Lontong Medan

Ingredients
400g rice (best to use beras cina or beras hancur... if not then normal jasmine rice will do)
550g water (usual amount to cook rice)
1 tsp salt

3 pandan leaves
banana leaves

Directions

• clean banana leaves and run it over stove fire to soften the leaves. Put aside
• cook the rice with water and 1 knotted pandan leaves in a pot or rice cooker
• after 20min after boiling, keep stirring and breaking the rice as much as possible till all the water is absorbed by the rice
• remove from stove and leave the rice to cool to room temperature
• once cooled, scoop about 2 cups of rice to a working surface, squeeze rice to shape into cylindrical shape... put aside and prepare the rest of the rice
• take one banana leaf shiny side up, place the rice on it and roll over (make sure the banana leaf is big enough that it can roll 3x round the lontong... or use 2 layer, small layer inside and bigger outer layer)
• fasten the edges securely with toothpick
• place the lontongs in a pot large enough that water can cover it
• add the balance pandan leaves in the water
• boil for 2-3hours making sure that you check and top up with boiling water every 30min
• cool the lontong by standing it vertically as this will help the lontong last longer

Foodnote: I have always wondered why the lontong made in Indonesia are so evenly shaped, soft and nice. So I try this method that I found here and it is so awesome and easier. Can also see here on how to secure the edges nicely. No more lontong bursting out and I can easily make small quantities.