Cumi-Cumi Isi (Stuffed Squid)

This is Indonesian home cooking at its most luxurious: whole squid tubes packed with a delicate snapper filling, then simmered low and slow in a spiced coconut milk sauce until they turn meltingly tender.

The stuffing is straightforward. Finely chopped red snapper bound with egg white, garlic, white pepper, and a dash of nutmeg gets spooned into cleaned squid bodies.

The real magic is the sauce. Shallots, bird’s eye chilies, candlenuts, and lemongrass hit screaming-hot oil, then coconut milk brings everything together into a rich, fragrant broth that infuses the squid as it gently simmers.

An hour of patience and you’ve got something that looks and tastes like it came from a proper warung.

Kitchen Tips

• Don’t overstuff the squid. They shrink as they cook, and packed-too-tight tubes will burst and spill their filling into the sauce.
• If you can’t find candlenuts (kemiri), macadamia nuts are the closest substitute. They add the same creamy richness to the sauce.
• Simmer gently, never boil. High heat turns squid rubbery. Keep it at a bare bubble for that fork-tender result.