Pindang Iga: Sour and Spicy Beef Ribs Soup
A sour and spicy soup originally from Palembang in South Sumatra. Traditionally a fish dish, it is today cooked all over Indonesia with a variety of proteins. Our recipe calls for beef ribs, and is not spicy when served.
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 45 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 kg beef ribs, cut into small pieces, washed thoroughly with cold water
- 8 shallots, peeled, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled, thinly sliced
- 4 cm fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
- 2 pieces fresh turmeric (measuring 4 cm each), peeled, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp shrimp paste
- 2 salam leaves (Indonesian bay leaves)
- 3 kaffir lime leaves
- 2 stalks lemongrass, use only the white parts, bruised, knotted
- 2 red tomatoes, quartered
- 2 stalks of spring onion, cut in 2 cm pieces
- 10 whole bird’s eye chillies
- Salt to taste
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 ltr water
Instructions
- 1
Fill a large cooking pot with 2 litres of water, add the ribs, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- 2
While waiting for the soup to boil: In a medium-sized frying pan, sauté the shallots, garlic, turmeric, ginger and shrimp paste over high heat until fragrant, around 3 minutes.
- 3
Add the sautéed spices to the boiling pot. Lower the heat to a small flame.
- 4
Add the salam leaves, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and salt.
- 5
Cover the pot partially, to allow the steam to escape so the soup won’t overflow.
- 6
Continue cooking for 1.5 hours or until the meat is tender.
- 7
Adjust the seasoning.
- 8
When the soup is done, add the whole bird’s eye chilies, spring onions and tomatoes, then turn the heat off.