vii #3: 7 ingredient storecupboard dinner

Welcome back to vii, a weekly newsletter featuring an exploration into seven somethings. This week is the first of many 7 ingredient meals and on this occasion it’s almost a 7 minute meal too.

Some of us have recipes that take us back to a very clear memory. Some of us have recipes that are crowd pleasers when we’re feeding friends. Some of us have recipes that are just so easy, they appear almost too often on the dinner table. I have one that is all three of these and I want to share it with you.

Back in 2017, I spent nearly 3 weeks island hopping in Indonesia and spent some time on Gili Air, a tiny island off of the coast of Lombok. Aside from snorkelling in the crystal clear water and seeing turtles, one of the memories that has stuck with me from visiting is that it was the first time I’ve ever taken a cooking class.

I learned to make kelopon (sweet glutinous rice flour balls stuffed with palm sugar, coated with coconut flakes), mie goreng (fried noodles stir fried with vegetables, a recipe that can also be made with rice - nasi goreng) and peanut sauce with fried tempeh. Now I wasn’t sold on the tempeh but an authentic satay is something I knew I would love! I have made the peanut sauce more times than I can count now. I’m also partial to using the nasi goreng recipe to use up odd bits of veg leftover from other meals.

So let’s talk about this peanut sauce. I’ve made it for a number of people now and it’s always a hit. The original recipe uses peanuts, palm sugar and whole chillies, which I’ll admit I don’t always (or ever in the case of palm sugar) have in my cupboards. On the hunt for some store cupboard substitutions, I’ve adapted the recipe to use ingredients I always have on hand. Here’s the way I make it… (which serves 2-3)

110g / 6 tbsps peanut butter
2 tsps maple syrup
1 tsp chilli oil or hot sauce
1 garlic clove, crushed/grated
3 tbsps sweet soy sauce / kecap manis

Combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix until a thick sauce appears. Depending on how you want to serve it, add some water gradually to loosen the consistency. A thicker sauce would be great for chicken satay but you’d want thinner as a marinade.

Meanwhile, to make this into more of a meal, let’s introduce a 6th ingredient. I’d recommend cooking some noodles, whatever your preference, according to their packet instructions.

Now the final ingredient comes down to personal choice and you’ve got plenty of options. Feel free to add some protein in the form of tofu, chicken or prawns, perhaps some steamed vegetables or a garnish of sliced spring onions. One of my favourites, and something I often have in the freezer, are dumplings which I pan-fry until their bottoms get golden brown before splashing in some water and throwing on a lid to allow them to steam on a low heat and cook through.

When you’re ready to plate, toss your noodles through the peanut sauce (loosened with noodle cooking water if you haven’t added any water already) before topping with your extra of choice. A little chilli oil drizzle to finish is always a nice touch if you like it a little spicier.

So that’s it, the secret’s out! And I hope the folks at the Gili cooking class aren’t totally appalled at how I’ve bastardised their fabulous recipe. But from authentic origins is now an accessible alternative that is as tasty as it is quick. I hope you’ll give it a go and enjoy some saucy weeknight dinners inspired by Indonesia.