Bulletin About Nature, Culture, Art and Indonesian Life
Pak Rusli: Selamat pagi Bu Lina.
Bu Lina: Selamat pagi Pak Rusli.
Amir: Selamat siang Hasan.
Hasan: Selamat siang Amir.
Dewi: Selamat malam Lisa.
Lisa: Selamat malam Dewi.
Jono: Selamat sore Saudari Rima.
Rima: Selamat sore Saudara Jono.
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Source: http://www.lww-cetl.ac.uk/indonesian/
Sorry, the English version for this article is still not available
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On January the 29th, we visited the “Sayap Ibu” Orphanage in Yogyakarta. This activity was one of the series of plus activity agenda held by the Bahasa Indonesia Unit of Puri Bahasa.
There were 15 children aged 1 month to 5 years and 11 nursemaids who lived in the orphanage. We were warmly welcomed by Bapak Jumari, the leader of the orphanage. After having a seat, he explained the information about the background of the children that lived in the orphanage. Most of them were ‘rejected’ by their parents, even some of them are having physical disability caused by abortion attempts.
Other than that, the “Sayap Ibu” Orphanage also provides counseling service and temporary residence for the women who are having pre-marital pregnancies in order to save them from doing any abortion efforts. This program can be considered successful since 90% of those women, who are usually rejected by their family or parents, can finally return to their own families with their babies.
“Sayap Ibu” Orphanage opens daily from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 3 to 6 in the afternoon. Pak Jumari emphasized to us that the visitors do not always have to bring ‘gifts’ for the kids because paying attention to them is already more than enough. You can give your attention/affection by caressing them, holding them, and also playing with them.
Besides paying our attention and affection to those children, in that occasion we also gave them some material aids like clothes, shoes, toys, snacks, and milk for the babies and the children. After that we played and sung with the 2 to 5 years old kids until noon.
Finally, since the visiting hours of the “Sayap Ibu” Orphanage were over, each of us went home with a deep impression within our own hearts. We all wish that we can visit it more often and that we can do more things to show our love for the children in the “Sayap Ibu” Orphanage.
Sitting on terrace while enjoying a glass of warm coffee and fried banana and tofu, vaguely I heard Javanese gamelan sound from my neighbor’s house. The atmosphere was so intimate and beautiful. It reminded me about several years ago when I was still in university. We had to study how to play Gamelan. The beautiful and impressive moments at that time are still fresh in my memory.
There are many kind of folk music in Indonesia; one of the most popular is gamelan. Gamelan is used to escort Wayang (traditional drama performance of Java and Bali) show or dancing. The word “gamelan” is derived from the Javanese word “gamel” which means music instrument or percussion and “gangsa” is the mixed metal of copper and tin. In Java especially, this folk music is called “Karawitan” which means softness formed in the Gamelan art. There are some arts which have close relationship to karawitan, they are:
Basic Gamelan
1. Rebab (the shape is like a violin with two strings)
2. Gender barung (big)
3. Gender penerus (small)
4. Gambang (traditional instrument similar to xylophone made of wood)
5. Flute
6. Zither
7. Clempung (plicked stringed instrument. In west Java is called kecapi)
8. Kendang (It consist of big kendang, ciblon, and ketipung)
9. Bonang barung (big)
10. Bonang penerus (small)
11. Slenthem (small)
12. Demung (like a big slenthem)
13. Saron barung (the two big metallophone instruments of gamelan.)
14. Saron penerus/peking (small one)
15. Kenong (small gong of the gamelan.)
16. Kethuk (like kenong but smaller)
17. Japan (like kenong but bigger)
18. Kempyang (like kethuk and it has two instruments)
19. Kempul (gamelan instrument containing several small horizontal gongs)
20. Big Gong
21. Gong Suwukan
Non-Basic Gamelan
1. Kemanak, the form is like a banana/kenthongan.
2. Cymbal
3. Terbang, only in Gamelan Larasmaya
4. Bedug.
Kinds of gamelan
Gamelan as inheritance of our ancestors is definitely beautiful and it is not less good than other music sets. How pity if we forget or leave it behind. I hope we have consciousness to know and learn how to play gamelan. What do you think? Are you interested in Gamelan? The answer is in our mind. Mangga (Javanese word) which means please try it.
