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Es palu butung with strawberry granita/ (JG Photo/Petty Elliott)
There are certainly many delicious dishes and a variety of satisfyingly cold beverages that make for a popular way to break the fast. Drinks that incorporate shaved ice are especially popular during the festive season.
In Manado, there is es kacang merah, or red bean ice. In Jakarta, we have es teler as well as many different es campur, or shaved ice often served with various tropical fruits and sugar syrup.
In the city of old van Java, Bandung’s es cendol — a cooked rice flour mixture served with pandan leaves and mixed with coconut cream, palm sugar and slices of jackfruit — is the favorite.
As for Makassar, one can find es palu butung , shaved ice served with steamed banana, which is known for its signature pink-colored sugar syrup and thick white sauce made from flour and coconut cream.
Sticking to the theme of festive beverages this week’s recipe will be es palu butung with a modern twist.
I use fresh strawberries to make the granita — a coarser, more crystalline-textured ice.
I also opted for a lighter white coconut sauce, by making it without the flour and simply using fresh young coconut flesh to provide the same texture and delicious flavor.
Es palu butung with strawberry granita
The fresh strawberry and coconut flavors make for a perfect combination when paired with steamed banana. Serves 10-12
Ingredients:
5-6 kapok or 3 ripe bananas.
2-3 tablespoons of condensed milk (optional).
Strawberry granita: 450g of fresh ripe strawberries, hulled and cut into halves; 175g of sugar; 3 tablespoons of lime juice; 600ml water; you will also need 2 ice cream containers, each with a 500ml capacity.
For the thick young coconut sauce: 150ml of coconut cream (homemade preferably but tinned coconut is also acceptable); coconut flesh from 4 young coconuts.
For the strawberry compote: 600g of fresh strawberries, wash and quarter half of the strawberries and put the other half into a blender to make the juice, 4 tablespoons of sugar; 50ml of lime juice; 100ml water; 1 vanilla pod, sliced lengthwise to remove the vanilla beans.
Directions:
1. For the banana, simply steam the whole fruit with the skin on until soft.
2. To prepare the granita put the strawberries in a colander and briefly rinse. Dry with a kitchen towel.
3. Place the strawberries in a food processor, add the sugar and puree. After, add the water and lime juice. Blend again for a few seconds.
4. Pour the mixture into the ice cream container, cover with the lid and place in the freezer for 2 hours. By that time, the mixture should have begun to freeze around the edges and the base of the container.
5. Take a large fork and mix the frozen mixture into the unfrozen one. Then re-cover and repeat until the entire mixture is frozen. Leave it overnight.
6. For the coconut sauce, simply put the young coconut flesh and coconut cream into a blender, and blend until it becomes a very smooth and thick cream texture. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and place it in the refrigerator.
7. For the strawberry compote, simply combine all the ingredients into a pan, bring to the boil and turn the heat on to a low-medium temperature until sugar is dissolved and the vanilla is infused. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the texture is approaching a syrupy texture. Set aside to cool.
8. To serve, prepare 10-12 large glasses or small glass bowls. Scrap the granita and serve it into the glasses, add 5-7 slices of banana and then a tablespoon of thick coconut sauce to drizzle over the strawberry compote. Garnish with the mint leaves, and serve immediately.
The post Food for Thought: Es Palu Butung With Strawberry Granita appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.