Sayur Ares
Serves 1
Directions
- 1Take the banana trunk and remove the outer layers to reveal the edible core.
- 2Slice the edible core of the banana trunk.
- 3Salt the sliced banana trunk thoroughly (without water) and let it rest for 1 hour.
- 4Squeeze gently to remove excess moisture from the salted banana trunk.
- 5Toast the dry spices (cinnamon, star anise, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves).
- 6Pound the toasted dry spices into a coarse powder.
- 7Blend the fresh spices (shallots, garlic cloves, curly red chilies, big red chilies, turmeric, aromatic ginger, plant-based shrimp paste, salt & sugar) into a smooth paste.
- 8In a pot, heat coconut oil and sauté the blended fresh paste along with the pounded dry spices until fragrant.
- 9Add the aromatics (bay leaves, kaffir lime leaf, bruised lemongrass) to the pot and stir well.
- 10Toss in the banana trunk and mix to coat evenly.
- 11Pour in the thin coconut milk and let it simmer gently, uncovered, for about 1 hour, allowing the trunk to fully absorb the flavors.
- 12Add thick coconut cream at the end, stir gently, and simmer for a final 5–10 minutes until glossy and rich.
- 13Serve the Sayur Ares.
Ingredients
- 1 medium banana trunk (ares)
- Salt
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 300 ml thin coconut milk
- 100 ml thick coconut cream
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 0.5 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 cloves
- 5 shallots
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 curly red chilies
- 3 big red chilies
- 1 thumb turmeric
- 1 thumb aromatic ginger (kencur)
- 1 tbsp plant-based shrimp paste
- sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 kaffir lime leaf
- 1 stalk lemongrass (bruised)
Equipment
KnifeCutting boardStrainerPanMortar and pestleSpoonPot
Tips
- Salting the banana trunk for hours helps to tenderize the fiber.
- To let all the flavors come out, toast the dry spices.
- Pound the dry spices before blending them with the fresh spices for a smoother paste.