Exposing children to other languages other than English is a positive way to teach children about accepting and understanding that there are people who have Japanese and Indonesian cultures around them.
This experience can be taught through cooking activities.
Japanese rice bowl - 'karaage (karaage means fried chicken)' and learning simple Japanese words:
'こんにちは (Kon'nichiwa) = hello'
'はい (Hai) = yes'
'いいえ (Īe) = no'
'ありがとうございました (Arigatōgozaimashita) = thank you'
Source: Google translation
Ingredients:
2 kg medium rice
2 kg chicken breast
200 ml of vegetable oil
6 dessert spoons of mince garlic
3 dessert spoons of mince ginger
6 dessert spoons of kikoman soy sauce
4 dessert spoons of cooking sake
1 dessert spoon of sesame oil
1 cup of raw sugar
2 tea spoons of salt
A pinch of pepper powder
2 cups of corn flour
1 dessert spoon of garlic powder
2 – 4 dessert spoons of vinegar
1 big red chili
How to cook the karaage and the rice:
• Chop all the chicken breasts into small pieces
• Marinate the chopped chicken with 3 desert spoons of mince garlic, all mince ginger, a pinch of salt, 1 dessert spoon of raw sugar, all soy sauce, all sake, all sesame oil for about 30 minutes.
• Wash the rice with water 3 times and then add water around 2 cm above the rice. After that cook it using a rice cooker.
• Pour 1 cup of corn flour into a plate and then add the garlic powder, a pinch salt and pepper powder. After that dip the chicken breasts into corn flour and then shake it.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan. Use a wooden spatula to check
whether the oil is ready for frying by dipping it. If the oil is bubbling, it means that the chicken breasts can be put into the frying pan. Fry the chicken until the colour is golden brown.
How to cook the sauce:
• Blend 3 desert spoons of mince garlic, red chili and ¼ cup of water according to the taste.
• Pour the blended garlic into a sauce pan and then add the vinegar, the rest of the sugar, chopped red chili and ½ cup of water to boil.
• Dilute 1 dessert spoon of corn flour with 2 dessert spoons of water. Then mix it while you pour it little by little into the sauce until it boils.
How to serve:
• Put the cooked rice into a serving bowl and then put the karaage on top of the rice. After that pour the sauce on top of the karaage.
Bubur Sumsum - Indonesian rice pudding and learning simple Indonesian words:
Halo = hello
Ya = yes
Tidak = no
Terima kasih = thank you
Ingredients:
500 gr rice flour
1 litre of coconut milk
1 tea spoon of salt
4 sheets of pandan leaves
½ cup of coconut sugar
How to cook the pudding:
• Pour the coconut milk into a big pot and then add the rice flour.
• Stir the coconut milk and the rice flour until it is smooth. Then tied 2 sheets of pandan leaves into a knot and put it into the pot.
• Stir the coconut milk and the rice flour while cooking it using medium heat.
• Add a pinch of salt and keep stirring it until it forms thick porridge.
How to cook the sauce:
• Pour a cup of water into a sauce pan and then add the coconut sugar, a pinch of salt and a knot of 2 sheets of pandan leaves.
• Stir the sauce until it boils.
How to serve:
• Put the pudding into a small cup and then pour the sauce on top of it
Note:
It is very important to do risk assessment first, such as: food allergy, cross-contamination during cooking activity, hot stove, cooking area, etc.
©Tina Adi
