Es Teler, Indon National Drink & Gulai Kaki Sapi

if you like to eat at any indonesian restaurant, i’m sure you’re familiar with the name ‘es teler’. it’s a popular fruit cocktail in its home country. it’s like our ais kacang, but containing a myriad of different items. while some say it’s teh botol, is ‘es teler’ really THE national drink of indonesia?

it’s got avocado, coconut, cincau, jackfruit; served with coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, pandan leaf, sugar and a tiny amount of salt. some places simply put ice cubes in, while others grind the ice like our ais batu campur. i prefer the latter.

in dubai, you can get the es teler drink with ice cubes from betawi restaurant, but if you want a better es teler with crushed ice, get it from sari nusa. fantastic!

 

the es teler at betawi restaurant in dubai, with ice cubes. click here for my review of the restaurant.

 

the es teler at sari nusa restaurant in satwa, with crushed ice. excellent!

 

i definitely prefer the es teler with crushed ice. it’s a more satisfying drink than the one with just ice cubes.

i can say that es teler is my new favorite drink! i love the taste of nangka in the drink, especially since it’s been long since i tasted any. mix it up with the crunchy coconut flesh, and juxtapose that with the soft avocado – no wonder this drink won the ‘ice making competition’ in indonesia!

what? won a competition?

i just found out that this drink is actually created by a makcik indon named murniati widjaja. what’s more interesting, is that she won a competition in 1982 to come up with a national drink for indonesia – and ‘es teler’ was created!

she and her husband started selling this refreshing concoction, and called it ‘juara indonesia’ (indonesian champion).

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yesterday we went to sari nusa as abah wanted to try the indonesian food here in dubai. that’s when i had the es teler with crushed ice-version. click here for my review of the restaurant.

we ordered the usual gulai nangka, daging rendang that’s similar to our rendang tok and ayam merah. in addition, we added a few lauk that we’re trying for the first time – gulai kaki sapi (bull’s leg in spicy gravy), and terung sambal (eggplant in spicy condiment).

 

gulai kaki sapi – this is the first time i’ve heard of such a dish! i didn’t try the sapi’s leg, but according to mr. khairul, it’s really juicy and berlemak! puas hati! hihi. i took the gulai and it’s certainly sweet and spicy – delicious!

 

terung sambal – soft, tender eggplant in spicy sambal. equally tasty, a great addition to our indonesian meal. it’s just that, when it comes to terung, i’d always preferred it fried in tempura flour. much nicer!

 

abah enjoying his craved indonesian meal. memang seronok tengok abah berselera makan. *smile* the mountain of rice in front of him was not his ok – that’s the nasi tambah! hihi.

 

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that’s atuk and his grandson walking towards sari nusa restaurant, the one with red signage and yellow writing. cute. khaleef will always ask, “can i walk with atuk? can i go with atuk?” i will miss this sight very much when abah goes back to malaysia…

 

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mahu minum ‘juara indonesia’ es teler? here’s a simple recipe!

Ingredients for Es Teler

• two cans of jackfruit
• a can of young coconut meat
• a couple of fresh avocados
• some crushed ice
• some condensed milk (more on that later)

Directions

Step 1: drain the cans of jackfruit and cut the fruit into thin strips or cubes. add the jackfruit strips/cubes to a large bowl.

Step 2: drain the can of young coconut meat (reserving the syrup) and cut the coconut into thin strips. add the coconut strips to the bowl with the jackfruit. add the reserved coconut syrup to the bowl as well.

Step 3: halve the avocados, remove the pits, and diced them. scoop out the diced avocadoes into the bowl with the other fruit.

Step 4: mix everything.

Step 5: add several cups of crushed ice to the bowl. ice cubes work too!

Step 6: add 5 to 8 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk to the bowl. add bit by bit while tasting, until it reaches your desired sweetness.

Step 9: done! you can enjoy it especially best on a hot day!

selamat mencuba!