With over 5,000 traditional recipes originating from 38 provinces and influenced by neighbouring cultures, Indonesian cuisine is teeming with spice and flavour. From delicious street food to decadent meals, there is a local dish for everyone. Even if you don’t consider yourself the adventurous type, every dish is highly customisable to better fit different palates and preferences. The best part is, these dishes are available everywhere, from street vendors to high-end restaurants. If you find yourself in the country, use this guide to find your next favourite food.
Nasi goreng
Nasi goreng, or fried rice, is a quintessential Indonesian stir fry. Made by frying rice with garlic, shallots, and chilli, with either chicken, beef, goat, or seafood, this dish can also be made vegetarian by substituting meat with vegetables or tofu. Javanese nasi goreng is made sweet and savoury with the addition of sweet soy sauce, commonly topped with a fried egg, fried shallots, and prawn crackers on the side.
Mie goreng
The same ingredients in a nasi goreng can also be used to make mie goreng, or fried noodles. This is typically made with yellow egg noodles stir-fried with the same base spices for nasi goreng. However, unlike nasi goreng, the egg in mie goreng is usually scrambled and mixed into the stir fry.
Sate
Sate is Indonesia’s take on grilled skewers featuring a variety of proteins from chicken, chicken skin, goat, beef, and even offal. Grilled over charcoal, sate is beloved for its smoky flavour. The skewers are most popularly served with a rich peanut sauce, but some regions opt for sweet soy sauce, sambal, or a curry-like gravy. Having sate from street vendors is an experience in itself, as you get to enjoy the aroma of grilled meat filling the air as the vendors fan the charcoal.
Rendang
Hailing from West Sumatra, Rendang is a slow-cooked beef curry and a staple in Padang food. Tender beef is simmered for around 3 to 6 hours in coconut milk and a mix of spices like bay leaves, turmeric leaves, orange leaves, lemongrass, chillies, and cloves. Using leaves instead of powder allows for more flavours and aroma to be released. The result is a rich, aromatic, and deeply flavourful dish best enjoyed on a bed of steamed white rice.
Rawon
This East Javanese beef soup stands out for its dark broth thanks to the inclusion of fermented keluwak seeds. While keluwak contains poison in its raw state, its seed is placed under a meticulous fermentation process to remove any toxins before being used in rawon. They infuse the broth with a deep, earthy. Rawon is served with rice and a side of sambal, duck egg, and beansprouts, perfect for those seeking to enjoy the more exotic items in Indonesian cuisine.
Soto
A comforting yellow soup, soto gains its colour and flavour from a mix of crushed galangal, shallots, garlic, candlenut, and turmeric. Bay leaves and lime leaves give the soup a refreshing aroma. The soup normally contains shredded chicken, beansprouts, boiled eggs, and vermicelli, served with white rice. Variations on this dish include Soto Betawi, which is made with coconut milk and beef for a richer taste.
Perkedel
Side dishes are equally as popular in Indonesian cuisine. Perkedel is an Indonesian patty made by frying mashed potatoes, often mixed with ground meat and other spices. These savoury golden brown patties can also be made with corn, with this variation commonly referred to as perkedel jagung or bakwan jagung.
Bebek goreng
Not feeling like fried chicken? Try fried duck instead. Duck is first marinated in a blend of spices including galangal, turmeric, coriander, and lime leaves. It’s then slow-cooked to tenderise the meat before deep frying to achieve a deliciously crispy skin. Bebek goreng is served with rice, sambal, and fresh vegetables or lalapan. Add on tempeh or tofu for a truly satisfying meal.
Pempek
This traditional fish cake originates from Palembang, South Sumatra. Its chewy texture is thanks to tapioca flour, which is mixed with ground mackerel to form various shapes like cylinders (lenjer) and boats filled with egg yolk (kapal selam). The cakes are boiled and then fried and served with cuko, a dark tangy sauce made of palm sugar, vinegar, garlic, and chilli. To complete the dish, pempek is enjoyed with yellow noodles and cucumber chunks.
Kare
Variations of kare, or curry, is often found in Indonesian cuisine. It’s distinct from neighbouring curries because of its base ingredients. Coconut milk is often combined with aromatic spices such as turmeric, lemongrass, candlenut, galangal, and coriander, resulting in a rich, nutty flavour. Kare can contain anything from meat to seafood to vegetables, proving the diversity of Indonesian cuisine.
Ayam bakar Taliwang
Not just your regular grilled chicken, ayam bakar Taliwang is a fiery dish and not for the weak stomachs. Hailing from the island of Lombok, this chicken is marinated with garlic, shallots, shrimp paste, turmeric, candlenut, and of course, a generous amount of red chillies. It’s then grilled over charcoal and served with rice and plecing kangkung, which is raw water spinach with sambal.
Bakso
“Bakso” is Indonesian for meatball, but the word is often used to refer to a clear soup containing meatballs, steamed tofu, vermicelli, and yellow noodles. Indonesian meatballs are made of minced meat and tapioca starch, giving them a smooth and bouncy texture. Optional add-ons to this dish include sambal, sweet soy sauce, vinegar, fried shallots, and coriander leaves.
Gado-gado
Vegans always have an option with gado-gado, an Indonesian salad containing steamed vegetables and served with a peanut sauce dressing. Vegetables in gado-gado include bean sprouts, long beans, and morning glory. You will also find lontong or steamed rice cakes, and steamed tofu. Topped with prawn crackers, this dish gives you an exciting mix of textures.
Related article: The 10 Best Indonesian Vegan Food for the Conscious Traveler
Batagor
Batagor is a street snack from West Java. Its name is an abbreviation for bakso tahu goreng, meaning fried meatball and tofu. Bakso tahu itself is a food item in itself, a fish meatball stuffed in tofu. Once fried, batagor is covered in peanut sauce. Squeeze some lime juice over it for a more refreshing flavour. Street vendors will often serve batagor in clear plastic baggies. Locals will eat it straight from the bag by pushing each piece out and straight into their mouth, making for a unique eating experience.
Babi guling
Most popular in Bali, babi guling is a whole suckling pig roasted over an open flame to achieve a crispy skin. The pig is stuffed with base genep, a Balinese blend of spices such as turmeric, ginger, galangal, shallots, candlenuts, garlic, chilli, lemongrass, lime leaves, and coriander seeds. Once roasted all the way through, the pork is served over rice with other Balinese dishes like lawar, mixed vegetables in spicy sauce.
Related article: A Taste of Paradise: Top 10 Balinese Dishes to Try on Your Visit
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FAQ
Not all Indonesian food is spicy. However, ingredients like chilli, ginger, turmeric, and galangal, have been staple spices in Indonesian cuisine throughout the country’s history. Influences from neighbouring cultures such as China, India, and the Middle East, also contribute to many spicy dishes.
Indonesian cuisine often features sweet, savoury, and spicy notes because of the many spices used in its cooking.
For centuries, Indonesia has been a trading hub for Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. These cultures introduced Indonesia to various spices, ingredients, and cooking methods over time.
Nasi goreng, or fried rice, is a quintessential Indonesian stir fry. Made by frying rice with garlic, shallots, and chilli, with either chicken, beef, goat, or seafood, this dish can also be made vegetarian by substituting meat with vegetables or tofu.
Experience fine Indonesian cuisine at Merah Putih Bali, a luxury Indonesian restaurant with Balinese flare located in Petitenget, Bali. Book a table today and enjoy exclusive gift vouchers.
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