Comments on: Mysteries of the Coconut: Santan http://www.bingregory.com/archives/2004/09/26-mysteries-of-the-coconut-santan/ Official Organ of an American Muslim in Malaysia Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:06:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: Bin Gregory Productions » Mysteries of the Coconut: Ketupat http://www.bingregory.com/archives/2004/09/26-mysteries-of-the-coconut-santan/#comment-5211 Mon, 06 Nov 2006 04:50:01 +0000 http://www.bingregory.com/archives/2004/09/26-mysteries-of-the-coconut-santan/#comment-5211 [...] Typically, they’ll be filled with standard white rice and boiled in water. Since the ketupat is stuffed full of rice, the grains press together as they expand, and in the end you have a solid mass of white stuff in the shape of your ketupat. This is removed and cut into cubes. Rice is always finger food in Malaysia, but these cubes are even more handy for dipping into rendang and popping into your mouth. In our case however, the ketupat was filled with glutinous rice and then boiled in santan. The green shown in the picture is a bit of Pandan leaf, which helps the flavor and aroma. Boiling glutinous rice in santan in a constricted vessel is another staple of Hari Raya, but is normally done inside sections of bamboo. The resulting cylinders of dense sticky rice stuff are known as lemang. In our case, what we would up with is ketupat lemang, I suppose. Ketupat comes in many shapes, with the most iconic being a flat square shape. The womenfolk in my house could only recall how to make the oddly shaped ones you see here. The excuse: weaving ketupat is the boys’ job. Of course, it takes a bit of time to weave, and tender young coconut leaves must be available. For that reason, city folk and busy people will buy ready-made plastic packets pre-filled with rice. Just steam, cut away the plastic, and serve. Like all fast food, you give up a lot: in this case, the color, the smell, the subtle flavor of the coconut leaf, and the spectacle at the dinner table. [...] […] Typically, they’ll be filled with standard white rice and boiled in water. Since the ketupat is stuffed full of rice, the grains press together as they expand, and in the end you have a solid mass of white stuff in the shape of your ketupat. This is removed and cut into cubes. Rice is always finger food in Malaysia, but these cubes are even more handy for dipping into rendang and popping into your mouth. In our case however, the ketupat was filled with glutinous rice and then boiled in santan. The green shown in the picture is a bit of Pandan leaf, which helps the flavor and aroma. Boiling glutinous rice in santan in a constricted vessel is another staple of Hari Raya, but is normally done inside sections of bamboo. The resulting cylinders of dense sticky rice stuff are known as lemang. In our case, what we would up with is ketupat lemang, I suppose. Ketupat comes in many shapes, with the most iconic being a flat square shape. The womenfolk in my house could only recall how to make the oddly shaped ones you see here. The excuse: weaving ketupat is the boys’ job. Of course, it takes a bit of time to weave, and tender young coconut leaves must be available. For that reason, city folk and busy people will buy ready-made plastic packets pre-filled with rice. Just steam, cut away the plastic, and serve. Like all fast food, you give up a lot: in this case, the color, the smell, the subtle flavor of the coconut leaf, and the spectacle at the dinner table. […]

]]> by: Jordan http://www.bingregory.com/archives/2004/09/26-mysteries-of-the-coconut-santan/#comment-593 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 http://www.bingregory.com/archives/2004/09/26-mysteries-of-the-coconut-santan/#comment-593 Hey, nice to have you back! I was about to send you an email to see if you had given up on blogging. As for coconuts, it still amazes me that I can get them from trees near my house, along with papayas, etc. Hey, nice to have you back! I was about to send you an email to see if you had given up on blogging. As for coconuts, it still amazes me that I can get them from trees near my house, along with papayas, etc.

]]> by: chanol http://www.bingregory.com/archives/2004/09/26-mysteries-of-the-coconut-santan/#comment-594 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 http://www.bingregory.com/archives/2004/09/26-mysteries-of-the-coconut-santan/#comment-594 nice to have u back bro. my bro says the coconut oil is the only sutibal oil fer heating and cooking. all the rest heat up and from freee radicals in our blood. crazy raw foods guy any way hope all is well chanol nice to have u back bro. my bro says the coconut oil is the only sutibal oil fer heating and cooking. all the rest heat up and from freee radicals in our blood. crazy raw foods guy any way
hope all is well

chanol

]]> by: rose http://www.bingregory.com/archives/2004/09/26-mysteries-of-the-coconut-santan/#comment-595 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 http://www.bingregory.com/archives/2004/09/26-mysteries-of-the-coconut-santan/#comment-595 Salaams. Here in the West Indies the green coconuts are cut to drink the water and eat the jelly. We don't drink the water if the jelly (meat) is hard. But the other uses are pretty much the same as described. Salaams. Here in the West Indies the green coconuts are cut to drink the water and eat the jelly. We don’t drink the water if the jelly (meat) is hard. But the other uses are pretty much the same as described.

]]> by: Bin Gregory http://www.bingregory.com/archives/2004/09/26-mysteries-of-the-coconut-santan/#comment-596 Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 http://www.bingregory.com/archives/2004/09/26-mysteries-of-the-coconut-santan/#comment-596 Jordan - Thanks for noticing. Yes, still blogging, just on a greatly reduced schedule. All free time has gone to the yard project, which I'll be blogging about in gratuitous detail as soon as the monsoon season stops me from working any further on it. Chanol - I attended an all day conference on Palm Oil, can you believe that? I learned that palm oil won the "fat wars" with cottonseed, peanut and canola: scientists concur it is the best oil, just like smaulp said. But palm oil is not the same as coconut oil! I'll blog about that one of these days... How's the wife and kid? Rose - Are you from T&T by any chance? Oh yes, there is nothing better than a young coconut. It is a popular drink here in Malaysia too. It is often served with a small bowl of sugar syrup, so you can sweeten to taste. But I've heard from some people that it is not good for *ahem* men's health... What's the word ova dey? Jordan - Thanks for noticing. Yes, still blogging, just on a greatly reduced schedule. All free time has gone to the yard project, which I’ll be blogging about in gratuitous detail as soon as the monsoon season stops me from working any further on it.

Chanol - I attended an all day conference on Palm Oil, can you believe that? I learned that palm oil won the “fat wars” with cottonseed, peanut and canola: scientists concur it is the best oil, just like smaulp said. But palm oil is not the same as coconut oil! I’ll blog about that one of these days… How’s the wife and kid?

Rose - Are you from T&T by any chance? Oh yes, there is nothing better than a young coconut. It is a popular drink here in Malaysia too. It is often served with a small bowl of sugar syrup, so you can sweeten to taste. But I’ve heard from some people that it is not good for *ahem* men’s health… What’s the word ova dey?

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