Dark Beef Rawon with Salted Egg
An Indonesian black beef soup colored and deepened by keluak nuts, served with steamed rice, a halved salted egg, sambal and crisp crackers.
Rawon gets its striking dark broth from keluak, a fermented nut sold as a paste or whole in Asian markets. The spice paste is fried until fragrant before the beef goes in, which is what gives the soup its earthy depth. Serve it the way it is eaten in East Java, with rice, bean sprouts, a salted egg and sambal on the side.
Ingredients
Method
Tap a number to mark a step doneBlend the keluak paste, shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric and coriander with 2 tablespoons of water into a smooth, thick paste.
Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and fry the paste with the lemongrass and lime leaves for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until dark and fragrant.
Add the beef cubes and stir for 3 minutes to coat every piece in the paste and lightly brown the edges.
Pour in the water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer partially covered for 1 hour 30 minutes, until the beef is tender and the broth is deep brown-black.
Season the broth with salt to taste and simmer 5 more minutes; skim any excess fat from the surface.
Blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water for 20 seconds and drain.
Ladle the rawon into bowls, top with bean sprouts, and serve with steamed rice, halved salted eggs and sambal oelek on the side.
Kitchen note
If you cannot find keluak, the soup will not be black, but a spoonful of dark soy sauce and a little extra coriander gives a close, savory stand-in for a weeknight version.
