Kecap Manis
Kecap Manis (pronounced “kuh-chop mah-nees”) is an Indonesian condiment that reminds us if soy sauce and ketchup had a baby- it’s fermented soy (like soy sauce), but has a sweet quality that reminds us of ketchup or barbecue sauce. Our Kecap Manis was thick and syrupy with a consistency reminiscent of corn syrup, and walked a tightrope between sweet and savory flavors. Our sweetness came from coconut sugar which mellowed out our garlic and Korean chili flakes, and star anise and fennel gave our sauce some fragrant, Christmas-nostalgia level complexity.
We made our Kecap Manis as a sauce for our Vegetable Stir Fry with Poach Egg, but you could use it most places that soy sauce is called for. It would be great in a glaze or a marinade, or splashed over a bowl of noodles.
- ½ Cup Liquid Aminos, or low sodium soy sauce
- ½ Cup Coconut Sugar
- ¼ tsp Ground Fennel
- ¼ tsp Ground Star Anise
- ¼ tsp Granulated Garlic
- 1 tsp Korean Chili Flakes
- In a saucepan, combine all ingredients and mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer mixture 10 minutes, or until reduced by half. Should be a fairly thick consistency.
