Semur (Indonesian stew)

Last updated
Semur
Semur Daging Kentang.JPG
Semur daging with potatoes, sprinkled with fried shallots
Alternative namesSmoor (Dutch dialect)
CourseMain course
Place of origin Indonesia
Region or stateSoutheast Asia
Serving temperatureHot or room temperature
Main ingredientsBeef and potatoes simmered in sweet soy sauce, with garlic, shallot, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon, topped with fried shallot
Variations Beef tongue, chicken, tofu, eggs, fish

Semur is an Indonesian meat stew (mainly beef) braised in thick brown gravy. It is commonly found in Indonesian cuisine. [1] The main ingredients in the gravy are sweet soy sauce, shallots, onions, garlic, ginger, candlenut, nutmeg, and cloves (and sometimes with black pepper, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon). [2]

Contents

Sweet soy sauce and candlenuts are the most important ingredients in the semur-making process because they serve to strengthen the flavor, yet they must be blended harmoniously with the other ingredients. In addition to the spices and seasonings, semur also consists of a wide range of main ingredients with variation in presentation, such as meat (mainly beef), beef tongue, [3] potato, tofu, tomato, tempeh, eggs, chicken, and fish, and is often sprinkled with fried shallots or other variations according to the taste preferences of the communities in each region.

Etymology

Semur is derived from the Dutch verb "smoren", which means "to braise food". [4]

History and origins

Meat dishes of Indonesia sold in Netherlands, rendang, smoor, and Bali-style meat Daging dishes.jpg
Meat dishes of Indonesia sold in Netherlands, rendang , smoor, and Bali-style meat

History shows that the dish of marinated boiled meat in Indonesia has been known since the 9th century CE in ancient Java. This can be seen from some of the inscriptions, and reliefs of the temples in Java that tell "Ganan, hadanan prana wdus" or "buffaloes and goats served with vegetables". However, whether the buffalo and goat meat mentioned in these records was the same dishes as stews today is still uncertain. [5]

For centuries, Indonesia has attracted world traders for its natural resources. Exotic flavors of Indonesian spices such as nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon have attracted traders. Foreign traders and immigrants brought their culture, which gradually blended into everyday Indonesian culture. This assimilation has developed a blend of traditions of the archipelago, including culinary. The European Dutch colonial is believed to have brought the stewing technique [6] and combined it with local spices and local sweet soy sauce, dark soy sauce with caramelized palm sugar, and various spices added, which has become one of the most popular flavours. [7] The particular flavor of Indonesian spices combined with a variety of foreign food processing techniques has resulted in the creation of unique dishes such as semur, which existed since 1600.

Centuries of interactions between the Netherlands and Indonesia have contributed to the development of the stew's flavor. Javanese stew which in earlier served as the main menu in the banquet of the Dutch is derived from the word smoor (Dutch: "stew"). [8] Smoor in Dutch means food that has simmered with tomatoes and onions in a long cooking process. One of the oldest and most cookbook recipes complete document in the Dutch East Indies, Groot Nieuw Oost-Indisch Volledig Kookboek published in 1902, contains six recipes stew (Smoor Ajam I, Ajam Smoor II, Smoor Ajam III, Smoor Bandjar van Kip, Smoor Bantam van Kip, Solosche Smoor van Kip). This book asserts that the later smoor stew was the kitchen cooking method developed in Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) by the Eurasian. [9]

Over time, semur was incorporated into Indonesian tradition and served in a variety of traditional events. Javanese with their preference for sweet dishes has favoured semur and consider it as part of Javanese cuisine. [10] Betawi people in Jakarta have adopted semur as part of their tradition that is always served during Lebaran , weddings, and any important celebrations. [11] Betawi people like to cook dogfruit with spices and soy sauce to make semur jengkol (dogfruit stew). [12] Not only Betawi culture, semur also often appeared at celebration events in various parts of the archipelago such as Kalimantan and Sumatra, with the flavor and appearance that suit local tastes.

At first, semur was associated with the beef that is processed in thick brown gravy. However it was later developed into various ingredients and recipes; ox tongue, mutton, chicken, eggs, also for vegetable products, such as tofu, tempeh, eggplant, and others. Semur has become a daily dishes served in Indonesian households and can be found in various parts of Indonesia.

Semur might be served individually with rice, lontong , or as part of the whole complete meal of rijsttafel , buffet, or as one of the side dishes in tumpeng , nasi uduk or nasi rames .

