Aromatic Rice with Griddled Chicken Strips and Canapés from Manado, Bali and West Papua

This is a great recipe for introducing spices and new flavours to kids. Living in Jakarta provides an opportunity to learn about different fresh root spices. These are available in all supermarkets. This recipe is very easy to make and is not spicy at all.

Cover the pan and let the rice sit for 10 – 15 minutes. Discard the cinnamon, cloves and roughly chopped ginger before serving.

Remove the corn from 2 cooked corn cobs and briefly pulse in the food processor 3 or 4 times just to soften and release some of the juice and flavour. Add 2 tablespoons of flour, 1 egg, 3 chopped lime leaves, 2 shallots, 1 clove of garlic and 1 spring onion. Mix well. Take single tablespoons of the mixture, flatten and then put into a pan of hot oil. Fry until golden brown. This amount should allow you to make 20 cakes. To make the salsa, simply mix 3 chopped tomatoes, 2 sliced chilies and 2 sliced shallots, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, 1 tablespoon of soya oil and a bunch of chopped mint or basil leaves. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Place 150gr red or white snapper or tenggiri fillet and 50gr prawn into a food processor. Now take the minced seafood and add chili paste (made using 2 chilies, 2cm ginger, 3cm turmeric, 2cm galangal, 3 shallots, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tablespoon palm sugar, 2 tablespoons grated coconut). Mix together and season with salt and black pepper. Take a half tablespoon of the mixture and fully coat 20 lemongrass stalks, then barbeque or griddle. Serve warm. Makes 20 portions.

Traditionally, Papuans barbeque sweet potatoes whole, but I prefer to roast them in chunky pieces. Peel ½ kg of potatoes, cut into squares, steam for 15 minutes, move to a hot oven tray and season with salt, black pepper, fresh rosemary and olive oil (or your preferred oil) and cook in the oven for 30 minutes at 1800C. Rosemary is not a part of the original Papuan dish, but it is grown locally and gives this dish a special twist. To serve, put two pieces of roasted sweet potatoes on a cocktail stick and garnish with rosemary. Makes 40 sticks.