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Rebab |
Kethuk |
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In Depok Beach near Parangtritis we can get more than the beautiful scenery and typical beach atmosphere. There is a fish market which sells fish and other seafood. We can buy fish directly from fishermen too. The fish there are fresher and cheaper than those sold in the city markets. In Depok Beach we can directly enjoy the fish that we buy because there are some warungs where we can have the fish fried or grilled. The warungs provide also rice and fresh vegetables which are the best things to eat fried or grilled fish with.
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Every person who comes to Jogja for a vacation certainly will not forget to come to its impressive beaches. Special for seafood lovers, there is a special enjoyment if you can eat seafood while enjoying wave and wind of beaches. In a very short moment you will eat the food unconsciously that you have ordered. Some beaches in Jogja serve delicious and cheap seafood. Of course, they are made of fresh fish (since the fish and other seafood are bought directly from fishermen). These phenomena happen in some beaches in Jogja such as the famous Baron beach with its kakap fish soup or the famous Depok Parangtritis beach with its roasted fish. Maybe our family sweet experience will be interesting for you to read.
On one Saturday morning I and my family, my husband and son, were ready to spoil our eyes and stomachs. Usually every two weeks we go to Depok beach for refreshing as well to complete my son therapy. According to the doctor who took care of my son, fresh morning beach air can make his lung healthy. Although the doctor already claimed him healthy, we still keep doing that habit since we have fallen in love to the beauty of Depok beach.
Usually we leave at 6 a.m. hoping that we can still enjoy the morning beach air for three or four hour. From our house located in the north Jogja the trip takes around one hour depend on which route do we choose. We pass the downtown, means that we have to breathe the polluted city morning air and the traffic jam. Another alternative is the Ring road. It has less pollution and more space but usually we have to turn around. Since we still love our lung, we usually choose the second alternative.
Relief will appear after passing Parangtritis street in the south of Ring road. Slowly we pass Pyramid cafe and restaurant, the ISI (Indonesian Art Institute) then Numani restaurant. Until here, the traffic is still busy. Then we arrived at Tembi T junction that starts to serve the original Bantul scenery. There were many bicycles on the road. Then our vision was brought to ‘Pasar Seni Gabusan’ board writing. It is an art centre and a place for selling Bantul agricultural product.
Our car keeps on moving to Manding cross road then to Jetis crossroad. It is our favorite road since there are many green rice field surrounded by fresh and beautiful hills. Sometimes we smile to farmers who are working in the rice field. This sight motivated me to grab my camera and record it. Unconsciously, we were on the Kretek Bridge. The bluish green water of Oak River flows under the bridge. In around 150 meters from the beach, the Parangtritis beach retribution check appears.
Around 25 meters before the retribution post, we had to turn right passing the village road with smooth asphalt. Several meters later after turning left our eyes will be spoilt by the onion garden on the left side and the SMP 2 Kretek Bantul building on the right. The village is the onion central in Bantul regency.
After five minutes we arrive in Depok beach retribution check, we pay for four thousand (the ticket for car was 500 rupiahs and 1500 rupiahs for one person). We do not have to pay for my son since he is still child. Just several meters before the retribution check on the right side, we can see DIY water police corps and on the left side we can see the office of the Parangtritis transmission unit of Yogyakarta TV station. Last year, the office of DIY water police corps is without a fence, but it is already fenced this year. There are some official houses there. From this place, we can see sea wave as if it greets us.
Because it is still in the morning, we play, sit, and run in the beach about two hours. Then, we wait until the fish market is open. It opens at about 9 am. There are two places to buy fish in Depok beach. The first is in fish market and the second is from the fisherman directly. We prefer to buy fish in the fish market, because usually the fishermen arrive later, about 10 am or 11 am.
It is true that if we buy fish directly from the fisherman is cheaper but we cannot choose the suitable fish for our taste. Beside that, we have to buy fish in a big size because the sell system is in the entire stock. The price of the fish in the market fish is cheaper than in town. For example, one kilogram of Bawal fish is 16.000 rupiahs, Cakalang fish is 9.500 rupiahs, squid is 23.000 rupiahs, and Windu shrimp is 36.000 rupiahs. It should be noted that one dollar as much as 9.300 rupiahs. Those prices are also up to the season. The price is become cheaper in the full moon.
