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How to cook Lontong

Lontong is a Singapore hawker favourite of compressed rice cakes served in a mild, creamy coconut vegetable broth with tempeh, tofu, egg and a spoonful of fiery sambal. This home version uses rice cakes steamed in a lined container, so no banana leaf rolling or long boiling is needed.

Ingredients

For the rice cakes (lontong)

• 300 g short-grain or jasmine rice
• 600 ml water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 pandan leaf, knotted (optional)

For the spice paste (rempah)

• 8 shallots, peeled
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 cm fresh turmeric, or 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 cm galangal
• 4 candlenuts (buah keras)
• 5 dried chillies, soaked in hot water 10 minutes and drained
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp dried shrimp (hae bee), soaked 10 minutes and drained

For the broth

• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 litre water
• 300 g chayote or young jackfruit (or papaya if unavailable), cut into 3 cm chunks
• 200 g long beans, cut into 4 cm lengths
• 250 g white cabbage, cut into 3 cm pieces
• 200 ml coconut milk
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar

For the toppings

• 4 eggs
• 200 g tempeh, sliced 1 cm thick
• 200 g firm tofu, cut into 8 cubes
• 3 tbsp cooking oil, for frying
• 3 tbsp fried shallots, store-bought
• 1 red chilli, thinly sliced (optional)

For the sambal

• 10 dried chillies, soaked 10 minutes and drained
• 3 fresh red chillies
• 4 shallots, peeled
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp belacan (shrimp paste), toasted
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp tamarind paste mixed with 1 tbsp water

Steps

1. Cook the rice30 min
   Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear. Combine with 600 ml water, 1/2 tsp salt and the pandan knot in a rice cooker and cook on the normal setting until it switches off. The rice should be soft and slightly wetter than usual. Alternative: simmer covered in a pot on the lowest heat for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice to prevent sticking.
2. Press the rice cakes1 hr
   Discard the pandan. Line a 20 cm square container with cling film or banana leaf, tip in the hot rice and press down very firmly with a wet spatula or the bottom of a glass into an even layer about 3 cm thick. Cover and cool completely, then refrigerate at least 1 hour (overnight is fine) until the rice is firm and cuts cleanly.
3. Blend the rempah5 min
   Blend the shallots, garlic, turmeric, galangal, candlenuts, drained dried chillies, coriander powder and soaked dried shrimp with 3 tbsp water until a smooth paste forms, scraping down the sides as needed.
4. Fry the rempah10 min
   Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the paste, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves and fry, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes until the paste darkens, smells toasty and the oil separates and pools at the edges.
5. Simmer the vegetables15 min
   Pour in 1 litre water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the chayote and long beans, reduce to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes until the chayote is just tender. Add the cabbage and simmer 5 more minutes until soft.
6. Finish the broth5 min
   Stir in the coconut milk, 1 1/2 tsp salt and sugar. Keep the heat low and warm gently for 5 minutes without letting it boil hard, which can make the coconut milk split. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the lemongrass and lime leaves.
7. Boil the eggs14 min
   Lower the eggs into a pot of boiling water, cook 9 minutes for firm yolks, then move to a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes. Peel and halve.
8. Make the sambal12 min
   Blend the drained dried chillies, fresh chillies, shallots, garlic and belacan to a rough paste. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a small pan over medium heat, add the paste and fry 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and the oil separates. Stir in sugar, salt and tamarind and cook 1 more minute. Cool slightly.
9. Fry the tempeh and tofu10 min
   Pat the tofu and tempeh dry. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and fry both in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and crisp at the edges. Drain on paper towels and cut tempeh into bite-size pieces.
10. Cut the lontong3 min
    Lift the pressed rice out using the lining, peel off the cling film and cut into 3 cm cubes with a wet knife.
11. Assemble5 min
    Place 5 to 6 rice cubes in each deep bowl, ladle over hot broth and vegetables, then top with tempeh, tofu and 2 egg halves. Sprinkle with fried shallots and sliced chilli, and serve with a spoonful of sambal on the side so each person controls the heat.

Tips

• Firm, chilled rice cuts into neat cubes. Warm rice will smear and fall apart, so do not skip the chilling.
• Fry the rempah until the oil visibly separates; underfried paste tastes raw and flat.
• If the broth thickens on standing, loosen it with a splash of hot water before serving.
• Dip the knife in water between cuts to stop the rice sticking.
• For a milder broth, use 3 dried chillies in the rempah and rely on the sambal for heat.

Food safety and allergens

Cool cooked rice quickly (within 1 hour) and refrigerate it, as rice left at room temperature can grow harmful bacteria. Refrigerate the broth, rice cakes and eggs separately in airtight containers for up to 2 days, and reheat the broth until steaming hot throughout before serving.

Contains: egg, shellfish, soy, tree nuts

Watch it being made

• CARA MEMBUAT LONTONG RICECOOKER ENAK LEMBUT KENYAL PRAKTIS DAN CEPETCR COOK · 2,157,925 views · YouTube
• Lontong Kuah Lodeh Istimewa Hari RayaChe Nom · 1,058,725 views · YouTube
• Resepi Lontong Kuah Lodeh dan Sambal Bilis Garing | Che NomChe Nom · 409,581 views · YouTube

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