Explore These 10 Indonesian Snacks on Your Visit

Indonesian cuisine isn’t just about the savoury, flavour-packed main courses. The country’s selection of snacks varies with every province you visit. Each area has its own specialty, often duplicated in other islands so that you can find a diverse array of tasty eats wherever you go. You can find Indonesian snacks sold by vendors on the side of the street or at traditional markets. It’s a general consensus among locals that food from these places taste best. From bites fit for the sweet tooth to more savoury goods, here are 10 Indonesian snacks you should try on your visit.

Tahu gejrot 

Originating in West Java in the region of Cirebon, tahu gejrot is a vegan-friendly Indonesian snack. It’s made by frying bite-sized cuts of tofu until crispy. The tofu is then served with a special sauce that is sweet and slightly tangy.

Ingredients in the sauce include chillies, palm sugar, garlic, tamarind, and sweet soy sauce. When drenched in this, the crispy tofu soaks up all the flavours, giving you a combination of taste and texture in every bite. 

Otak-otak

Many of the archipelago’s provinces are teeming with fresh and saltwater fish. While commonly served fried or grilled, fish are also the key ingredient in otak-otak. This Indonesian snack is made of ground fish paste, usually consisting of mackerel, milkfish, or featherback fish. 

The fish paste is mixed in with a blend of garlic and shallots, scallions, eggs, coconut milk, and tapioca starch or sago. These ingredients form a thick mixture that is then individually wrapped in banana leaves and grilled over an open fire. Otak-otak is served with a runny, spicy peanut sauce.

Batagor

Short for “bakso tahu goreng” which means fried meatball-filled tofu, batagor is an Indonesian snack that hails from West Java. Bakso tahu is a tofu stuffed with a meatball, which is often served in soup dishes. However, it’s also possible to deep fry. 

Batagor is best served when slathered in peanut sauce with a little drizzle of lime juice. Street vendors would often serve this snack in small plastic bags and locals would eat it straight from the bag, pushing each piece out and into their mouth. 

Lemper

This item may be a snack, but having one or two is bound to fill you up. Lemper is the term for glutinous rice cakes with a shredded chicken filling. First, the glutinous rice is soaked in coconut milk and a bit of salt to taste. The chicken is then prepared by cooking chicken breast in stock, shredding it, and then tossing it in some garlic, coriander, cumin, candlenut, brown sugar, shallots, keffir leaves, coconut milk, and salt and pepper.

Vendors would make lemper one by one starting with lining the glutinous rice in a sheet of banana leaf, layering the shredded chicken over it, and closing it off with another layer of glutinous rice before wrapping the entire thing in the leaf. 

Tempe mendoan

Many Indonesian snacks involve deep frying, and tempe mendoan is another one of these savoury bites. This dish hails from Purwokerto in Central Java. It’s made by slicing tempeh into thin pieces, throwing them in a batter, and deep frying until half-cooked. 

Tempe mendoan is served with sweet soy sauce and small green chillies for that extra kick. These are typically sold by streetside vendors in the afternoon. 

Serabi

Moving on to traditional snacks for the sweet tooth, serabi is a type of Indonesian pancake originating from Java. The batter is made of rice flour and coconut milk, giving this snack a nice fragrance when served hot. 

Serabi is cooked over a charcoal fire in small clay pans. The shape of these pans give the pancake a crispy and lightly charred edge but leaves the center slightly chewy. You can have serabi plain or topped with additions like palm sugar syrup, chocolate, cheese, or shredded coconuts. 

Dadar gulung

Literally translating as “rolled egg,” dadar gulung is more accurately described as a rolled crepe. This snack is known for the iconic green colour of the crepe, achieved through incorporating pandan leaves in the batter. Like serabi, the batter for dadar gulung also contains rice flour and coconut milk. 

Dadar gulung has a grated coconut and brown sugar center. It’s best served warm and goes perfectly with a cup of coffee in the morning. 

Onde-onde

This Indonesian snack is believed to have Chinese origins, but it has now been fully embraced as an Indonesian culinary favourite. Onde-onde are sweet, deep-fried dough balls made of glutinous rice flour and typically filled with sweet mung bean paste, then coated in sesame seeds. 

You’ll find onde-onde in traditional markets across the country but especially in Java. The snack’s nutty aroma and mild sweetness make for comforting treats. 

Kue cubit

“Cubit” means “to pinch” in Indonesian, and these snacks are named so because of their small size. Light and fluffy, kue cubit is made from a simple batter consisting flour, sugar, eggs, and milk, cooked in small moulds. They are most popularly half-cooked, leaving the center gooey and soft.

You can get kue cubit with a variety of toppings like sprinkles or shredded cheese. 

Martabak

Finally, martabak is the snack that every local would recommend when you come visit. It’s famously only available in the late afternoon and is known as an evening snack. Martabak comes in two main varieties: sweet (martabak manis) and savoury (martabak telur).

The sweet kind is a thick, fluffy pancake that is folded in half. It’s stuffed with rich fillings like chocolate, condensed milk, cheese, and crushed peanuts. Some vendors have even gotten creative and added flavours like pandan and red velvet. On the other hand, martabak telur is a savoury stuffed pancake made from a thin dough filled with seasoned minced meat, egg, and green onions. It’s usually served with pickled vegetables called acar along with a spicy dipping sauce. 

For an elevated taste of beloved Indonesian snacks, visit Merah Putih restaurant in Petitenget, Bali. Enjoy local favourites with a creative fine dining flare for lunch or dinner, paired with a selection of international wines or delicious signature cocktails. Book a table and use these gift vouchers today. 

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