Lontong Cap Go Meh, The Adaptation Of Indonesian Chinese Communities To Indonesian Cuisine

Illustration of Lontong Cap Go Meh (Instagram @rempah_kita)

JAKARTA - Fifteen days after Chinese New Year, the Chinese community will celebrate another closing celebration known as Cap Go Meh. As with the Chinese New Year, Cap Go Meh also does not escape the mainstay culinary offerings, one of which is Lontong Cap Go Meh.

Lontong Cap Go Meh is an adaptation of Indonesian Chinese society towards Indonesian local cuisine, especially Javanese. The history of Lontong Cap Go Meh stems from Chinese immigrants who, upon arriving in their homeland, lived in port cities on the north coast of Java Island, such as Semarang, Pekalongan, Lasem, and Surabaya since the Majapahit era.

Living on the island of Java made the Chinese community familiar with one of the archipelago foods, namely Lontong. Finally, when celebrating Cap Go Meh in Indonesia, they replaced Yuanxiao, a kind of onde cake that is usually served at Cap Go Meh in China, with rice cake. So, since then the name Lontong Cap Go Meh is finally known.

Lontong Cap Go Meh (Instagram @rempah_kita)

This dish is believed to be a symbol of cultural assimilation between Chinese immigrants and Javanese natives. Lontong Cap Go Meh is also believed to be a food that brings good luck because of the dense texture of the rice cake. This is in contrast to porridge which is never eaten when celebrating Chinese New Year because it is believed to bring bad luck.

The long form of lontong is also considered to symbolize longevity. Eggs as a complementary menu are also believed to be a symbol of good luck, while the coconut milk sauce with turmeric spices is believed to be a symbol of gold and good luck. It is not surprising that Lontong was chosen as Cap Go Meh's signature dish so that the closing of the New Year celebrations will be filled with lots of luck.

The Lontong Cap Go Meh dish is no different from the usual rice cake. The side dishes are yellow coconut milk, lodeh vegetable, fried liver chili sauce, pickles, pindang egg, koya powder, shredded beef, chili sauce, and crackers.

Intrigued by the taste of Lontong Cap Gomeh? You can make this snack yourself at home. Launching Unilever Food Solutions, Friday, February 26, following the recipe and how to make Lontong Cap Go Meh.

Making Chicken Opor

1 Broiler Chicken, cut into 10 pieces

500 ml thick coconut milk

2 liters of water

20 gr Chicken flavor

60 grams of yellow chicken base seasoning

50 ml of oil

3 bay leaves

80 gr red chilies, saute and finely ground

Making Lontong

600 g Rice, wash and drain

20 Banana Leaves, to wrap

Make the Ampela Liver Fried Sambal

500 gr gizzard liver, washed, drained and sliced thick

50 ml of tamarind, apply to gizzard liver, wash again

100 ml thin coconut milk

10 cloves of red onion, puree

8 cloves of garlic, puree

2 cm galangal, puree

30 ml Sweet Soy Sauce

Cooking Lodeh Vegetables

500 gr young jackfruit

400 g Long beans, cut 3 cm

3 pieces of eggplant, cut into cubes

50 gr melinjo leaves

150 gr Chayote, cut into cubes

100 gr melinjo fruit

500 gr young corn, cut into cubes

50 gr red chilies, diced

50 gr green chilies, diced

6 sheets of bay leaves

30 g Rebon shrimp

1.5 liters thick coconut milk

1 liter of liquid coconut milk

30 g of chicken flavoring

Make Abing Seasoning

1 coconut, grated, then toast with lime leaves until remove the oil. Then set it aside

5 pieces of Lime Leaves

10 boiled chicken eggs

50 gr palm sugar, grated

10 medium-sized Tofu, fried

20 gr tamarind squeezed with a little water

How to Make Lontong Cap Gomeh

Rice cake

Chicken braised in coconut milk

Vegetable Lodeh

Sambal Fried Liver Ampela

Abing seasoning

Preparation for Making Chicken Opor Saute the yellow chicken base spices, put the chicken that has been cut into pieces, and ground red chilies. Saute until the water comes out, add water, and bay leaves. Add coconut milk and delicious chicken flavor. Taste the taste. Make Lontong. Prepare banana leaves then cut into pieces then burn for a while. Rolled like a lemper and the ends are pinned to the leaf stalks. Put the rice in it, then pin the stick at the other end. Put it in a saucepan and add the water until it is covered. Boil for 5-6 hours, if the water is running low add hot water again. If the rice feels solid, it indicates it's ripe, then pour it with cold boiled water to keep the banana leaves clean. Then place it sideways so that there is no more water waste. Make the Sambal Goreng Hati Ampela Saute ground spices until fragrant, then add the red chilies and saute until it changes color. Add galangal, bay leaves, and liver gizzard, cook until smooth. Add thin coconut milk, delicious chicken flavor, and sweet soy sauce. Add bay leaves and galangal. Cook until coconut thickens and ready to serve. Cooking Vegetable Lodeh Young jackfruit boiled in coconut milk until cooked. Then add the ground spices, shrimp, bay leaves, and galangal. Add the chayote, melinjo fruit, chilies, eggplant, nuts, and thick coconut milk. Cook until cooked and remove. Make the Abing Seasoning Mix all the ingredients of the abing and cook together, stirring occasionally. Cook until the spices are thickened and absorbed by the tofu and eggs. Add bay leaves and galangal. Cook until coconut thickens and ready to serve.

How to Make Lontong Cap Gomeh

Arrange the rice cake on a plate. Pour the chicken opor and sayur lodeh over the rice cake. Pour the fried chili sauce for liver gizzard and spices. Lontong Cap Gomeh is ready to be served.