Vermicelli, Rice Cubes & Tofu Salad with Peanut Dressing (Ketoprak)

Ketoprak is another Indonesian salad recipe that tastes just as delicious as the infamous Gado-gado. So, what is Ketoprak? It is basically a vegetarian meal that consists of vermicelli, steamed rice cubes (ketupat or lontong), tofu, cucumber, bean sprout that tops off with peanut dressing, sweet soy sauce, fried shallot and chips/crackers. Ketoprak are mainly sold by the street vendors and can be easily found throughout Jakarta. Also, you can find some variation of Ketoprak from one vendor to the other. However, at least, Ketoprak should have rice cubes (ketupat or lontong), vermicelli, tofu, bean sprouts, peanut sauce and the chips/crackers.

Though Ketoprak is vegetarian salad, the meal is very hearty and ‘heavy’. You will definitely feel very full and satisfied having only this salad. Though it’s only a tiny bit of rice cubes, vermicelli, and other vegetables, when it’s all combined – Not only it is tasty and delightful, but also, you will get a great amount of carbs and protein. So, think of Ketoprak for the main meal.

Tool I used:

• Non-stick deep skillet – Easy to clean, heat-up evenly, and, the best part, it is non-stick. Great tool to have for stir-frying, making omelet, and much more.
• Blender – To me, this small blender is a must-have for Indonesian cuisine. It is faster to blend spices in this blender, unless you opt for the traditional mortar and pestle.
• Non-stick large pot – This pot is a great tool to have when you like to make soup, stew or just to boil water in large quantities.

Tip: If you do not like to eat spicy food, you can substitute Thai Chili with red bell pepper. Also, you can buy the store-bought rice cubes (ketupat or lontong), or you can try my recipe below for simple home-made one.

Ingredient:

• 4 rice cubes (ketupat or lontong*)
• 100 gr rice vermicelli
• 2 cups bean sprout
• 1 pack of white firm tofu – drained and cut into 1-inch cube
• ½ medium-sized cucumber – cut into 1-inch cube
• Vegetable oil to fry
• Garlic chips (kerupuk bawang)
• Fried shallot (to garnish)
• Sweet soy sauce (to garnish)

Peanut Sauce:

• 6 oz roasted peanuts
• 5 cloves garlic – peeled
• 3 Thai chilies (increase/reduce according to your heat tolerance)
• 1 ½ tablespoons palm sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups of water

Direction:

• In a large pot, add 4 rice cubes (ketupat) and add water until all rice cubes are submerged. Boil for about 60-90 minutes (refers to the package instruction). Set aside and let them completely cool down before cutting.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a deep skillet under medium heat. Fry the garlic chips until it fluffs up. It should take only seconds. Set aside.
• Instead of frying the tofu, let’s bake it for healthier version. Pre-heat the oven under 375F. Place the tofu cubes on a baking sheet and bake it for about 10 minutes. Set aside once it is done.
• Boil some water as we are going to use it to prepare the rice vermicelli and bean sprout.
• Soak the rice vermicelli under hot water until it is soft but not mushy and, then, drained. Afterwards put it in a bowl and soak it in cold water so it won’t be sticky.
• Blanch the bean sprout in a hot water and drained. Set aside.

Peanut Sauce:

• In a blender, add roasted peanuts, garlic, Thai chilies, palm sugar, salt, and water. Blend until all are mixed thoroughly.

Assemble the Ketoprak:

• Since this recipe makes 4 servings. Divide all the ingredients (rice cubes/ketupat, bean sprouts, tofu cubes, rice vermicelli, and cucumber) into four portions.
• In a plate, add rice vermicelli, rice cubes/ketupat, bean sprouts, cucumber, and tofu cubes. Then, top it off with some peanut sauces. Drizzle it with sweet soy sauce and sprinkle some fried shallot. Add some garlic chips on the side.
• Mix everything well with the peanut sauce before eating. Enjoy!

*Note:

Here is a simple homemade rice cubes/ketupat recipe made with rice cooker.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice – cleaned
• 4 cups water
• 1 stalk lemon grass – cut into 3 portions and smashed them
• 3 lime leaves
• 1 bay leave
• A pinch of salt and sugar

Direction:

• In a rice cooker, add rice, water, lemon grass, lime leaves, bay leaf, salt and sugar. Cook until it is done. The rice will look a bit wet, don’t worry. That’s the texture that we want.
• In a baking pan, line an aluminum foil at the bottom. This is to ‘shape’ the rice.
• Then, place the hot cooked rice and fill-up the baking pan. Press the rice as you fill and pack the baking pan. Let the rice cool down for at least 3 hours.
• When it cools down, take the rice out from the baking pan, then cut it into rice cubes.