\'Udang santan bumbu kuning\' (prawns in yellow sauce) prepared by master chef William Wongso. (JG Photo) !
For centuries India and Indonesia have been linked through education, religion and trade, so it is no wonder they exhibit many similarities. One characteristic bringing both cultures together is undoubtably food.
To demonstrate this culinary link, last month the Jawaharlal Nehru Indian Culture Center and the Indian Embassy presented a cooking show titled “Culinary Connections — Indonesia and India.”
Headlining the event and promoting the two countries’ traditional cuisines was famous self-taught Indian chef Nina Taneja, alongside Indonesian chef and culinary expert William Wongso.
“There are a lot of culinary similarities between Indian and Indonesian cuisines, especially in the region of Sumatra,” Taneja explained. “It’s because a lot of spice trade was done between India and Sumatra.”
The Indonesian master chef agreed.
“Sumatra was the center of Indonesia and the gateway to the country in the early centuries,” William said. “Many foreign traders entered Indonesia via Sumatra.”
The similarity between Indian and Indonesian cuisine is proof of these early connections. Both cooking traditions boast rich savory flavors and are made with similar spices.
“Cloves, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, pepper and peppercorn are very common ingredients for Indian and Indonesian cuisine,” Taneja said.
Some of the spices used in today’s Sumatran food originate from India.
“ Sate Padang [satay from Padang, West Sumatra] uses a lot of klebat [fenugreek],” William said. “It turns out that the spice originates from plants living in the desert near Rajasthan, India.”
According to William, during the spice trade era, the merchants and local people exchanged spices, as well as the seeds to grow the plants. As both countries have similar climates, many of those seedlings thrived in both countries.
“The curry leaves used in a lot of Aceh’s dishes also originated from India,” William said. “I believe we [Indonesia and India] influenced one another during the spice trade,” William said, adding “unfortunately, it’s undocumented who influenced whom with what.”
During the cooking show, both chefs presented five authentic dishes from their country to an audience of around 100 women, consisting of foreign dignitaries and socialites. Each dish was tailored to match that from the other country.
For the first round, Taneja presented a delectable appetizer from New Delhi — prawns in almond and saffron sauce.
Taneja used a couple of strands of saffron, one of the most expensive spices in the world, for the sauce of the sweet-smelling appetizer.
“The best saffron comes from Kashmir [northwestern India], Afghanistan and Spain,” Taneja explained.
According to the Indian chef, saffron imparts a unique, appetizing aroma into the cuisine.
But William noted that saffron is not used in Indonesian cuisine.
Therefore the master chef produced udang santan bumbu kuning (prawns in yellow sauce) substituting the saffron with fresh turmeric to form the yellow sauce.
“It’s, of course, not as aromatic as saffron,” William said. “But it is still delicious.”
While Indonesia and India share many similar ingredients, there are some differences in processing them.
“Indians use a lot of dried spices, while Indonesians use fresh ones,” William said.
One of the most commonly used dried spices in Indian cooking is garam masala .
Typically, garam masala consists of cinnamon, cloves, cumin, cardamom and peppercorns. But the strength of each ingredient can vary from one region to another.
“We use the same spices to make garam masala, but we use different combinations of spices.” Taneja said. “It’s the different combinations and methods of cooking that make Indian foods differ from region to region.”
Both chefs then presented authentic rice dishes from their countries.
Indonesia and India both consume rice as a staple food.
Taneja presented a traditional dish of North India: yakhni pulao , made of basmati rice, yoghurt and spices.
Similarly, William produced nasi kebuli pacri nanas (marinated rice served with pineapple pickles). The dish is commonly served among Betawi (indigenous people of Jakarta) and Arabic communities in Indonesia.
Both dishes contained generous cutlets of mutton.
“We in Asia prefer mutton to lamb,” Taneja said. “The [mutton] meat is more flavorsome and not so fatty.”
The cooking demonstration concluded with both chefs presenting traditional desserts.
Taneja produced a creamy sweet yoghurt made of pistachios and saffron, while William made ampiang dadiah , a traditional dessert from Bukit Tinggi, West Sumatra. The dish was made from fermented buffalo’s milk and melinjo cakes.
“Culinary [traditions] are without borders,” William said. “We cannot say where one starts or where the other ends. We’ve influenced one another and will continue to do so. Therefore, we ought to appreciate and respect one another.”
