Bubur Pedas Melayu Sambas (The Malay Sambas Spicy Porridge)

I made this to fulfill the monthly challenge of Indonesian Foodblogger. The theme of this month is CONGEE or PORRIDGE. More about this month challenge you can see in here.

Bubur Pedas is one of traditional food from West Borneo. There are no evidence or history literature that told about this porridge, where it came from or the original recipe. But some people in West Borneo said that this porridge was first time made by The Malay Sambas. The Malay Sambas people live along the northern coastline of West Borneo province in various districts of Sambas Regency. This porridge is the most famous food in West Borneo, no one in West Borneo who didn't know this food. They said that Bubur Pedas is the king of porridge, because all of the ingredients blend into one pot. The original recipe from Malay Sambas stated that this porridge contain of 40 vegetables. Amazing!

From the name, when you hear or read it, maybe you will think that this porridge must be spicy as the name "pedas" in Bahasa Indonesia that means spicy. But believe me that the taste is not spicy at all.

The main ingredients that must be in this porridge, beside roasted and ground rice mixed with finely roasted grated coconut and some spices, is Laksa Leaf or Daun Kesum. Without this leaf, this porridge is nothing. The taste will change and lose the authenticity of this traditional culinary. Laksa leaf is kind of herb whose leaves are used in some Southeast Asian cooking. There is not much Indonesian food using this leaf, i think only Malay ethnic group in Borneo and Sumatra who use this in their cooking. Kesum leaves have strong and sharp scent, like a mixture of Basil leaves and Curry leaves. The taste little bit spicy, maybe that's why this porridge called "Bubur Pedas".

 

Some people said that we can substitute this leaf with Basil leaves, but believe me my mother ever tried this and the taste totally messed up. You know, it is so hard to find this herb in Java, so if I want to cook this porridge I have to wait my parent go to Borneo and bring this leaves. Specially imported from Borneo, LOL. Luckily, now in Borneo we can find this leaves in dried condition, easier to bring back to Java. 

Then, here is the recipe from my mother. I learn to cook this from my mother when she visited my home then I try to made it by myself and it works! So happy...

Bubur Pedas

(The Malay Sambas Spicy Porridge)

Ingredients:

• 250 g rice, washed
• 100 g coconut, grated
• 100 g meat, cut into small pieces
• 1 bunch water spinach, chopped
• 50 g beansprout 
• 5 long bean, chopped
• 50 g sweet potato, diced
• 50 g Laksa leaf/Kesum leaf, finely chopped
• 2 liter water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 stalk lemon grass, crushed
• 2 cm galangal, smashed
• 100 g peanuts, fried
• 50 g small anchovy, fried 

Finely ground:

• 3  shallot
• 1 clove garlic
• 2  tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper 

Directions:

• Roast the rice and grated coconut in frying pan without cooking oil. Stir well and roast until the color become brown but not burnt. Then remove from the heat, mashed it. You can use food processor to mashed it. 
• Boil water with meat inside until the meat well cooked. Add the ground spices, bay leave, lemon grass, galangal, then stir well. Cook until fragrant.
• Add sweet potato stir well. Add mashed-roasted rice, stir finely while it cooking to prevent the burnt of the rice in the bottom of the pan.
• Add water spinach, bean sprout, long bean, and Kesum leaves, cooked until done. Remove from the heat.
• Served it with the topping, such as fried peanut and fried anchovy. You can add soy sauce, chilli sauce, and a little lime juice as condiment. And of course you can eat it with crackers. Enjoy it.

Recipe in Bahasa