Use only processed keluak
Keluak must be fermented and prepared properly. Buy packaged, explicitly ready-to-eat goods and never use raw seeds or unknown fruits.
Indonesian Recipe
Rawon - black beef soup
Beef breast is slowly cooked soft and combined with a carefully fried keluak paste. Short mung bean shoots and lime add freshness to the dark broth.
Total time
2 hr 40 min
Calories
490 kcal
Servings
6 servings
Difficulty
Medium
Why this recipe works
East Javanese beef soup with keluak
The almost black colour of Rawon does not come from soy sauce, but from keluak. The fermented seeds give the broth an earthy-nutty flavour that cannot be replaced in a meaningful way. Only use expressly ready-to-cook, commercially processed keluak paste or prepared kernels. Raw, untreated keluak does not belong in the kitchen.
Lunch
Dinner
Meat
Indonesian Recipes
Recipe
Rawon - black beef soup
Rawon is an East Javanese beef soup with black keluak, lemongrass, galangale, kaffir lime leaves and roasted spice paste.
Ingredients
6 servings
Method
-
1
Beef and chips
Put the beef breast in 2.4 litres of cold water, bring to the boil slowly and skim off the rising foam. Add a teaspoon of salt and cook for 75 minutes just below boiling point.
-
2
Spice paste finely grind
Purée keluak paste, shallots, garlic, kemiri nuts, ginger, turmeric, Kencur, coriander, cumin, tamarind and prawn paste very finely with four tablespoons of broth.
-
3
Fry paste thoroughly
Heat oil in a pan and fry the spice paste over a medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir constantly until it darkens, has a strong aroma and no longer smells raw.
-
4
Add flavours to the broth
Add the fried paste, lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves to the beef broth. Stir thoroughly and simmer gently for another 35 to 45 minutes until the meat is very tender.
-
5
Set stock
Remove lemongrass, galangale and lime leaves. Check consistency, add a little hot water if necessary and balance Rawon with the remaining salt.
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6
Short blanching of sprouts
Pour boiling water over mung bean shoots, let stand for 30 seconds and drain well, keeping them fresh and crisp.
-
7
Rawon
Put the meat and black stock in a bowl, sprinkle with sprouts and roasted shallots and serve with sliced lime and steamed rice.
Kitchen know-how
Tips for Rawon - black beef soup
Fry the paste completely
The moist spice paste needs several minutes in hot oil. Only when the raw scent of shallots has disappeared does it give depth instead of pungency to the broth.
Variations
How to adapt this recipe
Replace the beef breast partially with leg slices, adding more body to the broth with the pith and gelatin, which can extend the cooking time by 20 to 30 minutes.
Cool soup completely and store it chilled. Remove fat as desired the next day, heat slowly and add sprouts and lime fresh.
Nutrition per serving
490kcal
18.0 gCarbohydrates
42.0 gProtein
28.0 gFat
Values are estimates and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, portion size and preparation method used.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Rawon - black beef soup
Keluak is the fermented and expertly processed core of the kepayang fruit. It turns Rawon black and delivers the characteristic earthy-nutty aroma.
Not convincing. Black soy sauce or cuttlefish ink change colour, but do not mimic the special taste of fermented keluak.
Untreated kernels contain harmful substances. Only commercially processed keluak, which is expressly ready for consumption, is suitable for Rawon.
Too much or spoiled keluak and burnt spice paste can have a bitter effect. Check ready-to-cook products, dose sparingly and roast the paste over medium heat.
Steamed rice, short mung bean shoots, lime, sambal, roasted shallots and salted egg are often served with it.
Keep cooking