Varieties of semur

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satay</span> Indonesian dish of spicy seasoned, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce

Satay, or sate in Indonesian spelling, is a Southeast Asian form of kebab made from seasoned, skewered and barbecued meat, served with a sauce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indonesian cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Indonesia

Indonesian cuisine is a collection of various regional culinary traditions that formed in the archipelagic nation of Indonesia. There are a wide variety of recipes and cuisines in part because Indonesia is composed of approximately 6,000 populated islands of the total 17,508 in the world's largest archipelago, with more than 1,300 ethnic groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fried rice</span> Asian rice dish

Fried rice is a dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and is usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood, or meat. It is often eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to another dish. Fried rice is a popular component of East Asian, Southeast Asian and certain South Asian cuisines, as well as a staple national dish of Indonesia. As a homemade dish, fried rice is typically made with ingredients left over from other dishes, leading to countless variations. Fried rice first developed during the Sui Dynasty in China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rijsttafel</span> Indonesian rice table buffet

Rijsttafel, a Dutch word that literally translates to "rice table", is an Indonesian elaborate meal adapted by the Dutch following the hidang presentation of nasi padang from the Padang region of West Sumatra. It consists of many side dishes served in small portions, accompanied by rice prepared in several different ways. Popular side dishes include egg rolls, sambals, satay, fish, fruit, vegetables, pickles, and nuts. In most areas where it is served, such as the Netherlands, and other areas of strong Dutch influence, it is known under its Dutch name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasi uduk</span> Indonesian traditional coconut rice

Nasi uduk is an Indonesian-style steamed rice cooked in coconut milk dish, especially popular in Betawi cuisine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese Indonesian cuisine</span> Cuisine of the people of Chinese Indonesians

Chinese Indonesian cuisine is characterized by the mixture of Chinese with local Indonesian style. Chinese Indonesians, mostly descendant of Han ethnic Hokkien and Hakka speakers, brought their legacy of Chinese cuisine, and modified some of the dishes with the addition of Indonesian ingredients, such as kecap manis, palm sugar, peanut sauce, chili, santan and local spices to form a hybrid Chinese-Indonesian cuisine. Some of the dishes and cakes share the same style as in Malaysia and Singapore, known as Nyonya cuisine by the Peranakan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasi goreng</span> "Fried rice" in Indonesian and Malay

Nasi goreng is a Southeast Asian fried rice dish, usually cooked with pieces of meat and vegetables. One of Indonesia's national dishes, it is also eaten in Malay-speaking communities in countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, and has gained popularity in Sri Lanka through migrations from the Indonesian Archipelago, in countries like Suriname via Indonesian immigrant communities, and in the Netherlands through its colonial ties with Indonesia. Nasi goreng is distinguished from other Asian fried rice preparations by its distinct smoky aroma, and caramelised yet savoury undertones of flavour. There is no single defined recipe for nasi goreng, and its composition and preparation varies greatly from household to household.

<i>Lontong</i> Indonesian traditional rice cake

Lontong is an Indonesian dish made of compressed rice cake in the form of a cylinder wrapped inside a banana leaf, commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Rice is rolled inside a banana leaf and boiled, then cut into small cakes as a staple food replacement for steamed rice. The texture is similar to that of ketupat, with the difference being that the ketupat container is made from woven janur fronds, while lontong uses banana leaf instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Javanese cuisine</span> Cuisine of the Javanese people, Indonesia

Javanese cuisine is the cuisine of Javanese people, a major ethnic group in Indonesia, more precisely the province of Central Java, Yogyakarta and East Java.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sundanese cuisine</span> Cuisine of the Sundanese people, Indonesia

Sundanese cuisine is the cuisine of the Sundanese people of Western Java, and Banten, Indonesia. It is one of the most popular foods in Indonesia. Sundanese food is characterised by its freshness; the famous lalab eaten with sambal and also karedok demonstrate the Sundanese fondness for fresh raw vegetables. Unlike the rich and spicy taste, infused with coconut milk and curry of Minangkabau cuisine, the Sundanese cuisine displays the simple and clear taste; ranged from savoury salty, fresh sourness, mild sweetness, to hot and spicy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betawi cuisine</span> Cuisine of the Betawi people of Jakarta, Indonesia

Betawi cuisine is rich, diverse and eclectic, in part because the Betawi people that create them were composed from numbers of regional immigrants that came from various places in the Indonesian archipelago, as well as Chinese, Indian, Arab, and European traders, visitors and immigrants that were attracted to the port city of Batavia since centuries ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soto (food)</span> Traditional Indonesian soup

Soto is a traditional Indonesian soup mainly composed of broth, meat, and vegetables. Many traditional soups are called soto, whereas foreign and Western influenced soups are called sop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulai</span> Indonesian curry dish

Gulai is a class of spicy and rich stew commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The main ingredients of the dish are usually poultry, goat meat, beef, mutton, various kinds of offal, fish, and seafood, as well as vegetables such as cassava leaves, unripe jackfruit, and banana stem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gado-gado</span> Indonesian salad dish

