lemper — West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Lemper is a savory snack made of glutinous rice wrapped around a filling of seasoned shredded meat, most often chicken, in which case it is called lemper ayam. The rice is rolled around the filling much like an egg roll, then wrapped again in banana leaf, giving the finished snack its elongated shape, close to that of lontong. This page follows the version prepared in West Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo, where lemper is found among the savory snacks served at gatherings and sold at markets alongside other rice-based bites. To prepare it, glutinous rice is soaked, then steamed with coconut milk and a little salt until sticky and cooked through. While the rice cools slightly, chicken is simmered, shredded and stir-fried with shallots, garlic, coriander and a touch of sugar until well seasoned. A portion of rice is flattened in the hand or on a banana leaf, a line of the chicken filling is placed in the center, and the rice is rolled around it into a tight cylinder, which is then wrapped in banana leaf and steamed again briefly to set the shape and add fragrance. In West Kalimantan, lemper is usually eaten as a snack or appetizer, sold in banana-leaf packets that can be unwrapped and eaten by hand. The dish sits close to arem-arem and to the Chinese zongzi in its construction, though the filling, the seasoning of the rice, and the exact way the leaf is folded differ from one seller and one household to another.