Soto Daging Recipe (Indonesian beef soup)

I am getting to know about the common Indonesia dish called soto by a reading, soto is a traditional Indonesian aromatic soup.

Knowing that there are several types of soto in Indonesia and each has a way of different presenting. The exclusive part is that every regions in Indonesia has its own type of soto soup with such satisfaction additional, for example soto ayam madura (chicken soto) its typically serve with rice vermicelli, boil egg and prawn cracker (kerupuk), while soto lamongan has additional of bean sprouts or it might has some shredded raw cabbage too as added , another one is the famous soto betawi is coconutty base soup, typically serve with emping melinjo (bitter yet delicious cracker) and fresh tomato and still many more varieties of Indonesian soto.

I cook my favorite soto at least twice a month, because we all love soupy stuff. This time I did some adaptations to my soto daging in view of my perspective, spice mixture created bravely to have different tone " characterized, aromatic and flavorful "

 Soto Daging

Aromatic traditional Indonesian beef soup

Ingredients

Water 1800ml / reduce to 1500ml

400gr beef tenderloin—cut to cubes

Vegetable oil for frying
beef cubes , optional
1-2 sprigs leek, slice
salt to taste

Spices

6 shallots / bawang merah

4 cloves garlic  (plus 3 cloves/slice and crispy fried)

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp white pepper

3 cm fresh turmeric, charred

2 lemongrass, bruised

3 kaffir lime leaves

Thumb size of fresh ginger

Dried spices

2 lemongrass bruised

7 kaffir lime/ discard midrib and torn

5 slices medium thick galangal (lengkuas)

2 Indonesian bay leaf (daun salam)

½ nutmeg, crushed

1 inch cinnamon

1/2 from whole star anise

Garnishes

Kucai or Indonesian celery (seledri)

Lime, wedged

Sambal chilli/boil chillies and grind with the broth

Deep fried shallots (bawang goreng)

What to do

Boil the water in the stockpot, after it boiling add the beef with all the dried spices, 

let boil and it will create some wonderful aroma.

Meanwhile, grind all the spices *except lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf, 

using mortar and pestle or an electric blender until smooth.

Heat about 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add the spice paste, 
lemon grass and kaffir lime leaf and leek.
Fry until aromatic and the raw smell of spices has evaporated. Set aside.

*Back to the boiling broth in the stockpot, 

when it reduced about 1500ml, starts adding the aromatic fried spice paste, 
beef cubes if using and seasons salt to taste

Slowly boil until aromatic another 15-20 minutes.

Off the fire, add-ins crushed fried garlic and shimmer another couples minutes. 
* off the fire and ready to serve

Serve hot with rice cakes (lontong) or steam rice (nasi putih)

Garnish with the garnishes