Name: Black Pepper Squid (Cumi Lada Hitam)
Yield: Makes 4 servings as part of a multicourse meal
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 1 medium-hot finger-length red chili, such as Fresno, cayenne, or serrano, seeded (optional) and very finely chopped, or 2 teaspoons sambal oelek (optional); 2 tablespoons kecap manis; 2 teaspoons unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger; 1 lb (450 g) squid tubes and tentacles, cleaned; 2 tablespoons water; 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves; 2 green onions, finely chopped; ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds, coarsely ground; 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, coarsely ground; 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped; ½ cup (70 g) rice flour; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 2 tablespoons oyster sauce; ¼ teaspoon ground white or black pepper; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; 2 teaspoons baking soda; Vegetable oil for frying

Preparation info

Makes
4
servings as part of a multicourse meal

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Mortar and Pestle

By Patricia Tanumihardja

Published 2024

About

You may have heard of fried calamari? Well, cumi (pronounced “choo-me”), squid, and calamari are just different names for the cephalopod related to both the cuttlefish and the octopus. For tender, tasty squid, cook it either hot and fast (deep-fry or grill for no more than 2 minutes) or poach it for at least 30 minutes. Anything in between gives rubbery results. This dish, with a sauce similar to Singapore’s popular black pepper crab, fits into the former category. Feel free to try the sauc