20.4 C
Byron Shire
February 6, 2025

Indonesian street food at the Mullum Farmers Market

Latest News

Ban the banner

Flags on stands and banners are waving more and more. Outside cafes, food stands, shops, and pub owners seem...

Other News

Electoral inquiry

In discussions on TV, Senator Don Farrell, preparing the final report on the 2022 federal election, stated that he...

NORPA’s plan to stay in Lismore

Regional NSW arts organisation NORPA (Northern Rivers Performing Arts) has shared its innovative vision for a new home, housed in the historic Hampton & Larsson timber factory in the centre of Lismore, and referred to as The Joinery.

What did 800 locals say in Byron Shire Council’s CSP survey?

A ten-year plan ‘that reflects the visions, aspirations and needs of the community to guide Byron Shire Council’s work and priorities’ is on public exhibition until February 9. 

Rainbow Dragons to compete nationally

The Richmond River Club in Ballina hosted the RS100 class’s National Championship regatta from January 24 to 26, with...

A complete fraud

I just came out of a screening of the Dylan biopic, which focuses on his early years and his...

Fabulous February

January’s officially over but the summer fun continues on in fabulous February. This weekend sees the final four shows of...

Indonesian Kitchen is at Mullumbimby Farmers Market every Friday from 7am to 11am.

By Victoria Cosford

Rini and Ewan – should they ever find the time – don’t need to add new items to their regular menu. Pretty much everything is a hit, and has been for all the years they’ve been running their market stall of fabulous Indonesian street food.

Or, more specifically, East Javanese food, which is where Rini comes from. The ‘Indo Breaky’, the Nasi Goreng and the Mie Goreng, the corn and vegetable fritters – all turn over so quickly that Rini barely has time to chat as she tongs spring rolls and corn batter into bubbling oil and spoons her luscious peanut sauce over golden grilled chicken skewers.

L to R: Icha, Rini, Ewan,Putro serve up East Javanese food at the Mullumbimby Farmers Market every Friday

It’s that sauce I’m wanting her to tell me about: I’d recently heard it described as the best one around. Generally referred to as ‘satay’ sauce due to its common application as a sauce for skewered meats or vegetables, or ‘satay’, it’s traditionally made from ground roasted peanuts which are blended with spices, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, tamarind and coconut milk – but after some research I found a whole host of differing versions. The key to this sauce, however, is that it be a balance of sweet, spicy and sour. Rini – and why should she? – won’t give away her secret recipe for it but does confide that she uses kaffir lime and no tamarind for the citrus component. It takes her a couple of hours to make more than three litres a week, the ammount required to service the three markets she and Ewan do.

I wanted to give the sauce a go myself. Consulting various cookbooks – Alvin Lee, Charmaine Solomon amongst others – I ended up with a hybrid which, while far from authentic, tasted absolutely gorgeous draped over grilled chicken skewers. I broke the peanut rule by using wonderful, buttery Marlyvale Farm pecans: Rini would have been horrified, but we devoured with gusto.

Indonesian Kitchen is at Mullumbimby Farmers Market every Friday from 7am to 11am.


Support The Echo

Keeping the community together and the community voice loud and clear is what The Echo is about. More than ever we need your help to keep this voice alive and thriving in the community.

Like all businesses we are struggling to keep food on the table of all our local and hard working journalists, artists, sales, delivery and drudges who keep the news coming out to you both in the newspaper and online. If you can spare a few dollars a week – or maybe more – we would appreciate all the support you are able to give to keep the voice of independent, local journalism alive.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Backlash for Backlash

It’s about time Backlash stopped hiding in anonymity, even though editor Hans Lovejoy accepted responsibility for it last week when it copped criticism for...

A complete fraud

I just came out of a screening of the Dylan biopic, which focuses on his early years and his eruption out of the folk...

Crossbench and community sector leaders urge parliament to raise income support

Parliamentarians, including many members of the crossbench, have joined community sector leaders in calling on the parliament to raise the rate of income support.

Research funded to find solutions for plastic waste

Three pioneering projects have been awarded $1.25 million by the NSW government to tackle plastic pollution through innovative solutions.