Serundeng — Java, Indonesia

Serundeng is a dry condiment made from grated coconut cooked slowly with spices until it turns deep golden brown, dry and crumbly. It is often mixed with fried peanuts for crunch, and the balance of spices can push the flavor toward sweet, savory or spicy depending on how it is seasoned. This condiment is reported from Java, Indonesia, where it accompanies plain rice and other dishes as a side that adds texture and concentrated flavor to an otherwise simple plate. It is known in Indonesian and Malay as serundeng, and under related names such as seroendeng in older Dutch-language sources. To prepare it, grated coconut is mixed with a ground paste of shallot, garlic, chili, coriander seed and turmeric, along with a little sugar and salt, then cooked in a wide pan over low heat, stirring constantly. The mixture is toasted slowly for a long stretch of time so the coconut dries out gradually without burning, turning from white to golden and finally to a deep brown as the sugars caramelize. Fried peanuts, and sometimes small dried anchovies, are stirred in toward the end, once the coconut itself is fully dry and crisp. What identifies this condiment among other coconut preparations is precisely this slow, dry toasting: unlike a fresh coconut sambal or a coconut milk sauce, serundeng contains almost no liquid by the time it is done, which is what gives it a long shelf life and its crumbly, granular texture. Households vary the spice paste and the ratio of sweet to spicy, and some add peanuts while others do not, but the toasted, dried coconut base is constant across versions.