Lontongis anIndonesian dishmade of compressedrice cakein the form of acylinderwrapped inside abanana leaf,[1][2]commonly found inIndonesia,Malaysia,andSingapore.Rice is rolled inside a banana leaf and boiled, then cut into small cakes as a staple food replacement forsteamed rice.The texture is similar to that ofketupat,with the difference being that theketupatcontainer is made from wovenjanur(youngcoconutleaf) fronds, whilelontonguses banana leaf instead.
 A traditional way of serving lontong | |
| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Indonesia[1] |
| Region or state | Southeast Asia |
| Associatedcuisine | Indonesia,MalaysiaandSingapore |
| Serving temperature | Room temperature |
| Main ingredients | Compressed rice cooked inbanana leaf |
| Variations | Various |
| Similar dishes | Burasa,ketupat,lemang,lepet |
It is commonly callednasi himpit(lit. "pressed rice" ) inMalaysia,despite being created using other methods.[3]
Arem-aremis a smaller version oflontong,filled with vegetables and occasionally meat, eaten as a snack.
The dish is usually served hot or at room temperature withpeanut sauce-based dishes such asgado-gado,karedok,ketoprak,other traditional salads, andsatay.[2]It can be eaten as an accompaniment tococonut milk-based soups, such aslontong sayur,soto,gulai,andcurries.[4]It is also used as an alternative tovermicellinoodles.
History
editThe origin oflontongis fromketupat.But there was another theory that said chicken and vegetable-stuffed version oflontong(arem-arem) was a local adaptation of the original Chinesebakcangbut modified to be halal and long-cylindrical shaped after the arrival of Islam in Java. Both are made from the main ingredient of steamed rice in a banana leaf wrapper or young coconut leaf. Initially,lontongwas only considered as ordinary food. However, after the spread ofIslamtoJava,the tradition of eatinglontongandketupatbegan.Sunan Kalijagawas the first to introducelontongto Javanese people, includingketupat.This is part of theda'wahcarried out by Sunan Kalijaga at that time.Lontongis often served withGulai sauceand vegetables,chayote,tempeh,tofu,tauco,boiled egg,sambal,andkrupukcrackers.[5][6]
Preparation
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Lontongis traditionally made by boiling the rice until it is partially cooked and packing it tightly into a rolled-upbanana leaf.The leaf is secured withlidi semat,a wooden needle made from the central rib of coconut leaf, and cooked in boiling water for about 90 minutes. Once the compacted rice has cooled, it can be cut up into bite-sized pieces. Outer parts oflontongusually have a greenish color because of the chlorophyll left by the banana leaf rubbing off on the rice cake surface.
Alternative ways of cookinglontonginclude placing uncooked rice into amuslinbag and then letting the water seep in and cause the rice to form a solid mass.[7]Another popular and easier method is by using commercially available plastic pouches; rice-filled and punctured with a needle to create small holes to allow the water to seep into the package, which are then boiled until the rice becomes cooked and has filled up the pouch. This method was meant to imitate the banana leaf's liquid permeability. Nevertheless, the use of organic banana leaves is highly recommended for better health[citation needed]and ecological reasons.[dubious–discuss]
On the other hand, Malaysiannasi himpit(lit. 'pressed rice') is traditionally created differently. The method is more a mechanical pressure than applying permeable boiling technique; freshly cooked rice is compressed for a few hours between two heavy stone slabs or two trays with a heavy weight on top to producenasi himpit.However,nasi himpitis now usually speedily produced in water-permeable plastic sachets filled with rice and boiled in water.
Dishes
editJust like rice, the taste oflontongis bland and neutral, and it depends on other ingredients to give a taste through spices and sauces. Commonly,lontongserves as a compact alternative to steamed rice. It can be served with almost any traditional dish recipe as a staple food, but often is eaten withpeanut sauceorcoconut milk-based soup.
