Some Kitchen Tricks

Indonesian cooks don’t follow recipes or use weights or measures. Kitchen knowledge is passed through the generations and ingredients are added by eye and by taste. They are piled in mounds next to each other - twice as much ginger as turmeric, shallots and garlic in equal volumes etc. It certainly makes no sense to follow recipes slavishly as in different islands and different seasons -even from different plants - there is huge variation in size, flavour intensity and spice. The same is true of different varieties of bottled sauces. Learn to trust your instincts and taste as you go, adjusting seasoning in little bits.