I found myself an old dutch cooking book which was written for professional
cooks during the colonial days in Indonesia by Abat Boerano published by
Kluwer in those days situated in Deventer, Antwerps and Jakarta. An awful
lot of recipes, with unusual ingredients like goat brain, stomach, bowels
etc.
My problem is the writer assumes the reader has a basic knowledge of old
Indonesian terms and weights

Here the recipe for Kari Oesoes (Usus nowadays?)

1 katti young bowels
1/2 teaspoon ketumbar
some djintan
2 lombok
1/8 of a coconut fried and pounded without the oil.
4 red and two white onions
some pepper,santen asem and salt.

Cook the bowels until tender with some salt, pound all other stuff. Add the
pounded stuff when the bowels are tender and cook for another half hour.

My question how much is a kattti Where some is written in the recipe it
means just as much as you like.

"JE" <biancootje> wrote in message
et...
> I found myself an old dutch cooking book which was written for
professional
> cooks during the colonial days in Indonesia by Abat Boerano published by
> Kluwer in those days situated in Deventer, Antwerps and Jakarta. An awful
> lot of recipes, with unusual ingredients like goat brain, stomach, bowels
> etc.
> My problem is the writer assumes the reader has a basic knowledge of old
> Indonesian terms and weights

i'd be interested to see more recipes from this book, are the recipes in old
Dutch or old Indonesian?

> My question how much is a kattti Where some is written in the recipe it
> means just as much as you like.

here's a breakdown of the old weights system for you.
1 tahil = 40g
2 tahils = 80g
4 tahils(1/4 kati) = 150g
8 tahils(1/2 kati) = 300g
12 tahils(3/4 kati) = 450g
16 tahils (1 kati) = 600g

ketumbar = coriander seeds
djintan or jintan can be either jintan putih/cumin seeds or jintan
manis/fennel seeds.
lombok = local grown chilli pepper from Lombok, just use a red chilli pepper
is OK.
kerisik = grated coconut shreds or desiccated coconut, the white parts
inside a coconut or also sometimes known as the flesh/meat of the coconut.
santen = coconut milk, this can either be the thick milk/cream or the
lighter coconut milk. I can explain more about this if you like & the
process of extracting it.
asem = tamarind which could be asam keping(Malay)/dried tamarind slices or
asem gelugor(Indon)/dried tamarind slices or asam jawa/tamarind pod or pulp
or asam jawa manis/duried sugared tamarind pods.
santen asem is a combined solution of coconut milk & the soaking
water/solution from asam jawa/tamarind pulp, usually for stews like your
recipe, it gives a rich but sour or sharp taste to the sauce/gravy.

hope this helps.

DC.

Thanks, the names of most of the herbs were already familiar to me but the
weights system is a great help. The book is written in dutch richly
garnished with malay words written in colonial spelling which differs a lot
from Bahasa Indonesia or Bahasa Malayu

This recipe for instance for nasi aron

Wash 2 katti beras and soak it in water for an hour. Fill up a dandang half
full with water and place the koekoesan on it. The water should just touch
the point of the koekoesan. When the water is boiling you put the beras in
the koekoesan and steam it while covered for 20 minutes. After that you put
the rice in a heated kemaron . Poor some gajongs of hot water from the
dandang on it and keep it covered for 1/2 hour. The water should cover the
rice. Stir a couple of times with the tjentong through the rice.Add water in
the dandang and make it boil again. After that put the half boiled rice in
the koekoesan again and steam until the rice is done

The oe in colonial Malay spelling usually is a U nowadays, the j can be a c
t, tj usually is c nowadays. Probably more changes are made nowadays and
maybe some of the malay words sound archaic to an Indonesian nowadays.
Anyway in this time of fast food I wonder if the taste of this nasi aron
would differ much from the plain white rice we are used to today, given the
amount of trouble to make it.

"JE" <biancootje> wrote in message
t...
> Thanks, the names of most of the herbs were already familiar to me but the
> weights system is a great help. The book is written in dutch richly
> garnished with malay words written in colonial spelling which differs a
lot
> from Bahasa Indonesia or Bahasa Malayu

Colonial spellings & even names of food/dishes are often different to what
the locals call them, sometimes they stem from pretty bad translations too :
(

> This recipe for instance for nasi aron

a wonderful explanation & one that i'm sure will be very valuable in time
for it's cultural & historical value, i would treasure that book.

> Anyway in this time of fast food I wonder if the taste of this nasi aron
> would differ much from the plain white rice we are used to today, given
the
> amount of trouble to make it.

As they say, nothing beats grandma's cooking & like all old style/village
cooking, it's hard to find it these days but on the other hand, plain boiled
white rice from commercially polished rice is so common. I know plenty of
people who go back just to eat village style foods across SE Asia. I'm one
of them : )

DC.

