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Sayur bobor
Greens in coconut milk broth
Sayur bobor: Central Javanese greens simmered in a light coconut milk broth with galangal
Sayur bobor is the gentle everyday soup of Central Javanese homes around Semarang and Solo, ladled over rice at lunch and often made for children, older relatives and anyone feeling poorly. Spinach, amaranth or moringa leaves are simmered for just a few minutes in a thin coconut broth scented with galangal, coriander seed and salam leaves, so it tastes creamy and mild with a hint of sweetness. Eat it with rice, fried tempeh and sambal. The usual mistake is boiling the greens too long, which turns them khaki and slimy; they need only 2–3 minutes. Chef's tip: add a few chayote or young corn pieces with the broth for a more filling bowl.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the spice paste
- 4 shallotspeeled
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp coriander seedstoasted
- 2 ½ cups water
- ¾ in galangalsliced and bruised
- 2 Indonesian bay (salam) leavesor bay leaves
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- 1 tsp palm sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 10 ½ oz spinach, amaranth or moringa leaveswashed, tough stems removed
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Pound or blend the 4 shallots, 2 cloves garlic and ½ tsp coriander seeds to a paste with 1 tbsp water.
4 minStep 2: Put the 2 ½ cups water in a pot with the paste, ¾ in galangal and 2 Indonesian bay (salam) leaves and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes until the broth smells fragrant.
7 minStep 3: Stir in the ¾ cup coconut milk, 1 tsp palm sugar and 1 tsp salt and bring back to a gentle simmer, stirring so the coconut milk doesn't split.
3 minStep 4: Add the 10 ½ oz spinach, amaranth or moringa leaves and simmer for 2–3 minutes, just until wilted and bright green. Taste for salt, remove the galangal and leaves, and serve straight away with rice.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sayur bobor take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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