Indonesia
editLontong sayur
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In Indonesia, especially amongBetawi people,lontong usually served aslontong sayur,pieces of lontong served in coconut milk soup with shreddedchayote,tempeh,tofu,hard-boiled egg,sambal,andkerupuk.[4]Lontong sayuris related and quite similar toKetupat sayurand is a favourite breakfast menu next tobubur ayamandnasi uduk.
Lontong balap
editIn Surabaya,lontong balapis made fromlontong,taoge(bean sprouts), fried tofu,lentho(fried mashed beans), fried shallots,sambal petisand sweet soy sauce. East Javaneselontongandtofurecipes are known for their distinctive flavour, acquired from a generous amount ofpetis(a type of shrimp paste).[8]
Lontong cap go meh
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The more elaborate recipe oflontongislontong cap go meh,aPeranakanChinese Indonesianadaptation of traditionalIndonesian dishes,lontong served with richopor ayam,sayur lodeh,sambal goreng ati(beef liver in sambal),acar,telur pindang(hard boiledtea egg),abon(beef floss), andkoyapowder (mixture of soy and dried shrimp powder).Lontong cap go mehis usually consumed by the Chinese Indonesian community duringthe Cap go mehcelebration.
Lontong dekem
editLontong dekem is originated fromPemalang Regency,Central Java. The process involves soaking the lontong in soup until it is submerged hence the namedekemmeaning "immersion" in Pemalang Javanese dialect.
Lontong kari
editLontong kariis lontong served in soupy chickencurryand vegetables. It is become specialty breakfast ofParahyanganregion.[9]Kari was first brought to Indonesia by Buddhist monks from India.[10]
Lontong bengkalis
editLontong bengkalis fromBengkalis Regency,Riau,consists of lontong, jackfruit soup, and peanut sauce. It is also sprinkled with anchovies and slices of green bird's eye chili.[11]
Lontong gulai pakis
editInWest Sumatra,aMinang dishfromPadang Pariamanis calledlontong gulai pakis,lontong served with youngfernleavesgulai.Usually served with hard-boiled eggs andkerupuk jangekorkrupuk kulit(cow skin crackers).
Lontong kikil
editLontong kikilis lontong serve in spicycow's trotterssoup and vegetables.[4]
Lontong kupang
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Another lontong recipes arelontong kupangandlontong balapfromSurabayaandSidoarjoarea inEast Java.Lontong kupangis made oflontongserved withsmall white clams.
Lontong krubyuk
editLontong krubyukis a traditionalKarimunjawadish. The termlontong krubyukitself comes from the Javanese languagekrubyukorngrubyukmeans walking in water or puddles. This name corresponds to the appearance of a dish that contains a lot of gravy. A serving oflontong krubyukcomes withlontong,half-cooked bean sprouts, sliced celery leaves, and shredded chicken stew, and then poured with broth.[12]
Lontong mie
editLontong mieis one of the popular dishes inSurabaya.It consists of slices oflontong,yellow noodles, fried tofu,petis(shrimp paste sauce), bean sprouts,lento(black-eyed pea fritter), and fried shallots.[13]
Lontong pical
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Lontong picalis aMinangfood. It is rice cake with noodles and vegetables smothered in thin peanut sauce also sprinkled withkrupuk.[14]
Lontong tahu
editAlontongdish fromBlora,Central Java.It is made of slices oflontong,fried tofu, and peanut sauce and served on a teak leaf plate.[15]
Lontong tuyuhan
editLontong tuyuhanis slices of rice cake with chicken and coconut milk soup. It is a delicacy ofRembang Regency.[16]
Arem-arem
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Arem-aremis the smaller sizelontongfilled with diced vegetables such ascarrot,common bean,andpotatoseasoned with salt and red chili, or tofu,oncom,andtempeh;sometimes also filled with minced meat orabon(beef floss), are eaten as a snack. The rice is flavored withcoconut milk.This kind of snack is calledarem-areminJavanese,but commonly called simplylontongorlontong isiin other parts of Indonesia. It is a common snack in Java, and quite similar tolemper,but use common rice instead of sticky ricelemper.It usually uses a thin young banana leaf as a wrapper, a thin light yellow-green colored banana leaf.Lontongon the other hand, usually uses thicker mature banana leaves. The texture ofarem-aremsnacks is softer compared to those of commonlontong,due to the thinner banana leaf, addition of coconut milk, and prolonged boiling and steaming period.