In fish market, we can choose our favorite fish, and we have our settled customer there. When we bought sea product in Bu Supar’s shop, we always get a good quality of fish, shrimp, or squid. After we buy white Kakap fish and squid, we always go to Ibu Nakidi’s shop. You can cook fish or squid that you have bought there. The prices are as follows:
Therefore, in this small shop, you can pay for cooking, drink, rice, and dish of raw vegetables and a spicy sauce. Is it not too expensive, right? The most delicious is roasted food and fried with flour food.
Bathroom and toilet is available in the “Sedyo Rukun” small shop> Of course, if we use it, we should pay. We have to know that to look for tasteless water in beach is difficult, so it is proper if we have to pay for this. After we give kakap fish and squid to the cook, we wait some times before we have a meal. The time for us to wait is up to the how many guess that come to the small shop. Usually, the later, the more people come. So, we cannot stay for long time here. Although there are chair and mat, but we have to change with the other.
Finally, the clock said it was 12 o’clock and we got ready for home. We left the charming place while looking to the beautiful South Sea. In addition, in the north, we can see the Kretek Hill that lies along to Panggang, Gunung Kidul. What a fantastic natural phenomenon.
While bringing bag contained the wet and dirty clothes of seawater, we have relaxed walk passing the fish market. Ibu Supar nicely and warmly offered us to buy fresh fish for souvenirs. I politely refuse considering my stomach was already full of fish. Usually we buy peanut coconut sugar or ampyang for our snack on the road and souvenir for family at home. We thought that the taste of the made in Depok ampyang is more delicious, sticky and sweet with ginger aroma. Hmmmmmm..……. yummy. A plastic bag contained 10 pieces of ampyang just costs 5.000 rupiahs, pretty cheap. Right?
After paying the parking ticket for 3.000 rupiahs, we slowly leave Depok beach and hoping that we will be back in several weeks. From the parking lot we turned left going along the long and stony asphalt road to Parang Kusumo. There are thorn Pandan and sea sand ‘mountain’ on the right and left side of the road. Several times we looked at the traditional losmens owned by the kampong citizen that rented for guests. The sound of the sea wave on the right side of the road is just like following us.
The more losmens appear, the sooner we arrive at Parangkusumo. This beach is crowded with losmens recently. It is much different with the one that we often visited to practice martial art and to have sport in 90’s. From the alternative roads, we turned left to the exit of the beach and go along the road. While going home we went along the edge of the beautiful Opak River to the Siluk Imogiri. We chose the road to see different scenery, beside the road was not too busy to pass. After tired playing and running on the beach, my son slept tight on the way home. This is a glance of my trip and experience to Pantai Depok. So, are you interested? Please come there.
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Along Cendrawasih Street Yogyakarta –the street where Puri Indonesian Language Plus is located—there are many warungs and restaurants with variation of Indonesian food: yellow rice, soto, gado-gado, grilled fish, vegetables, Indonesian-style steak, and hotel menu. All are healthy and at good prices.
If you learn Indonesian in Puri and have a hobby of eating or trying new food, you should not worry about your meals. You can try various food sold in food stalls or restaurants around your school, moreover if you stay around Cendrawasih Street. One of the streets in Kompleks Kolombo is Cendrawasih Street. In this street, from morning until night, various kinds of food are available. It ranges from traditional up to modern one.
If you get bored with your breakfast menu in the hotel or your home stay, you could buy your breakfast in the west corner of Cendrawasih Street. In this location there is nasi kuning seller. The seller is ready to serve her customers at 6 am. Although the nasi kuning is sold in the bank of a street, you should not worry about its cleanliness. Nasi kuning with its side dish are clean and affordable. The price depends on your chosen side dish. You can enjoy a plate of nasi kuning for Rp 1.500,00.
At 8 am, other food stalls open. Near nasi kuning seller there are bakso stall and mie ayam stall. The price is not expensive, usually below Rp 5.000,00. In front of Puri, not far from bakso seller, there is soto Joglo stall. Although it is a soto stall, Joglo offers various menu. This food stall does not only provide soto sapi and soto ayam but also others such as gado-gado, empek-empek, nasi timlo, nasi rawon, and nasi goreng. All are delicious and relatively cheap.