Gado-gado is an Indonesian salad of raw, slightly boiled, blanched or steamed vegetables and hard-boiled eggs, boiled potato, fried tofu and tempeh, and sliced lontong, served with a peanut sauce dressing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweet soy sauce</span> Sweetened aromatic soy sauce, originating from Java, Indonesia

Sweet soy sauce is a sweetened aromatic soy sauce, originating in Indonesia, which has a darker color, a viscous syrupy consistency, and a molasses-like flavor due to the generous addition of palm sugar or jaggery. Kecap manis is widely used with satay. It is similar to, though finer in flavor than, Chinese Tianmian sauce (tianmianjiang). It is by far the most popular type of soy sauce employed in Indonesian cuisine and accounts for an estimated 90 percent of the nation's total soy sauce production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayam kecap</span> Indonesian chicken dish

Ayam kecap or ayam masak kicap is an Indonesian Javanese chicken dish poached or simmered in sweet soy sauce commonly found in Indonesia, and Malaysia

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babi kecap</span> Indonesian braised pork dish

Babi kecap is an Indonesian braised pork with sweet soy sauce. It is a Chinese Indonesian classic, due to its simplicity and popularity among Chinese Indonesian households. It is also popular among non-Muslim Indonesians, such as the Balinese, Ambonese, Bataks, Minahasans, and Dayaks, and in the Netherlands among the Indo-Dutch, where it is known as babi ketjap, owing to colonial ties with Indonesia. In the Netherlands, the dish might also be served within an opulent rijsttafel banquet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tahu campur</span> Indonesian tofu dish from East Java

Tahu campur, literally meaning "mixed tofu" in Javanese language and broader Indonesian language, is an East Javanese tofu dish. The dish consists of sliced tahu goreng, lontong, lentho or sometimes replaced by perkedel, fresh bean sprouts, fresh lettuce, yellow noodles, and krupuk crackers, served in savoury beef stew, garnished with fried onions, and sambal chili sauce. The beef stew soup is seasoned with spices and petis, a type of shrimp paste commonly used in East Javanese cuisine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indo cuisine</span> Fusion of Indonesian and European cuisine

Indo cuisine is a fusion cooking and cuisine tradition, mainly existing in Indonesia and the Netherlands, as well as Belgium, South Africa and Suriname. This cuisine characterized of fusion cuisine that consists of original Indonesian cuisine with Eurasian-influences—mainly Dutch, also Portuguese, Spanish, French and British—and vice versa. Nowaday, not only Indo people consume Indo cuisine, but also Indonesians and Dutch people.

References

  1. "Indonesian flavors spice up Moscow". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  2. Ganie, Suryatini N. (2009). 27 Resep Hidangan Nasi Khas Indonesia not Only Nasi Goreng (in Indonesian). Gramedia Pustaka Utama. ISBN   9789792244519.
  3. Tengker, Vindex (2017-05-15). Ngelencer ke Yogyakarta (in Indonesian). Gramedia Pustaka Utama. ISBN   9786020353425.
  4. "Translate 'smoren' from Dutch to English". m.interglot.com. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  5. "Inilah Makanan Orang Jawa Kuno". Historia - Obrolan Perempuan Urban (in Indonesian). 30 December 2017. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  6. "Weekly 5: A crash course in Betawi cuisine". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  7. Shurtleff, William; Huang, H. T.; Aoyagi, Akiko (2014-06-22). History of Soybeans and Soyfoods in China and Taiwan, and in Chinese Cookbooks, Restaurants, and Chinese Work with Soyfoods Outside China (1024 BCE to 2014): Extensively Annotated Bibliography and Sourcebook, Including Manchuria, Hong Kong and Tibet. Soyinfo Center. ISBN   9781928914686.
  8. "These 7 Popular Indonesian Foods Have Dutch 'Relatives'". Global Indonesian Voices - GIV. 2018-03-11. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  9. wongjava (September 27, 2011). "Javanese Beef Stew Semur". The Javanese. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  10. "Javanese beef stew/ Semur daging". What To Cook Today. 2015-09-11. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  11. "Semur Betawi | Indonesia Eats | Authentic Online Indonesian Food Recipes". indonesiaeats.com. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  12. "More to 'jengkol' than bad smell". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  13. "Semur Ayam". Bango.
  14. "Malaysia, Singapore to Participate in Indonesian Jengkol Festival" . Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  15. "Semur Lidah | Indonesia Eats | Authentic Online Indonesian Food Recipes". indonesiaeats.com. 9 February 2009. Retrieved 2018-05-11.