Eating Nasi Kandar Accompanied by AI (Ai Komariyah)
Tauhid Nur Azhar
This morning, after finishing my live lecture from the famous 5758 coffee shop, whose owner is well-known in the world of coffee, I walked with the remaining strength that was dwindling. Each step felt heavy, and my body was extremely tired. Eventually, I realized I hadn’t eaten since yesterday afternoon. Oh no…
In front of the Sukanagara health center, I couldn’t take it anymore. Finally, I ordered a ride from an app and hurriedly headed to my destination, the Nasi Kandar stall.
At that stall, all my hopes rested. Unconsciously, I ordered a Kandar-style menu, not a kadar-style one. With a limp, I carried the tray of nasi with its side dishes to a table in the corner. I wanted to enjoy it devoutly, just like when we are immersed in prostration before the Source of Love that is Eternal and Everlasting.
The biryani rice appeared with all its charm. The yellow color of its spices was vibrant and gleamed softly in the reflection of the coconut milk sauce, which was so tempting. Its aroma was irresistible to the most sensitive part of my olfactory system, which was not regulated by the thalamus, making me unable to use any moves.
My pleasure center in the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens was flooded with dopamine, whose reservoir suddenly burst.
Perfect, this biryani rice is cooked just right with the appropriate texture and aroma for the Mamak people. The tandoori chicken with crispy skin but still soft and juicy meat was served sexily alongside. Moreover, the portion was massive and spectacular.
The curry sauce was the most capable of making my mouth water. Its rich spicy flavor made my hunger even more intense, and my taste buds seemed to be overwhelmed by the endless delicious taste. Besides, when the sweat on my forehead started to flow, the only thing we could do was to reflect more. What other blessings of Allah will we taste?
I, who could no longer speak because I was drowning in the crazy and overwhelming taste that hijacked every sensory nerve ending and its associated areas, finally surrendered to the fact that the food was eaten and enjoyed, not just stolen or plotted and sniffed (this is the correct term, because if it’s kissed, it’s with the lips, not the nose).
But before the food started being consumed, a Gen X obligation that didn’t want to admit to being technologically illiterate kicked in: the food had to be photographed first. Not just any photo, but a photo taken with AI. Specifically, using a Transformer model from the Generative AI genre.
The result? According to GPT, from the photo analysis, the following data was obtained: several main components of the dish visible in the image are:
- Spiced or flavored rice.
- A side dish of fried chicken with a red coating (possibly with special spices or coloring).
- A half-cut egg, which appears to be a salted egg.
- Sambal and other toppings, including fried onions.
- Pickled vegetables, possibly cabbage-based or fermented vegetables.
According to me, the image analysis results by the AI are accurate. Everything matches the appearance of the Nasi Kandar on my tray. Next, with a bit of pride, GPT used estimated data for the calorie, protein, fat, carbohydrate, fiber, and micronutrient content of each component from its database and used the personal data I entered to calculate my daily nutritional needs.
Based on my profile (54-year-old male, 90 kg, 180 cm, with moderate activity), GPT will calculate the calorie and some major nutrient needs and compare the daily nutritional fulfillment from the dish on this tray.
Here is the nutritional analysis result from GPT for my Nasi Kandar dish: Calories 805 kcal, protein 44.5 grams, fat 29 grams, carbohydrates 90 grams, and fiber 4.5 grams.
Thus, according to GPT, compared to my daily needs, this Nasi Kandar fulfills 29.5% of my daily calorie needs, 61.8% of protein, 31.9% of fat, 24% of carbohydrates, and 15% of fiber.
GPT 4.0 also mentioned that my Nasi Kandar provides a significant amount of protein and enough calories but is still lacking in fiber fulfillment.
Then, on the first bite that almost made me stagger and sway due to its deliciousness, I remembered my Medical Nutrition lecturer from my time at the Medical Faculty, “Curry is a spice-rich dish with many health potentials…”
So, while continuing to express gratitude to the Creator for the delicious umami sensation, my thoughts wandered cognitively. Back to the old wooden benches at Gunung Brintik campus, at the peak of Bergota where the best medical faculty in Indonesia, my beloved FK Undip, is located.
Curry is a popular dish in many Asian countries, including India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. This dish combines various spices and herbs rich in active compounds, such as turmeric, cumin, ginger, garlic, and chili, each with potential health benefits. Additionally, curry often uses coconut milk as a fat solvent that adds flavor and texture.
The main components of curry spices include:
- Turmeric (Curcuma longa), which contains curcumin, an active compound that functions as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Curcumin is known to potentially prevent degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and cancer, through the suppression of the NF-kB pathway and inhibiting cancer cell growth.
- Cumin (Coriandrum sativum) contains linalool and various polyphenols that function as antioxidants. Linalool has a sedative and anti-anxiety effect that can calm the nervous system.
- Ginger (Zingiber officinale) with its main content gingerol and shogaol, which are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Gingerol has been proven in various studies to reduce inflammation and improve digestive health.
- Garlic (Allium sativum) with its main active compound allicin, which acts as a natural antibacterial and antiviral. Allicin also functions to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
- Chili (Capsicum spp.) with its active compound capsaicin, which has antioxidant effects and can increase body metabolism. Capsaicin also plays a role in stimulating the production of endogenous antioxidant enzymes that help fight free radicals.
Cooking curry is certainly not complete without using coconut milk. Coconut milk (Cocos nucifera) is a basic ingredient of curry rich in healthy fats, proteins, and various vitamins and minerals. Coconut milk fat contains medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) such as lauric acid, which have antibacterial and antiviral properties. MCFA is also easier to digest than long-chain fatty acids.
Coconut milk also contains protein with essential amino acids, although in lower amounts compared to animal protein sources. Coconut milk also contains iron, magnesium, and potassium, which play important roles in nerve function, metabolism, and electrolyte balance.
The curry in my Nasi Kandar was accompanied by tender and delicious tandoori chicken breast. In another package, the biryani rice in Nasi Kandar can also be accompanied by fish fried with delicious spices. Chicken meat is high in protein, low in fat, and rich in vitamin B3 (niacin) and B6, which are important in energy metabolism and nerve function.
Chicken meat also provides minerals such as phosphorus and selenium, which support bone health and the body’s immune system.
Meanwhile, fish, especially sea fish, is a source of Omega-3, which acts as an anti-inflammatory and is good for heart health. Fish also contains vitamin D and vitamin B12, which are important for bone and nerve health.
Overall, the curry spices in my Nasi Kandar, which got a bonus of abundant sauce, have a fairly high antioxidant content from their spice aspects. Antioxidants in curry spices such as curcumin (turmeric), gingerol (ginger), and capsaicin (chili) help fight oxidative stress that can cause premature aging and chronic diseases.
Antioxidants work, among other things, as follows: free radical scavengers, where antioxidant compounds can neutralize free radicals by donating electrons, thus reducing cell and tissue damage.
Antioxidants also work by increasing the production of endogenous antioxidants, where compounds such as gingerol and capsaicin can stimulate the body to produce natural antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase.
On the other hand, antioxidants such as curcumin can inhibit inflammatory pathways, especially the NF-kB pathway, as well as the pro-inflammatory cytokine response pathways such as TNF-Alpha, IL-1, and IL-6, which can reduce the risk of chronic inflammatory diseases.
But after thinking about it, if I keep remembering clinical nutrition lecture materials like in the old school days, when will I eat? Oh well, let’s enjoy this Nasi Kandar dish with all our heart’s gratitude.