Malaysia and Singapore
editIt is commonly callednasi himpit(lit. "pressed rice" ) inMalaysia,and unlike lontong,nasi himpitis created by pressing rice overnight.[3]Thelontongrice cake is cut into smaller pieces, these rice cake pieces are known asnasi himpit(compressed rice). The termlontongin Malaysia and Singapore usually refers to a dish that consists of rice cakes in a coconut-based soup such assayur lodehcontaining shrimp and vegetables like chopped cabbage, turnip, and carrots. Additional condiments are added either during cooking or in individual servings. These include things such as fried tempeh, fried tofu, boiled eggs, dried cuttlefishsambal,fried spicy shredded coconut (serunding kelapa), fried chicken, etc.
Nasi himpitis also an accompaniment to satay and is eaten with peanut sauce. In the east coast states of Peninsular Malaysia,nasi himpitis eaten with peanut sauce (kuah kacang) for breakfast.Nasi himpitis also one of the ingredients in the Malaysian version of chickensoto.
See also
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References
edit- ^ab"Lontong (Indonesian rice cakes in banana leaves)".What To Cook Today.2016-04-01.Retrieved2018-06-26.
- ^abPepy Nasution (October 11, 2010)."Lontong (Indonesian Rice Cake)".Indonesiaeats.Retrieved28 September2012.
- ^ab"Sama Tapi Tak Serupa - Ketupat, Lemang & Nasi Impit".maggi.my(in Malay). 14 July 2015.
- ^abcNyonya Rumah, Julie (2015-09-28).180 Recipes Complete Menus of Indonesian Kitchens(in Indonesian). Gramedia Pustaka Utama.ISBN9786020321103.
- ^"Asal-usul Lontong, Kuliner Legendaris Indonesia Lintas Generasi",okemom
- ^"Sejarah Asal Usul Makanan Lontong",kumpulansejaraH
- ^Ingram, Christine (2003),Rice and Risotto,London, UK: Hermes House,ISBN1-84309-574-2.
- ^"Cara Membuat Lontong Balap Surabaya".Resep Nasional(in Indonesian). 24 March 2023.
- ^"Lontong Kari, Sarapan Gurih dari Parahyangan".indonesiakaya(in Indonesian).Retrieved14 March2024.
- ^Shop, Nyonya Melly."Asal-Usul Lontong Kari".Nyonya Melly Shop.Retrieved2019-10-21.
- ^Rizky, Theo."Nikmatnya Sarapan Lontong Bengkalis di Tepi Pantai Raja Kecik".tribunnews(in Indonesian).Retrieved9 May2023.
- ^Setya, Devi."Mengenang Kartini di Jepara, Ada Lontong Krubyuk yang Khas".detik(in Indonesian).Retrieved10 April2023.
- ^Azizah, Nuril Laili (9 August 2022)."9 Tempat Makan Lontong Mi di Surabaya".kompas(in Indonesian).Retrieved8 April2023.
- ^Utomo, Aris Heru (16 May 2022)."Lontong Pical Khas Padang".silanews(in Indonesian).Retrieved8 April2023.
- ^"Lontong Tahu, Makanan Cepat Saji Ala Blora".potretblora(in Indonesian).Retrieved8 April2023.
- ^Daniswari, Dini (21 January 2023)."Mengenal Lontong Tuyuhan, Makanan Khas Rembang".kompas(in Indonesian).Retrieved8 April2023.