This one is also fun to read. I think you cannot get the first ingredient in
most countries without being arrested.

Toetoeroega (Menadonesian food)

1/2 kati of turtle meat
3 kemiri
5 red and 2 white onions
1 1/2 finger length of koenir
1 piece of djahe
3 lombok
1 piece of sereh
daon koetjai
daon venkel
daon djinten
daon selasi blanda
daon bawang
daon padan
juice of djeroek (or lemon juice)
salt

Cut the turtle meat in small pieces, pound all herbs except the leafy ones
and fry in 1 1/2 spoon of coconutoil. Add two cups of water, the turtle meat
and the cutted leaves. Make it simmer until done. Add water all the time.
This food should have as much sauce as sajoer asem has. Instead of turtle
meat chicken can also be used. Some people prepare this food with shrimps,
some cutted patatoes and pieces of boiled egg.

In et,
JE <biancootje> typed:

> This one is also fun to read. I think you cannot get the first
> ingredient in most countries without being arrested.
>
> Toetoeroega (Menadonesian food)
>
> 1/2 kati of turtle meat
> 3 kemiri
> 5 red and 2 white onions
> 1 1/2 finger length of koenir
> 1 piece of djahe
> 3 lombok
> 1 piece of sereh
> daon koetjai
> daon venkel
> daon djinten
> daon selasi blanda
> daon bawang
> daon padan
> juice of djeroek (or lemon juice)
> salt


Besides the turtle meat, I know what onions and salt are, but
nothing else in this list.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

kemiri is a kind of nut not much taste mainly oily colour white
koenir a kind of root
djahe is gingerroot
lombok is a kind of red chilipepper
sereh is lemon grass
daon koetjai (leave from ?)
daon venkel leaves from fennel
daon djinten is leaves from cumin plant
daon selasi blanda is leave from water mint
daon bawang leave from spring onions
daon padan leave from jasmine

I am not sure if koenir is the same as koenjit (malay) or haldi (india) a
root that gives a yellow color to curry
So if there is anyone who knows what koetjai is or what koenir is we can
start cooking

Jan Egbert
Individual travel Burma
http://www.home.versatel.nl/janeg.wit
Many photos made during various trips in Myanmar

google:
daon koetjai is chive
koenir I was correct it is koenjit (root from cucurma)
Good hunting

Jan Egbert
Individual travel Burma
http://www.home.versatel.nl/janeg.wit
Many photos made during various trips in Myanmar

"JE" <biancootje> wrote in message
et...
<snip>
> kemiri is a kind of nut not much taste mainly oily colour white

kemiri = candlenut, a favourite of squirrels.

> koenir a kind of root

koenir = in Malay it's called Kunyit, in English it's Turmeric. Turmeric
leaves which looks like ginger leaves are also used in watery stews or
Gulais esp. for seafood.

> daon koetjai (leave from ?)

If i'm not mistaken, this is a kind of ginger, it's also known as Cekur in
Bahasa Malayu or Kencur in Indonesian. Others call it Zedoary. But if i'm
wrong then it could also be what the Chinese call KooChai which sounds like
'koetjai'. This is Chinese chives. The Indonesians call it Kucai.

> daon selasi blanda is leave from water mint

Selasi = basil

> daon padan leave from jasmine

Pandan is more commonly known as screwpine in English & not Jasmine, it does
have a sweet pleasant aroma & is often used in Malay/Indonesian/Thai
desserts.

> So if there is anyone who knows what koetjai is or what koenir is we can
> start cooking

you can start cooking : )

DC.

daon selasi blanda literally translated means leave of dutch basil so I
think it is watermint as basil is an exotic herb in the Netherlands.
Daon padan you are completely right but as english is not my native tongue I
did not know the word screwpine

Now I am going to catch that turtle, damn they are so fast

Jan Egbert
Individual travel Burma
http://www.home.versatel.nl/janeg.wit
Many photos made during various trips in Myanmar

In et,
JE <biancootje> typed:

> kemiri is a kind of nut not much taste mainly oily colour white
> koenir a kind of root
> djahe is gingerroot
> lombok is a kind of red chilipepper
> sereh is lemon grass
> daon koetjai (leave from ?)
> daon venkel leaves from fennel
> daon djinten is leaves from cumin plant
> daon selasi blanda is leave from water mint
> daon bawang leave from spring onions
> daon padan leave from jasmine


Thanks, JE.