What about lunch? You don’t have to be worried. Besides eating in bakso, mie ayam, and Joglo stalls, you could also have your lunch in Steak and Shake, Wijaya Kusuma food stall, Amor food stall, and others. In Steak and Shake food stall you can enjoy beef steak, chicken and shrimp together with its speciality drink milk shake. In Wijaya Kusuma food stall, you can try various grilled menu such as ikan bawal bakar, lele bakar, ayam bakar, sayur, sop and others. The taste is specific and delicious. Moreover, we don’t have to spend a lot of money.
If you would like to try various daily home food, you can buy it in Amor food stall. There you can combine warm rice with various side dishes and vegetables. The price depends on the chosen menu. If you like noodle, you can try it in mi Surabaya Pak D’ Cil food stall. In this food stall, the average price is Rp 5.000,00. Besides noodle, Pak D’ Cil food stall also sells nasi goreng, kwe tiauw, and cap cay.
If you walk further to the east, you will find other food stalls. Around 50 meters the east of Puri there is Kukuruyuk food stall and padang food stall and to the east there is Mie Jakarta food stall. Besides, you can have your meal in Puri Artha restaurant. In Kukuruyuk food stall, you can have your lunch or dinner with ayam goreng, mie, bakso, sapo tahu, gado-gado, pecel telur and many others. The price is various starting from Rp 4.000,00.
If you would like noodle with different tastes you can come to Mie Jakarta food stall in the east of Puri Artha Hotel. The price is affordable. If you are the fan of five-star hotel food you’d better go to Puri Artha Restaurant. It offers various menu such as nasi goreng, steak, sandwich and others. The price is also various starting from Rp 15.000,00
Are you interested in trying different food stalls and restaurants in Cendrawasih Street? Come and prove it yourself. Experience various food from Cendrawasih Street.
In traditional market you can find various traditional snacks, the traditional and modern ones. There are many of them made of cassava. They are among others gethuk, cemplon, lemet, putri solo, balok, alen-alen, gatot, thiwul, sawut, timus, tape dan cassava chips. 
Have you ever heard the word “singkong?” At a glance this word similar to the name of a big and horrible animal “kingkong”, but actually it has no relation to each other. Cassava plants or in Indonesian, famous as “singkong” or “ketela pohon” can be found in the village. Sometimes, people who live in the village eat cassava as their main menu like “nasi” or rice.
One day when I taught about “Eating Out” I asked my student who is from Europe, “Do you like “nasi”? “Yeah! How about You?” he asked me. “I don’t like nasi”, I answered. “So, you are not Indonesian, then!”, he said. We’re laughing.
Indonesian people eat “nasi” or “rice” every day. If they have no “nasi” on their main menu it means they haven’t yet eaten. In some places, it is difficult to find rice. Usually they will change “nasi” or “rice” with cassava, sago palm, or corn. Some Indonesian people said that “nasi” can not be replaced by any carbohydrate like bread, corn, noodle etc. So, if they just eat bread in their lunch they will say that they have not had lunch yet. What do you think about that?
When I was a kid my Mom often bought me traditional snacks in the market. Mostly she bought traditional snacks made from cassava. Some of them are gethuk, cemplon, lemet, putrid solo, balok, alen-alen, gatot, thiwul, sawut, timus, tape and ceriping singkong. Funny names, aren’t they? We can buy these such snacks in almost every traditional market, especially in Java. How about the price? Don’t ever think that they are expensive! Even, for Indonesian people these traditional snacks are quite cheap. How about the taste? You can buy them at traditional market and try them, and I’m sure you will say “How delicious there are!”
Do you stay in Jogjakarta? And are you interested in trying these snacks? Let’s go to the traditional market.
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In Yogyakarta, traditional food which is made from cassava can be found at the traditional market and sometimes at supermarket. The sellers of traditional food (which are made from cassava) usually sell their stuffs traditionally too.
