Tabheg — East Java, Indonesia

Tabheg is a dish linked to East Java, and in particular to the coastal and Madurese-influenced parts of the province, where cooking leans on a base of shallot, garlic, turmeric and chilli pounded into a paste and used to season fish, vegetables or a combination of the two. Records on the dish are thin, so its exact composition is not settled, and it is described here in the general terms available. It is reported from East Java without a single fixed recipe attached to it; sources link it to the everyday, home-style cooking of the region rather than to a festive or ceremonial dish, which is consistent with how many lesser-documented regional dishes of Java and Madura are recorded. In the form most consistent with East Javanese cooking, fish or vegetables are simmered in a spice paste of shallot, garlic, turmeric, ginger and chilli, loosened with water or coconut milk, and cooked until the sauce has thickened slightly and the main ingredient is cooked through; a few aromatic leaves such as bay or lime leaf are often added during the simmer. The dish is generally served hot with steamed rice, and, as with many home dishes from the region, the balance of spice, the choice between water and coconut milk, and the exact vegetables or cut of fish used are said to vary from one household to the next rather than following one fixed formula.