Instructions: Indonesian cooking is richly spiced with ginger, turmeric, galangal (see below), lemon grass, aromatic leaves and herbs, but above all with chilies.

In addition to the spicing used in the preparation of a dish, Indonesians make a range of relishes, based on chilies, called sambals. These are served in small dishes on the table. Some are fiercely hot because the chili seeds have been left in: all are highly aromatic. The Indonesians use a chili called lombok, similar to tabasco, when making sambals but other small red chilies can be substituted.

Galanga is a relative of ginger. There are 2 main kinds: lesser and greater. Both are used in Indonesian cooking, where the former is known as kencur and the latter as laos. Greater galanga is used in Thailand (khaa) and Malaysia (lengkuas). The lesser has a more pungent odor than the greater, with hints of eucalyptus, with a taste like cardamom and ginger mixed. The greater galanga tastes more peppery-gingery, with lemon-sour overtones. Galangal is used throughout Malaysia and Indonesia in curries and stews. The greater galangal is an essential ingredient in Thai curry pastes and much preferred there to ginger.

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