What Is Ketjap Manis Alternative? Full Guide
ketjap manis alternative? Ketjap manis is an Indonesian sauce that, because to the inclusion of palm sugar, is thicker and sweeter than soy sauce. If you’ve ever cooked with molasses, you’ll recognize its luscious black glossy texture. Ketjap manis has a rich, caramel-like flavor with a little smokiness to it. It may be used as a condiment as well as an ingredient to add taste and color to meals. Use it to flavor glazes, soups, sauces, stir-fries, marinades, and satay. It’s also a key element in nasi goreng, a traditional Indonesian fried rice dish, and mie goreng, a low-cost fried noodles dish.
What Is Ketjap Manis Alternative
When compared to other of the more popular Asian sauces, ketjap manis isn’t exactly a household name. If you want to attempt an Indonesian dish but don’t have a store nearby that carries this product, you’ll need a ketjap manis alternative. We’ve done the research to provide you five of the finest options so you can complete the dish on time.
Also Read :- How Much Pulled Pork Per Person? Detailed Information.
6 suggested ketjap manis alternatives
- Soy Sauce
Because they are both prepared from fermented soybeans, soy sauce is a suitable substitute for ketjap manis. To get a genuine flavor and consistency, combine two basic pantry ingredients: brown sugar and molasses (treacle). This is how it’s done:
Ingredients
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- molasses (one-third cup)
- 1 quart soy sauce
Method
In a small saucepan, combine water and brown sugar and cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes, or until the liquid thickens and reaches 230°F (110°C). During this point, a candy thermometer will come in handy.
Reduce the heat to low and mix in the molasses and soy sauce.
Allow it cool before using in any dish calling for ketjap manis.
- Hoisin dipping sauce
Hoisin sauce, with its gorgeous thick, glossy texture and sweet and salty taste profile, is an ideal substitute for ketjap manis. To make a thinner sauce, slowly add one tablespoon of water at a time, mixing it in until you reach the desired consistency. Hoisin is a gorgeous reddish-brown hue that makes meat, particularly beef ribs, pig, and Peking duck, seem appetizing.
3. Oyster sauce
Oyster sauce is a flavorful, viscous, salty, and umami-rich condiment. Because of its caramel flavor, it is comparable to ketjap manis. Although it may be used in many ketjap recipes, it has a much lighter brown hue, thicker, saltier sauce with no sweetness. To make a handy backup sauce, combine some palm sugar or dark brown sugar with water.
4. Tianmian sauce
Tianmian sauce, also known as Chinese sweet bean sauce or tianmianjiang, is a kind of Chinese sweet bean sauce. This sauce has a little thicker consistency than ketjap manis, but it won’t be an issue in most dishes. Use it to make noodle sauces, braised meat, and fried rice. It’s also thick enough to serve as a tasty dipping sauce.
5 tamarind sauce
If you’re looking for a gluten-free alternative to ketjap manis, try tamari sauce. Traditionally, this Japanese sauce was created by extracting liquid from soybean miso. Despite the fact that new manufacturing processes have transformed the manufacturing process, it still has a “miso feel” to it. The flavor will not be identical to the original, but it will not be out of place in Indonesian cookery. Tamari sauce isn’t extremely salty and works well as a dipping sauce.
Quick tip: If you’re following a gluten-free diet, always read the label to verify no wheat has been added.
6. Shoyu Sauce
Shoyu sauce is a Japanese condiment composed of wheat and soybeans. It has grown in favor in recent years because to the enzymes it contains, which encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Shoyu is comparable to soy sauce, but sweeter and milder.
Quick facts
Ketjap manis is also known as kecap manis in Indonesia. “Manis” is the Malay word for “sweet.” “Kecap” is Indonesian for “thick sauce,” and it refers to any fermented sauce.
One tablespoon of the sauce has 10 grams of sugar and 730 milligrams of salt, so use it sparingly.
Ketjap manis is a widely popular soy sauce in Indonesia, accounting for 90% of total soy sauce output. Source.
Conclusion
Ketjap manis is Indonesia’s most popular sauce, and it’s used in a variety of ordinary Indonesian dishes. If you don’t have any, soy sauce, tianmian sauce, hoisin sauce, tamari sauce, and oyster sauce are all good replacements. Although each choice has unique qualities, they will all assist you in finishing that meal. Unless you have dinner guests from Indonesia, they won’t notice the tiny adjustment you’ve made to the dish.
The list above does not contain all of the solutions, and we urge that you experiment with your own alternatives to determine which works best for you. Plum sauce is one option you may try, however it would require some additional liquid in certain recipes. There are several Asian sauces that are both tasty and versatile. Best wishes for your next dish!
