Indonesia – Tekwan

by Fauzan Anandika

For Asian citizens, 2018 become a special year. At that time Asian Game was held for the 18th time and held in Palembang city of Indonesia. In that event, every Asian country competes to collecting the most medal in the 40 sports category. All the 45 participants will fight over in 462 sports events, and China becomes the champion for collecting the most medal in Asian Games 2018.

Becoming a host for a big event like Asian Games, Palembang makes several preparations. They build new infrastructures and renovating the old sports center. Palembang itself is a beautiful city near the Musi River. Palembang also has a unique traditional dance, one of the dance is Gending Sriwijaya, a dance that performs at the opening of Asian Games 2018.

Becoming the host of the Asian Games, Palembang has delicious culinary that suits most of their guest taste. Palembang people use clear water fish for the main ingredient, pempek, and various fish curry become their special dish. Most Palembang dish uses a thick spice that creates a spicy, salty, and savory taste. But for those who love to eat something more simple but delicious, you can eat Tekwan.

Tekwan is a clear soup with fish balls and rice noodles. Tekwan has a similar taste to other country fishcakes, but Tekwan has a more chewy texture and different soup taste. In the local language, Tekwan means chit-chat with your friends. To make the fishcake, you can use tuna, cork fish, or mackerel, but mackerel will create the best taste for Tekwan. Without any further ado, this is how to make a homemade Tekwan.  

Fishcake ingredient

• 500 gram grounded mackerel filet
• 500 gram of tapioca flour
• 250 ml of cold water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 piece of white egg
• 1 tablespoon chicken broth powder

Soup ingredient

• 3 shallot, chopped
• 3 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon pepper powder
• 1.5-liter water
• 1 tablespoon dried shrimp
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon cooking oil

Other Ingredient

• 100-gram jicama, cut into chopstick shape
• 10-gram scallions, minced
• 5 clove garlic, minced
• 1 stick celery, minced
• 2 tablespoon fried shallot
• 10 wood ear mushroom, sliced into bite-size

How to make fishcake

1. Mix mackerel, white egg, salt, chicken broth powder, and pepper until blend perfectly.
2. Add tapioca flour slowly while mixing it.
3. Pick one teaspoon fishcake dough and make it into a ball shape. Boil the fishcake. Repeat for all the fishcake dough
4. Cook until the fishcake floating. After the fishcake floating strain, and remove it.

How to make the soup

1. Boil water in a medium boiling pot.
2. Prepare a frying pan, add cooking oil, dried shrimp.
3. Remove the shrimp into the boiling pot.
4. Add salt, sugar, and pepper, cook until boiling.
5. Add jicama, and woad ear mushroom, cook for 5 minutes.

Tekwan preparation

1. Place the fishcake in a bowl.
2. Pour the soup.
3. Add celery, scallion, and fried shallot as a garnish.
4. Tekwan is ready to be served.