One of the most basic and easiest Italian recipes, aglio e olio is very popular and enjoyed by people all over the world. This simple Neapolitan dish is also gaining entry into the Indonesian food scene, especially in big cities. Garlic has always been an important ingredient in Indonesian cooking, and we can’t live without it. Spaghetti aglio e olio, or spaghetti with garlic and oil, are generally well received for its savory garlicky flavor, familiar to the Indonesian palate.
To adapt to our Indonesian palate, a local ingredient is inserted to make it more ‘Indonesian.’ Aglio e olio daun jeruk is an aglio e olio recipe with an Indonesian twist, where fresh finely shredded daun jeruk, or kaffir lime leaves, is incorporated in the recipe for extra fragrance and flavor.
The kaffir lime leaf is a leaf from the citrus fruit of the same name, native to tropical Southeast Asia. The leaves have a unique flavor and are commonly used in Southeast Asian cooking. The aromatic citrus flavor of the leaves add strong citrus notes to dishes. Daun jeruk is used in recipes for rice, soups, curries, stir fry, etc.
Compared to normal aglio e olio, this recipe has a stronger taste. The kaffir lime leaves add a powerful punch to the garlic, and the stock mushroom powder gives the extra umami taste for the palate. Not to forget the red chillies that spice up the whole dish.
As parmesan cheese is considered a luxury, people will omit it most of the time, making this recipe suitable for vegans. I am not sure whether my Italian counterparts will approve of this dish, but this is how Indonesians translate a foreign cuisine to make it more palatable. Spaghetti aglio e olio daun jeruk is a simple recipe, packed with flavor.
Aglio Olio Daun Jeruk: Aglio e Olio with Kaffir Lime Leaves (Vegan)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Rice & Noodles
- Method: Pan frying
- Cuisine: Indonesian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A quick and easy Indonesian twist to the popular Italian dish, spaghetti aglio e olio. Here, kaffir lime leaves, chillies and mushroom powder are added to adapt to the local palate.
Ingredients
- 250 gr spaghetti
- 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 6 kaffir lime leaves, stem removed, very thinly sliced
- 1 small red chili, thinly sliced
- 2 bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped (optional)
- Salt to taste
- ¼ tsp white pepper powder
- 1 tsp mushroom stock powder
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- Put the oil, garlic, kaffir lime leaves and chillies in a large deep pan over medium high heat and cook until the garlic is translucent and golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the salt, white pepper powder and mushroom stock powder. Turn off the heat.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the packaging instructions.
- Toss the cooked spaghetti over the garlic mix and transfer the dish into serving plates.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- The fresh kaffir lime leaves are not to be substituted with the dried ones.
- Chillies can be substituted with chili flakes (peperoncino).
Keywords: fusion Indonesian cuisine
