A deep and fragrant Javanese stew featuring a distinctive black broth from kluwek nuts, tender braised beef, and warming spices. Served alongside rice, fresh bean sprouts, lime wedges, and fried shallots, it is rich, comforting, and deeply aromatic.
Ingredients
- 800 g beef chuck roast or stew beef
- 1.8 l water
- 1 piece rawon spice paste
- 5 pieces fermented kluwek nuts
- 6 pieces shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 pieces unsalted macadamia nuts
- 15 g fresh ginger
- 10 g fresh turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 sprigs lemongrass
- 30 g fresh galangal
- 4 leaves makrut lime leaves
- 2 leaves Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam)
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tsp palm sugar
- to taste fine salt
- 600 g cooked jasmine rice
- 150 g fresh bean sprouts
- 2 pieces salted duck eggs or hard-boiled eggs
- 2 pieces scallions
- 4 tbsp fried shallots
- 1 piece lime wedges
Method
- Cut the beef into uniform cubes, then transfer to a large Dutch oven with the cold water. Bring gently to a simmer over medium heat and skim off any foam to ensure a clean broth.
- While the broth heats, prepare the rawon spice paste. Saute until it turns deep and glossy with a fragrant, toasted aroma and no raw garlic or shallot pungency.
- Stir the spice paste into the pot along with the bruised lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, and Indonesian bay leaves (daun salam), mixing until the broth turns deep black.
- Simmer gently with the lid slightly ajar until the meat begins to turn tender and the earthy kluwek flavor rounds out without any harsh bitterness.
- Stir in the tamarind paste, palm sugar, and fine salt. Continue simmering until the beef is fork-tender and the broth has reduced slightly.
- Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning: it should be savory, complex, lightly tangy, and subtly sweet, without overpowering the beef flavor.
- Quickly blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water or leave them raw for maximum crunch. Slice the scallions, halve the eggs, and cut the limes into wedges for serving.
- Ladle the steaming rawon into bowls and serve with jasmine rice, garnishing with bean sprouts, eggs, scallions, crispy fried shallots, and lime wedges to squeeze over right before eating.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 476.1 kcal
- Protein
- 35.2 g
- Carbohydrate
- 40.05 g
- Fat
- 19.93 g
- Fibre
- 3.36 g
- Calcium
- 30.46 mg
- Iron
- 1.73 mg
- Magnesium
- 18.3 mg
