Semur daging

Indonesia's colonial-era braised beef: dark with kecap manis, warm with nutmeg and cloves, a dish born at the crossroads of Dutch and Bandanese cooking

Origin: Indonesia

From the journey of Nutmeg/Mace.

Semur daging is one of Indonesia's most beloved home-cooked dishes: a slow-braised beef stew darkened and sweetened by kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) and flavoured with a spice blend of nutmeg, cloves, and white pepper. The dish is a direct product of the Dutch colonial period: the name 'semur' derives from the Dutch 'smoor' (braised), and the technique of long, slow braising in liquid reflects Dutch culinary influence. But the spices; nutmeg most importantly; are the contribution of the Bandanese and Javanese kitchen. The result is a dish that is wholly Indonesian: rich, dark, slightly sweet, and deeply aromatic with the spices that made the Banda Islands the most fought-over territory in the world.

Ingredients

Meat

  • 800 g beef chuck or brisket, cut into 4cm cubes

Base

  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cm fresh ginger, grated
  • 3 medium tomatoes, diced

Sauce

  • 100 ml kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
  • 2 tbsp regular soy sauce

Liquid

  • 400 ml beef stock or water

Spices

  • 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (generous)
  • 0.5 tsp ground cloves
  • 0.5 tsp ground white pepper
  • 0.5 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 cinnamon stick

For cooking

  • 3 tbsp neutral oil

Optional

  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks (optional)
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled (optional)

Method

  1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy casserole over high heat. Season the beef pieces with salt. Brown in batches until deeply caramelised on all sides. Remove and set aside.
  2. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining oil and fry the onions for 10 minutes until golden. Add garlic and ginger; cook 2 minutes.
  3. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until they break down. Add the nutmeg, cloves, white pepper, coriander, and cinnamon stick. Stir for 1 minute.
  4. Add the kecap manis and soy sauce. Stir to combine. Return the browned beef to the pot. Add the stock or water; it should just cover the meat.
  5. Bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest possible simmer. Cover and cook for 60 minutes. If adding potatoes, add them now and cook for a further 20–25 minutes until the potato is tender.
  6. If adding hard-boiled eggs, add them in the last 10 minutes of cooking; they will absorb the dark, sweet sauce and become beautifully marbled.
  7. Taste and adjust: add more kecap manis for sweetness, soy sauce for saltiness, or nutmeg for warmth. The sauce should be thick, dark, sweet-savoury, and deeply spiced. Serve over steamed white rice.

Notes

Kecap manis (literally 'sweet soy sauce') is Indonesia's most important condiment: a thick, treacly sweet soy sauce made with palm sugar, used in marinades, stir-fries, and braises across the archipelago. It is the ingredient that makes semur distinctly Indonesian rather than Dutch. Available at Asian grocery stores. The dish improves significantly the next day as the spices continue to develop. Semur is eaten across Java and the Banda Islands at family celebrations, Sunday lunches, and as the centrepiece of a rice table (rijsttafel).

The Gastrographer

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Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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