Pork in Sweet Soy Sauce - Babi Ketjap

By
Karin Engelbrecht
Karin Engelbrecht
Magazine editor, restaurant reviewer, and food writer who focuses on Dutch cuisine.
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Updated on 08/22/19
Babi Ketjap (pork in sweet soy sauce)
Jen Voo Photography / Getty Images
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 4 hrs
Total: 4 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
809 Calories
36g Fat
76g Carbs
50g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 809
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 36g 46%
Saturated Fat 9g 47%
Cholesterol 98mg 33%
Sodium 868mg 38%
Total Carbohydrate 76g 28%
Dietary Fiber 9g 33%
Protein 50g
Calcium 186mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Like so many other slow-cooked stews, this babi ketjap stew from Indonesia will not be winning any beauty prizes, but it more than makes up for that in flavor. Don't let the cooking time scare you - this recipe couldn't be any easier. Slow doesn't necessarily mean difficult, it's simply a matter of the pot doing all the work for you.

Ingredients

  • 2 onions (finely chopped)
  • 4 tbsp. oil
  • 1 lb. pork (you can use almost any cut of pork, cut into bite-sized pieces)
  • 1 tsp. coriander (ground)
  • 1 tsp. ginger (ground)
  • 1 tsp. cumin (ground)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2/3 cup/70 g. tomato paste
  • 3 tbsp. ketjap manis (a thick, sweetened soy sauce from Indonesia)
  • 1 tbsp. vinegar
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro
  • 1 cup peanuts (unsalted)
  • 1/4 cup coconut (desiccated)
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 chile
  • 2 tbsp. oil
  • 1 tbsp. vinegar
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Optional: 1 cup white rice (cooked according to package directions)
  • Garnish: sambal (or another chili paste)

Steps to Make It

  1. In a Dutch oven, fry the onions in the oil. Turn the heat up, add the meat and brown on all sides. Now turn the heat down a bit and add the aromatics and the garlic. Stir in the tomato paste, ketjap manis, and vinegar.

  2. Cover with enough water to cover the meat and bring to the boil. Now simmer for 3 or 4 hours on a low heat. The sauce will have thickened considerably. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. Chop the cilantro leaves and strew over liberally just before serving.

  3. In a dry frying pan toast the peanuts. They're done when the peanutty fumes hit your nose. Add the coconut and fry until golden. Remove from the pan and serve in little bowls.

  4. Halve the cucumber lengthways. Gouge out the seeds using a teaspoon. Discard seeds. Now cut the cucumber into thin half-moon slices. Place the slices in a bowl. Cut the chile in half, remove the seeds and chop very finely. Add the cucumber.

  5. Make a salad dressing by adding together the oil, vinegar, and a pinch each of sugar, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Drizzle some of the salad dressing over the cucumber salad. Toss and serve.

  6. We always serve Babi Ketjap with cooked white rice, sambal paste, cucumber salad and little bowls of the peanut & coconut mix.