Ingredients :

• Kecap manis — The backbone of the recipe. A thick, sweet Indonesian soy sauce, very different from classic soy sauce—closer to a dark syrup. Brand Bango or ABC both work perfectly. If you can’t find it, mix two parts soy sauce with one part honey: it’s an honest approximation.
• Galangal powder — A cousin of ginger, but with a more earthy and slightly peppery side. Fresh galangal is magnificent but hard to find—the powder gives a very decent result here. Don’t replace it with ginger; it’s really not the same thing.
• Dried makrut lime leaves — They provide that subtle citrus undertone you couldn’t name if you didn’t know the ingredient. We let them simmer whole in the sauce and don’t eat them—they do their job in silence, then we remove them before serving.
• Tamarind paste — Optional on paper, almost essential in practice. It brings a discreet acidity that perfectly balances the sweetness of the kecap manis. A small teaspoon, no more—the goal isn’t to taste the acidity, but to round out the sauce.