Indonesian Style Potato Gratin (Pastel Tutup)

This is a typical Indonesian dish, some eat as snack, some eat as a meal
The people said it's an influence from both Chinese and Dutch food
It's not exactly the same as potato gratin, quite different, but it's the same kind of dish
The usual potato gratin uses sliced potatoes layering the top of the dish as well as the bottom, sometimes at the centre too alternating with creamy filling
This dish I made also uses potatoes but mashed til smooth, and it's only placed at the top of the dish covering a layer of hard boiled egg slices on top of the not so creamy filling

It's been a few years since the last time I had this yummy savoury dish, such a great refresher to be able to have this dish again this time, in conjunction with this month's LBT challenge : pastel tutup :)
Quite easy to prepare, but involves a lot of chopping, and the filling has to be completely cool before covered with potato layer

Recipe is from my mum
(with this recipe below I got a 20x30cm rectangle pyrex and four 5" ramekins)

What you need:

For the potato layer:
10 medium size potatoes - steam, peel and mash
3 tbsp butter
2 pinches of ground nutmeg
salt, pepper, sugar

For the filling:
1 large onion, chopped
250g chicken breast - skinless, boneless, boil til cooked and then chopped finely
carrots - chopped finely
a handful of black fungus - soak til soft, chopped finely
bean vermicelli - soak til soft, cut short
two handfuls of frozen peas
10 hard boiled eggs - peel and slice thinly
1/2 cup fresh milk
enough water - around 2L
salt, pepper, sugar, ground nutmeg, a little butter

To sprinkle:
grated cheddar cheese

For the potato layer:
Mix all ingredients while the mashed potatoes are still warm

For the filling:

1. Sautee chopped onion til soft and fragrant
2. Add in chicken, carrots, and water
3. Bring to boil and simmer til carrots turn soft, around 5 minutes
4. Add in milk, stir well
5. Add in black fungus, frozen peas, stir well til peas are cooked
6. Add in salt, pepper, sugar, nutmeg, milk, stir well
7. Adjust the taste and add in bean vermicelli
8. Stir well, bring to boil and off heat

How to assemble:

1. Pour filling on the pans and let cool (it has to be completely cool)
2. Arrange egg slices on top after it's cooled and cover with potato layer (my mum just pressed by hand but I prefer to use piping bag)
3. Brush the top with mixture of egg yolk and butter
4. Put oven in grill mode (top heat only) and grill til the top is browned
5. If cheese to be sprinkled on top, please do so after brushing the top with egg wash

I had some leftover potato in the piping bag, so I piped smiling faces on the ramekins and flowers on the pyrex :)

 

 

 

Oh, yum!