cipera — Karo, Indonesia

Cipera is a savory dish of the Karo Batak community made from rice flour dough shaped into small dumplings, cooked together with chicken, or sometimes vegetables, in a spiced coconut broth. The dumplings are usually cut small enough to cook quickly and take on the flavor of the broth without becoming heavy. It is reported in Karo, a highland area of North Sumatra, Indonesia, home to the Karo Batak people; the dish appears at everyday meals and gatherings within Karo households. Rice flour is worked into a firm dough with water, rolled and cut or pinched into small pieces, then simmered with chicken pieces in a broth seasoned with turmeric, ginger, shallots, garlic and often andaliman, a citrusy Batak peppercorn, finished with coconut milk. Once the dumplings float to the surface, cooks often taste and adjust the broth with a little extra salt or fresh chilies before serving it hot in individual bowls. The choice of protein, chicken, sometimes duck or vegetables, the heat level from andaliman and chilies, and the thickness of the coconut broth vary from household to household within Karo cooking.