--
Ken Blake
Please reply to the newsgroup

"JE" <biancootje> wrote in message
et...
: I found myself an old dutch cooking book which was written for professional
: cooks during the colonial days in Indonesia by Abat Boerano published by
: Kluwer in those days situated in Deventer, Antwerps and Jakarta. An awful
: lot of recipes, with unusual ingredients like goat brain, stomach, bowels
: etc.
: My problem is the writer assumes the reader has a basic knowledge of old
: Indonesian terms and weights
:
: Here the recipe for Kari Oesoes (Usus nowadays?)
:
: 1 katti young bowels
: 1/2 teaspoon ketumbar
: some djintan
: 2 lombok
: 1/8 of a coconut fried and pounded without the oil.
: 4 red and two white onions
: some pepper,santen asem and salt.
:
: Cook the bowels until tender with some salt, pound all other stuff. Add the
: pounded stuff when the bowels are tender and cook for another half hour.
:
: My question how much is a kattti Where some is written in the recipe it
: means just as much as you like.
:
I have found in old cookery books that the author (usually a good chef) assumes
that the reader is also a chef, (together with all the experience and knowledge
that goes with it) - the recipes are often no more than an aide memoire; if
things need adjusting, the author asumes the reader knows how. How times have
changed!
cheers
Wazza

"DC." wrote:
>
> "JE" <biancootje> wrote in message
> et...
> > I found myself an old dutch cooking book which was written for
> professional
> > cooks during the colonial days in Indonesia by Abat Boerano published by
> > Kluwer in those days situated in Deventer, Antwerps and Jakarta. An awful
> > lot of recipes, with unusual ingredients like goat brain, stomach, bowels
> > etc.
> > My problem is the writer assumes the reader has a basic knowledge of old
> > Indonesian terms and weights
>
> i'd be interested to see more recipes from this book, are the recipes in old
> Dutch or old Indonesian?
>
> > My question how much is a kattti Where some is written in the recipe it
> > means just as much as you like.
>
> here's a breakdown of the old weights system for you.
> 1 tahil = 40g
> 2 tahils = 80g
> 4 tahils(1/4 kati) = 150g
> 8 tahils(1/2 kati) = 300g
> 12 tahils(3/4 kati) = 450g
> 16 tahils (1 kati) = 600g
>
> ketumbar = coriander seeds
> djintan or jintan can be either jintan putih/cumin seeds or jintan
> manis/fennel seeds.
> lombok = local grown chilli pepper from Lombok, just use a red chilli pepper
> is OK.
> kerisik = grated coconut shreds or desiccated coconut, the white parts
> inside a coconut or also sometimes known as the flesh/meat of the coconut.
> santen = coconut milk, this can either be the thick milk/cream or the
> lighter coconut milk. I can explain more about this if you like & the
> process of extracting it.
> asem = tamarind which could be asam keping(Malay)/dried tamarind slices or
> asem gelugor(Indon)/dried tamarind slices or asam jawa/tamarind pod or pulp
> or asam jawa manis/duried sugared tamarind pods.
> santen asem is a combined solution of coconut milk & the soaking
> water/solution from asam jawa/tamarind pulp, usually for stews like your
> recipe, it gives a rich but sour or sharp taste to the sauce/gravy.
>
> hope this helps.

Some trivia.....

In most of the "old markets" in the New Territories of Hong Kong,
the "katti" is still used as a measure of weight.

--
"I'm the commander -- see, I don't need to explain --
I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the
interesting thing about being the president.
Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they
say something, but I don't feel like I owe anybody
an explanation. "
- George "Dubya" Bush

"DC." wrote:
>
> "JE" <biancootje> wrote in message
> t...
> > Thanks, the names of most of the herbs were already familiar to me but the
> > weights system is a great help. The book is written in dutch richly
> > garnished with malay words written in colonial spelling which differs a
> lot
> > from Bahasa Indonesia or Bahasa Malayu
>
> Colonial spellings & even names of food/dishes are often different to what
> the locals call them, sometimes they stem from pretty bad translations too :
> (
>
> > This recipe for instance for nasi aron
>
> a wonderful explanation & one that i'm sure will be very valuable in time
> for it's cultural & historical value, i would treasure that book.
>
> > Anyway in this time of fast food I wonder if the taste of this nasi aron
> > would differ much from the plain white rice we are used to today, given
> the
> > amount of trouble to make it.
>
> As they say, nothing beats grandma's cooking & like all old style/village
> cooking, it's hard to find it these days but on the other hand, plain boiled
> white rice from commercially polished rice is so common. I know plenty of
> people who go back just to eat village style foods across SE Asia. I'm one
> of them : )

Village style food ROCKS!

Whenever I am in SE Asia thats all I try to eat.

"The Relatives" always wanted to take me to fancy/westernized places
but now they know what I want. A shack with "ah poa" (grandma)
running the show....mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!

--
"I'm the commander -- see, I don't need to explain --
I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the
interesting thing about being the president.
Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they
say something, but I don't feel like I owe anybody
an explanation. "
- George "Dubya" Bush