Adopting the motto, ‘Play and Learn’, the Indonesian Student Society (ISS) prides itself on being one of USASA’s most friendly and nurturing clubs.
Formed several years ago, the club is just one of 33 branches of the Perhimpunan Pelajar Indonesia Australia (better known as the PPIA); an organisation that supports Indonesian students studying in Australia.
ISS currently has 53 active members registered through USASA, although the actual membership of the club is likely to be higher.
Keeping in line with the PPIA, the club’s primary goal is for Indonesian students studying at UniSA to connect and support each other as they study in a foreign country with different norms to their homeland.
While they are called the Indonesian Student Society, at UniSA their membership is not just restricted to Indonesian students. Any UniSA student with an interest in Indonesian culture can join in the club and partake in events and activities. The club boasts a diverse membership with students of all ages, degrees and backgrounds taking part.
The biggest event ISS helps coordinate is the annual Women’s Research Day in May, in collaboration with the Indonesian student associations at both Adelaide University and Flinders University.
In addition to this, the club is involved with a number of events throughout the year, including game nights, networking sessions, sports days and food events.
Speaking of food, Indonesia is home to some truly delicious meals, including nasi goreng, beef rendang and soto ayam. For readers that are handy in the kitchen (or at least think they are), there’s a recipe for soto ayam below. It’s Indonesia’s version of the humble chicken soup, laden with ginger, turmeric and coriander … do we need to say any more? Enak!
Recipe for Soto Ayam
Ingredients
Yellow Spice:
- 6 shallots
- 4 garlic cloves
- 8 cm
piece ginger - 3 tsp ground turmeric
- 3 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Broth:
- 2 litres chicken stock
- 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
- 250 gm cooked chicken, shredded
- 120 gm white cabbage, sliced
- 1 tomato, chopped
To serve:
- Cooked rice or vermicelli
- 60 gm bean sprouts
- 2 soft-boiled eggs
- 1 bunch fresh coriander
- 4 tbsp fried shallots
- 1 lime
Method
- Process all of the yellow spice ingredients together into a paste and stir fry for a few minutes in a saucepan.
- Add chicken stock, lemongrass, chicken, white cabbage, and tomato to the saucepan, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or more. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add some cooked rice/vermicelli to each bowl.
- Remove the lemongrass stalk, and add the soup to the bowls.
- Top each bowl with bean sprouts, half a boiled egg, fresh coriander and fried shallots.
- Squeeze over lime juice and tuck in. Selamat makan!
To check out the Indonesian Student Society, find them at @ppia_unisa on Instagram.
Words by Ryan Colsey
Image provided by Arnis Silvia
This piece was originally published in Edition 28
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