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Cemplon is made of grated cassava which is shaped like a ball, filled with melted brown sugar, and then fried. It is delicious to be eaten while hot. The delicate piquancy mixed together with melted brown sugar taste so delicious. It is not recommended eating Cemplon after being kept in the fridge, since it is going to be tough.
Gethuk, this kind of food is made of boiled cassava which is bruised and mixed with brown sugar. It is chopped into pieces after cold, and served with grated coconut on it. This sugary and piquant food is absolutely delicious.
Wonosobo, the small town near Dieng Plateau in Central Java, has various specific food, among others mi ongklok, tempe kemul, opak, and mushroom chips. The best thing is to enjoy the food in the cool air of the town. In my way home to Wonosobo, what is in my mind is a hot tempe kemul eaten with extra hot chili in a fresh and cool atmosphere of the city. It must be delicious!
Wonosobo, which is located under Dieng plateau, can surely make any food taste delicious. Although this pension city is located in the middle of Semarang and Purwokerto, the noise of tobacco and vegetable trade always colors the life there. Therefore many Chinese live their life to trade there.
Long time ago, there were so many foreigners visited Dieng and spent the night in Wonosobo. There were many restaurants and hotels at that time. But now, there are only a few left. It is because Wonosobo and Dieng plateau are not as beautiful and convenient as 10 years ago. But don’t be upset! After three hours enjoying the wonderful scenery of Sindoro and Sumbing valley as well as the tea plantation in the edge of the mountains, you can still go to Dieng Mountain. Unfortunately, the flower garden has disappeared. The green savanna and small lakes surround Pendawa Lima Temple are conjured to be vegetables plantation. The tourism area is narrowed because of the economical problem.
However, since it is my hometown, it does still have a magnet that cannot be repressed. There is such an energy that freshen us after we breathe its fresh air.
Tempe kemul is different from the famous tempe mendoan from Purwokerto. Tempe mendoan is made of unripe tempe, the soybeans are unencumbered and the color of the flour is white-brown. The shape is rectangular. Tempe kemul is made of ripe tempe. The shape of tempe kemul is circular. It is named tempe kemul because the atmosphere of Wonosobo is very cold. Not only the people, but also the tempe needs to be covered over.
I wonder why I never feel bored of eating tempe kemul. Tapioca that is flavored by turmeric, coriander, candlenut, greater galingale, white onion, salt, and a little leek onion tastes so delicious in my tongue. The yellowish flour is so crispy.
If you want to taste it, be careful with the hot chili. Once, we served tempe kemul to a friend of my brother from Yogyakarta. He was very enthusiastic. He ate the chili all at once. When the chili was chewed, he spontaneously dropped his tears. His ears were red. He cried for a drink. But it didn’t make him stop eating tempe kemul with the chili. This time he ate one chili for two or three tempe kemul. The chili was eaten bit by bit.
Sometimes children like to eat the flour only for the side dish. That’s why there are people who make tempe kemul with only a very tiny tempe but with a very wide flour. Yeah, it is for the sake of fulfilling the costumer’s appetite. But perhaps it can be a business strategy.
Tempe kemul is available from morning untill night, because it can be a complement when people eat bakso, soto ayam, nasi megono, nasi gudangan, or a special Wonosobo food, mie ongklok. The aroma of tempe kemul that is being fried is so delicious. We can smell it from the food stall around the market. Tempe kemul is easy to be found in every food stall in the evening. The price is varied, from Rp 250,00 to Rp 500,00. It is nutritious and also cheap.
The name represents the way to make the food. Chopped cabbage and green onion and half boiled noodles are put into a small long-handle bamboo basket. They are mixed in a hot water. Then, some chilies (based on costumers’ request) are pulverized in the bowl. Next, the vegetables, noodles, and tahu bacem are poured into the bowl.
The next step, brown-thick sauce from cornstarch which is flavored by chicken stock, shrimp, salt, white onion and a little brown sugar are poured. After it is scattered with pepper and fried onion, mie ongklok is ready to be served. People who never eat it before will not be interested seeing the stock. Even some people cancel their willing to try it. Moreover, after seeing that all ingredients are mixed in the bowl before it is served. However, the stock is melt and the taste is like boiled noodles.
