← Nouns Cooking · Indonesian & Filipino

Ingredients

• 60 g fresh ginger (about 8 cm), unpeeled
• 1 Lemongrass, bruised and knotted
• 1 pandan leaf, knotted (optional)
• 1 tsp black peppercorns, lightly crushed (optional)
• 2 green cardamom pods, crushed (optional)
• 3 whole cloves (optional)
• 600 ml Water
• 80 g palm sugar or brown sugar, chopped

Method

1. Char the ginger in a dry pan over medium-high heat (or over a gas flame) for 2–3 min, turning, until blistered in spots. Bash it with a rolling pin to crack it open and slice thickly.
2. Put the ginger, lemongrass, pandan and spices in a saucepan with the water. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 12–15 min until the water is golden and fiery.
3. Add the palm sugar and stir for 2 min until dissolved. Strain into mugs and drink hot.

Tips

• Charring the ginger is the traditional step that gives a deeper, slightly smoky warmth.
• For wedang jahe sereh, double the lemongrass and skip the other spices.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Daily Cooking Quest Daily Cooking Quest