Jawaharlal Nehru Indian Culture Center
To demonstrate this culinary link, last month the Jawaharlal Nehru Indian Culture Center and the Indian Embassy presented a cooking show titled “Culinary Connections — Indonesia and India.”
Headlining the event and promoting the two countries’ traditional cuisines was famous self-taught Indian chef Nina Taneja, alongside Indonesian chef and culinary expert William Wongso.
“There are a lot of culinary similarities between Indian and Indonesian cuisines, especially in the region of Sumatra,” Taneja explained. “It’s because a lot of spice trade was done between India and Sumatra.”
The Indonesian master chef agreed.
“Sumatra was the center of Indonesia and the gateway to the country in the early centuries,” William said. “Many foreign traders entered Indonesia via Sumatra.”
The similarity between Indian and Indonesian cuisine is proof of these early connections. Both cooking traditions boast rich savory flavors and are made with similar spices.
“Cloves, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, pepper and peppercorn are very common ingredients for Indian and Indonesian cuisine,” Taneja said.
Some of the spices used in today’s Sumatran food originate from India.
“ Sate Padang [satay from Padang, West Sumatra] uses a lot of klebat [fenugreek],” William said. “It turns out that the spice originates from plants living in the desert near Rajasthan, India.”
According to William, during the spice trade era, the merchants and local people exchanged spices, as well as the seeds to grow the plants. As both countries have similar climates, many of those seedlings thrived in both countries.
“The curry leaves used in a lot of Aceh’s dishes also originated from India,” William said. “I believe we [Indonesia and India] influenced one another during the spice trade,” William said, adding “unfortunately, it’s undocumented who influenced whom with what.”
During the cooking show, both chefs presented five authentic dishes from their country to an audience of around 100 women, consisting of foreign dignitaries and socialites. Each dish was tailored to match that from the other country.
For the first round, Taneja presented a delectable appetizer from New Delhi — prawns in almond and saffron sauce.
Taneja used a couple of strands of saffron, one of the most expensive spices in the world, for the sauce of the sweet-smelling appetizer.
“The best saffron comes from Kashmir [northwestern India], Afghanistan and Spain,” Taneja explained.
According to the Indian chef, saffron imparts a unique, appetizing aroma into the cuisine.
But William noted that saffron is not used in Indonesian cuisine.
Therefore the master chef produced udang santan bumbu kuning (prawns in yellow sauce) substituting the saffron with fresh turmeric to form the yellow sauce.
“It’s, of course, not as aromatic as saffron,” William said. “But it is still delicious.”
While Indonesia and India share many similar ingredients, there are some differences in processing them.
“Indians use a lot of dried spices, while Indonesians use fresh ones,” William said.
One of the most commonly used dried spices in Indian cooking is garam masala .
Typically, garam masala consists of cinnamon, cloves, cumin, cardamom and peppercorns. But the strength of each ingredient can vary from one region to another.
“We use the same spices to make garam masala, but we use different combinations of spices.” Taneja said. “It’s the different combinations and methods of cooking that make Indian foods differ from region to region.”
Both chefs then presented authentic rice dishes from their countries.
Indonesia and India both consume rice as a staple food.
Taneja presented a traditional dish of North India: yakhni pulao , made of basmati rice, yoghurt and spices.
Similarly, William produced nasi kebuli pacri nanas (marinated rice served with pineapple pickles). The dish is commonly served among Betawi (indigenous people of Jakarta) and Arabic communities in Indonesia.
Both dishes contained generous cutlets of mutton.
“We in Asia prefer mutton to lamb,” Taneja said. “The [mutton] meat is more flavorsome and not so fatty.”
The cooking demonstration concluded with both chefs presenting traditional desserts.
Taneja produced a creamy sweet yoghurt made of pistachios and saffron, while William made ampiang dadiah , a traditional dessert from Bukit Tinggi, West Sumatra. The dish was made from fermented buffalo’s milk and melinjo cakes.
“Culinary [traditions] are without borders,” William said. “We cannot say where one starts or where the other ends. We’ve influenced one another and will continue to do so. Therefore, we ought to appreciate and respect one another.”
Jawaharlal Nehru Indian Culture Center
