Kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) is an essential condiment in Indonesian cuisine. It is both savoury and sweet, packed with umami flavour. Use this sweet soy sauce recipe to make your own homemade kecap manis.
Yield¾ cup
Servings9
Equipment
- 1 small saucepan
Ingredients
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¾ cup palm sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 1 star anise pod, whole (optional)
Instructions
- Add the sauce, sugar and star anise (optional) to a small saucepan.
- Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn down to low heat and simmer for five to ten minutes, stirring often.
- The sweet soy sauce will thicken. Keep cooking until it has the consistency of maple syrup, ten minutes at most. It will continue to thicken as it cools down.
- Set it aside to cool down completely.
- Use it straight away, or store it in a sealed container in the fridge. It should last well over a month.
Notes
- Keep an eye on your sauce as it boils. If it is at risk of boiling over, remove it from the heat and keep stirring. Continue cooking once everything is under control.
- If you buy your palm sugar in a brick, you will need to grate it first.
- See the ingredients section for more ingredient details and substitutes.