Padang cuisine

Padang dishorMinangkabau dishis the cuisine of theMinangkabau peopleofWest Sumatra,Indonesia. It is among the most popular cuisines inMaritime Southeast Asia. It is known across Indonesia asMasakan Padang(Padang cuisine) afterPadang, the capital city ofWestern Sumatraprovince.It is served in restaurants mostly owned byperantauan(migrating) Minangkabau people in Indonesian cities. Padang food is ubiquitous in Indonesian cities and is popular in neighboringMalaysia,Philippines,Brunei, andSingapore.
Padang food is famous for its use ofcoconut milkand spicy chili.Minang cuisine consists of three main elements:gulai(curry),lado(chili pepper) andbareh(rice).Among the cooking traditions inIndonesian cuisine, Minangkabau cuisine and most ofSumatrancuisine are under the influences ofIndianandMiddle Easterncuisine, with dishes cooked incurrysauce with coconut milk and a lot of spice mixes.
Because most Minangkabau people areMuslims, Minangkabau cuisine followshalaldietary law rigorously. Most of its protein is taken from beef, chicken, water buffalo, goat, lamb,mutton, and poultry and fish. Minangkabau people are known for their fondness of cattlemeatproducts includingoffal. Almost all the parts of cattle are used in Minangkabau dishes. Seafood is popular in coastal West Sumatran cities, and most are grilled or fried with spicy chili sauce or in curry gravy. Fish, shrimp, and cuttlefish are cooked in similar fashion. Most Minangkabau food is eaten with hot steamed rice or compressed rice such askatupek(ketupat). Vegetables are mostly boiled, such as boiledcassavaleaf, or simmered in thin curry as side dishes, such asgulaiof youngjackfruitor cabbages.
In popular usage prevalent in Indonesia and neighboring countries, the term "Padang food" is often used generally to refer to the culinary traditions of the Minangkabau people of Western Sumatra. However, this term is seldom used in Minangkabau inland cities itself, such asBukittinggi, a culinary hotspot in West Sumatra, where they refer to it as "Minang cuisine" or "Minang food" instead. This is partly because many Minangkabaunagari(counties) take pride in their culinary legacies, and because there are differences betweenPadang riceof Padang andkapauriceof Bukittinggi.
In Padang food establishments, it is common to eat with one's hands. They usually providekobokan, a bowl of tap water with a slice oflimein it to give a fresh scent. This water is used to wash one's hands before and after eating. If a customer does not want to eat with bare hands, it is acceptable to ask for aspoonandfork.
The food is usually cooked once per day. When eatingnasi Padang(Padang rice) in restaurants, customers choose from various dishes which are left on display in high-stacked plates in the windows. In a dine-inhidangstyle Padang restaurant, after the customers are seated, they do not have to order. Rather, the waiter sets the table with dozens of small dishes filled with various dishes. Customers take only what they want from this array, and they pay only for what they take.The best known Padang dish isrendang,a spicy meat stew.Soto Padang(crispy beef in spicy soup) is commonly eaten for breakfast, whilesate(beefsatayincurrysauce served withketupat) is served in the evening.
The serving style is different innasi kapaufood stalls, a MinangkabauBukittinggistyle. After the customer is seated, he or she orders specific dishes, which will be put directly upon the steamed rice or in separate small plates.
There are many Padang food establishments throughout Indonesia and surrounding countries, according toIkatan Warung Padang Indonesia(Iwapin) or Warung Padang Bonds. In greaterJakartaalone there are at least 20,000 Padang restaurant establishments.Several notable Minangkabaurestaurant chainsareSederhana, Garuda, Pagi Sore, Simpang Raya, Sari Ratu, Sari Bundo, Payakumbuah and Natrabu.
The cooking method ofgulai, which employing certain ingredients; meat, poultry, vegetables, fish or seafood simmered and slowly cooked incoconut milk,spice mixtureandchili pepper, formed the backbone of Minangkabau cooking tradition. The thick golden, yellowish, succulent and spicygulaisauce has become the hallmark of Padang restaurants' window displays everywhere. In Padang, smart cooking means the capability of preparinggulai.Randang(beef simmered in coconut milk and spices),asam padeh(sour and spicy stew) andkalio(watery and light-colored gravy) are just a few variations of Padanggulai.