Mie ongklok will be more delicious if it is eaten together with tempe kemul and sate sapi. The sellers usually open their food stall from 4 pm until night. When the weather is cold and the body needs a warmer, mie ongklok can be a good option. Yeah, we will get sick if we do not eat. If you want to try it, just go to Mie Ongklok food stall in Jalan Masjid, the south of Masjid Kauman Utara. With Rp 8.000,00 your stomach will be full after you eat mie ongklok with tempe kemul and sate sapi.
There are many choices if we want to buy gifts. Mushroom chips and Dieng nuts are the spicy and the most popular gifts. Mushroom chips are spicy, salty and crispy. The taste is similar with Paru chips. Mushroom chips are made from sliced merang mushroom, smeared with flour, and then fried. Dieng nuts are similar to Bogor nuts. The shape is like a coma, but it is fatter, approximately 1,5-2 cm. Its color is yellowish brown.
These nuts grow well in Dieng plateau. Those two snacks (Dieng nuts and Mushroom chips) are salty. The cost of ?? kg of mushroom chips is Rp 7.500,00 and ?? kg of Dieng nuts is Rp 6.000,00. The price will be more expensive in Jakarta and other cities.
You should also try Carica or Dieng papaya! The shape is like star fruit but rather big and plumper. The texture is like papaya but the color is yellowish green. The papaya is cut into small shape and then boiled with sugar water. It is usually packed in a bottle or plastic glass. It will be fresher when it is put it into the fridge before you drink it.
Another gift is Opak. Opak is a kind of chips which is made of cassava. There are various shapes and flavor. If you want to eat it directly, buy the fried one! But if you want to have it for your stock, buy the unripe one! Besides, there is thin Sagon, the modification of big, white and round Sagon. Unfortunately, this sweet chip with a little orange flavor is rarely found in the market nowadays.
If you are a snack lover, you can go to the east of Plaza (in the city park near city market). There are some food stalls that sell wet Lumpia, cream puff, citak (red cake with mung bean), Resoles, fried tahu panir, and many more.
There is one more special food in Wonosobo, called Jenang Ireng. It is black, sweet and a little hot. It is served with thin coconut milk and wrapped with banana leaf.
I think you will be full after reading this article. Actually, there are some other foods; such as: jangan gewos (old cabbage stir-fried). Just go to Wonosobo. Have a nice adventure and taste of the food there! Since the weather is cool and the Chinese are smart and creative cooks, the foods taste very delicious.
Recipe: how to make vegetarian fried rice - step by step.
- prepare all the ingredients as well as the spice paste ingredients
- boil the diced carrot cubes together with beans, sweet corn, and peas until softened, set aside
- heat the oil in a wok
- pour the spice paste and sauté until smells good
- put in the vegetables (carrot, sweet corn, beans, peas and celery), then stir
- put in the cooked rice and scrambled egg, fry them, then add sweet soy sauce and stir constantly
- pour the salty soy sauce, stir, and cook until done
- vegetarian fried rice is ready to be served
Have a good mealtime!
This is a recipe of one of Indonesian favorites: stir tempe with honey. This sweet tempe chips is a handy to be served with yellow rice or plain rice and vegetables.
1 pack tempe (fermented soybean cake)
- spice paste ingredients A (ingredients for fried tempe)
3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1,5 teaspoons salt, 250 ml boiled water- spice paste ingredients B
2 cloves garlic, 2 cloves onion, 2 red chilies, 1 bay leaf, 3 tamarinds, 2 cm ginger, 50 gram brown sugar, 4 tablespoons honey, ?? tablespoon salt, 100 ml boiled water.
- Crush the spice paste A (garlic, coriander seeds, and salt), then mix together with 250 ml water.
- Cut the tempe into small sticks, put them into the water containing spice paste A, blend till smooth for 30 minutes.
- Fry the tempe until crisp and set aside.
- Slice spice paste B (garlic, onion, red chilies, and ginger).
- Sauté spice paste B about 3 minutes, add salt, brown sugar, and 100 ml water. Boil about 3 minutes.
- Separate the waste and boiled water/liquid of sugar
- Put fried tempe and stir until crisp over warm heat.
- Put the cooked tempe into a plate or a bowl.
- Stir fried tempe with honey is ready to be served.
Have a good mealtime!
