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Loading...A signature Surabaya specialty, this hearty salad combines tender boiled buffalo snout with crisp vegetables, fresh tropical fruits, rice cakes, and a richly spiced peanut sauce darkened with fermented shrimp paste. Every bite balances sweet, sour, salty, and spicy, delivering the bold complexity East Javanese cuisine is known for.
Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Total Time60 mins
Servings4
Yield4 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 540 kcalCalories
- 26 gFat
- 5 gSaturated Fat
- 52 gCarbs
- 7 gFiber
- 12 gSugar
- 24 gProtein
- 780 mgSodium
- 820 mgPotassium
- 140 mgCalcium
- 4.5 mgIron
- 34 mgVitamin C
- 180 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the buffalo nose and accompaniments
- 400 g (about 14 oz) buffalo nose (cingur), cleaned by the butcher
- 200 g lontong or compressed rice cake, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 100 g firm tofu, halved and fried until golden
- 100 g tempeh, sliced and fried until golden
- 2 liters water for boiling
- 1 tablespoon salt
For the vegetables and fruits
- 100 g fresh bean sprouts, blanched 30 seconds
- 100 g young water spinach (kangkung), blanched and cut into 4 cm lengths
- 75 g long beans, sliced thinly and blanched
- 75 g green cabbage, shredded
- 1 medium cucumber, sliced into thin half-moons
- 1 banana blossom (jantung pisang), thinly sliced and soaked in tamarind water
- 100 g ripe pineapple, cut into small wedges
- 100 g fresh jicama or green mango, julienned
For the spicy peanut sauce
- 150 g raw peanuts, fried until golden
- 3 tablespoons petis udang (black fermented shrimp paste)
- 4 red bird's eye chilies
- 3 shallots, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 small tomato, seeded
- 2 tablespoons tamarind paste (asam jawa)
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar, grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 200 ml warm water, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
For garnish
- Fried shallots, for sprinkling
- Lime wedges
- Extra bird's eye chilies, sliced
Directions
- Place the cleaned buffalo nose in a large pot with water and salt, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, skimming any foam, until fork-tender. Drain, let cool slightly, then slice into thin 1 cm strips.
- While the nose cooks, prepare the produce: blanch the bean sprouts, water spinach, long beans, and cabbage briefly in salted boiling water, then refresh under cold water and drain well. Combine all vegetables and fruits in a large mixing bowl.
- For the sauce, blend the fried peanuts, petis udang, chilies, shallots, garlic, tomato, tamarind paste, palm sugar, and salt with 200 ml warm water until you have a thick, slightly grainy paste. Adjust consistency with more water, then stir in the lime juice.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sliced buffalo nose with the lontong, fried tofu, and fried tempeh. Pour about three-quarters of the peanut sauce over the mixture and toss gently to coat, adding more sauce to taste.
- Add the blanched vegetables and fresh fruits to the bowl and toss once more, keeping the fruits from getting crushed. Taste and adjust salt, palm sugar, or lime as needed.
- Pile the salad onto a serving platter, drizzle with extra sauce, and garnish generously with fried shallots, lime wedges, and sliced chilies. Serve immediately with remaining sauce on the side.
Cook’s Notes
- Petis udang is the soul of this dish; do not substitute it with regular terasi if you can find the real thing, as it gives the sauce its signature deep, almost sweet umami.
- The buffalo nose is best cooked a day ahead and chilled so it slices cleanly and absorbs the sauce flavor.
- If petis udang is unavailable, mix 1 tablespoon Indonesian shrimp paste with 1 tablespoon molasses as a rough substitute, but the flavor will be slightly different.
- Soak the banana blossom in tamarind water to prevent browning and remove any residual bitterness.
- Serve with plenty of extra sauce on the side, as Surabayans like to add more petis-laden dressing with each bite.
