Compressed Rice

Lontong is always eaten cold, for example with satay; it soaks up the hot satay sauce, and its coolness and soft texture contrast with the hot spices and the meat. In Indonesia, the rice is cooked in a cylinder of banana leaf, or else in a little woven packet of coconut fronds. The latter is called ketupat. Ketupat are particularly associated with Lebaran festivities.

It is possible to use aluminium foil instead of banana leaf, but much the easiest way of cooking lontong is to use a