Ten Delicious Vegan Dishes to Try at Merah Putih Restaurant

With the increasing adoption of alternative diets like vegetarianism and veganism, more restaurants are beginning to adjust their menus to cater to these food preferences. In many parts of the world, food and beverage establishments are now providing substitutions, specific vegetarian or vegan options, and making sure to mark these items clearly on their menus. 

As a popular tourist destination for travellers around the world, restaurants in Bali have also adapted to this dietary trend. There are plenty of restaurants providing vegetarian and vegan menus. Additionally, Indonesian food itself is vegetarian and vegan-friendly. Many dishes consist of only vegetables, and soy proteins like tofu and tempeh are widely available. This makes Bali a great destination for you if you’re concerned with the availability of vegan menus on the island. 

Merah Putih Restaurant is a luxury Indonesian restaurant that specially caters to vegetarian and vegan diets. Plenty of the decadent dishes on the menu can be made vegetarian or vegan, meaning you don’t have to miss out on trying Indonesian food during your trip! Here are 10 vegan menu items available at Merah Putih Bali. 

Bakpao nangka

Bakpao is a steamed bun with various stuffings. Originating from China, bakpao has found its way into Indonesian cuisine. These buns can contain savoury fillings like chicken, pork and minced meat, or sweet fillings like black bean paste, red bean paste, or mung beans. 

Merah Putih offers pork-filled bakpao, but vegans can also opt for bakpao nangka. This soft bun appetizer is filled with shredded jackfruit cooked in a delicious rendang sauce and topped with coriander leaves and daikon. 

Pangsit jamur

Pangsit is Indonesian for wonton, and it’s another Indonesian dish with Chinese influence. Just like bakpao, pangsit can be filled with a variety of stuffings and is very easy to make vegan or vegetarian. 

At Merah Putih, you can order pangsit jamur from the vegan menu. The wontons are filled with mushrooms and pumpkin and served in a tuturuga sauce. This sauce is also commonly known as opor, an Indonesian curry made with coconut sauce, turmeric, galangal, and candlenuts. 

Sate tempe

Sate is a popular Indonesian food with various iterations across provinces. Typically, this dish is made by skewering meat, lathering it with a sauce, and grilling it over charcoal. However, vegan alternatives of this delicacy can be found in various restaurants.

Instead of using meat, the vegan sate option at Merah Putih substitutes it with tempeh, a staple soy protein often used in a variety of other dishes. The chargrilled skewers consist of tempeh, capsicum, and leek, served with the iconic peanut sauce and chilli. 

Tahu gejrot

Hailing from Cirebon in West Java, tahu gejrot is a beloved Indonesian snack that is already vegan to begin with. Bite-sized cubes of tofu are fried until crispy and then served with a special sauce containing garlic, chillies, palm sugar, pounded tamarind, and sweet soy sauce. 

Tahu gejrot is one of the vegan options at Merah Putih. The restaurant’s take on the dish uses stuffed tofu and mixed mushrooms. 

Kare sayur

Kare is another Indonesian favourite that can easily be made vegetarian or vegan. Literally translating to curry, this menu can contain anything from chicken, beef, fish, and vegetables. Indonesian curry differs from those in other parts of the world. It’s rich and nutty thanks to ingredients like turmeric, lemongrass, candlenut, galangal, and coriander added to the coconut milk.

Kare sayur, or vegetable curry, is available on the vegan menu at Merah Putih. Here, the main proteins are tofu and tempeh, accompanied by baby carrots, zucchini, and potatoes. 

Kalio jamur

Another take on curry from another Indonesian region, kalio’s Minangkabau origins in West Sumatra means it’s traditionally made with meat, but it can be easily switched out with any other protein. 

Merah Putih offers kalio jamur, which contains mixed mushrooms, cauliflower, potatoes, and greens. These ingredients are combined in a rich, comforting stew made of coconut milk with shallots, garlic, turmeric, galangal, garlic, and lemongrass. 

Lawar kacang

Lawar is a traditional Balinese vegetable dish that you can find almost anywhere on the island. It combines an array of crunchy vegetables tossed in garlic, shallots, turmeric, and candlenut, resulting in a vibrant salad that goes perfectly on any vegan menu. 

If you order lawar kacang at Merah Putih, you’ll enjoy a combination of long beans, wing beans, and shredded coconut, complete with the classic Indonesian topping of fried shallots. 

Labu asam padeh

Asam padeh is a Sumatran-style sauce that directly translates to “sour and spicy.” In the maritime province, the main protein in asam padeh is fish, while other variations would use beef as well. The sauce gains its flavours from chilies, shallots, garlic, ginger, and candlenuts.

In place of fish, asam padeh by Merah Putih contains roasted pumpkin, chayote, pok choy, and snow peas. This makes for a warm and hearty vegetable side dish, best enjoyed with steamed rice. 

Nasi goreng sayur

Perhaps the most popular Indonesian food is nasi goreng or fried rice. While normally containing ingredients like meat, chicken, or eggs, nasi goreng is a dish that is easily customisable for the vegan diet. 

While Merah Putih offers a pork and chicken fried rice, the vegan menu boasts nasi goreng sayur, a vegetable fried rice with mixed mushrooms, greens, leek, tofu, and chili. 

Nasi campur sayur pecel 

A staple in many Indonesian provinces, nasi campur is a rice dish that features white or brown rice with a variety of side dishes. This makes the nasi campur adjustable to fit various dietary requirements.

Although nasi campur in Bali commonly contains the island’s standout dishes like ayam betutu or babi guling, Merah Putih’s vegetarian / vegan option serves it with sayur pecel. This Indonesian salad contains beansprouts, long beans, white cabbage, and spinach, with a rich peanut dressing. Other side dishes in the nasi campur include sweetcorn fritters and chargrilled tempeh, capsicum and leek. 

Have any of these dishes on the vegan menu caught your interest? Book a table at Merah Putih today with these special gift vouchers. 

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