spices in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Let it boil for 5 minutes and remove from the heat. Let it steep for another 30 minutes and strain the substance.

3. Mix the soy sauce through the cooled sugar syrup. If it is good, it tastes nice and savoury, but sweet is the dominant note. The proportions may be slightly different with another brand of soy sauce. So use Tomasu's, then you know you are doing well!

   Use the homemade kecap manis to marinate, as a condiment or make sambal kecap with it.

Photography - Remko Kraaijeveld