About this component
Indonesia's thick, molasses-dark sweet soy — the glaze behind nasi goreng, mie goreng and satay. Often bought, it is easily made at home and worth understanding as a flavor, not just a bottle.
Component facts
- Yield
- About 1 cup (240 ml)
- Prep
- 20 minutes
- Heat
- None
Development draft. This is an untested development recipe from the cookbook project. It has not been kitchen-tested, and the quantities and timings are the author’s working draft rather than a verified result.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) palm sugar, chopped
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) soy sauce
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
- 1 star anise (optional)
- 1 slice galangal (optional)
Method
- Melt the palm sugar with the water over low heat until dissolved.
- Add soy sauce and optional aromatics.
- Simmer gently 10–15 minutes until syrupy and coating.
- Cool — it thickens further; strain out aromatics.
Notes from the book
- Balancing
- Deeply sweet and malty; the aromatics add background warmth.
- Substitutions
- Dark brown sugar for palm sugar (less complex); tamari for a wheat-free base.
- Storage and food safety
- Bottle and refrigerate up to 1 month. Contains soy (and usually wheat/gluten).
The Complete Edition
Kecap Manis (Sweet Soy Sauce) sits in the foundations
The book carries this component alongside the other twenty-three, the twenty-seven pantry studies, and the Indonesia chapter it belongs to.
In review with Amazon KDP
Both editions have been submitted to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and are currently in review. Submitted prices are $9.99 for the kindle edition and $49.99 for the paperback. Neither is on sale yet, and prices are as submitted rather than final.