SHE’S on a mission to bring a taste of her native Indonesia to the UK – starting here in Dorset.

Yayu Slocock is a mother of three from Wimborne who has created an authentic guide to the culture and cuisine of her native Indonesia.

Yayu’s Simply Indonesian volume one features more than 50 recipes from the archipelagos including starters, main courses, desserts and drinks.

“Indonesia is like a little Europe – there are so many different cultures and foods, but here in the UK many people don’t know much about it.

“Everyone is familiar with Indian, Chinese and even Thai food, but not so much about Indonesian cuisine, so I hope to change that with my book.”

But the proof of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating, so when I was invited to sample some of her cuisine at her home, it was too good to miss.

For starters we had Indonesian spring rolls which were perfectly cooked – crunchy, not at all greasy, and served with a sweet chilli sauce.

The main course was served on a big platter and included Yayu’s signature dish, Beef Rendang.

Apparently, this is a famous dish in her country and this version was made from local beef that had been slow cooked in selected spices including turmeric, chilli, ginger and lemon grass and blended with coconut milk.

Other dishes included Telur Bumbu Sereh, eggs in lemon grass sauce, and Sate Ayam.

The chicken was perfectly cooked, tender and sweet, and served in a delicious sate sauce made with cashew nuts.

Vegetable dishes included Sambal Goreng Kentang and Buncis – traditional Javanese potatoes and French beans in a coconut sauce blended with soy sauce and Vegetable Urapan, steamed vegetables with grated coconut in herbs blended with kaffir leaf and spices.

I particularly loved the Mie Goring – special fried noodles with vegetables in a sweet Indonesian soy sauce and garnished with fried shallots and egg and fragrant saffron rice, which she says is a speciality served at celebrations.

Although I don’t usually bother with dessert, I couldn’t resist a slice of her colourful homemade Pandan cake topped with melon and vanilla ice cream.

Maybe it’s because Yayu prepares most of her own spices, and each dish is cooked from scratch and because there were so many fresh new vibrant flavours, that it was an Asian feast unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before. She also runs six-week cookery classes which start again in March covering Indonesian, Thai or Japanese.

To book a class or event call 01202 882277 or email yayu@ atasteofrasasayang.co.uk Her book is £9.99 (plus postage and packaging) from printsolutions.co.uk or Amazon.