Indonesian Food: 21 Traditional Dishes of Indonesia
Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago nation, located in Southeast Asia between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It shares land borders with Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor.
Indonesia was the home of major Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms such as Srivijaya and Majapahit, which dominated regional trade.
Indonesia has previously been under the control of The Dutch East India Company and Japan, until declaring Indonesian independence in 1949.
Indonesian food has been influenced by indigenous traditions, as well as Chinese, Indian, Dutch and Middle Eastern cuisines.
Rice is a staple ingredient in Indonesian cuisine, acting as a base in many dishes, including nasi goreng and nasi uduk.
Shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, galangal, coriander, lemongrass and chili peppers also feature in many recipes, providing an aromatic flavor profile.
Peanuts also feature in many Indonesian dishes; they are often ground into sauces for dishes like satay chicken or gado-gado salad.
Nasi Goreng
Nasi Goreng is the national dish of Indonesia; a super simple sticky fried rice dish, typically served with meat, vegetables and a fried egg on top. It is outstandingly delicious, with everything you could ever want from a fried rice dish.
The secret ingredient to this dish is the addition of Indonesia’s signature sauce: Kecap manis, which stains the rice a dark caramel color. The dish is served with fresh sliced tomatoes and a sunny side up fried egg, and julienne cucumbers.
Nasi Uduk
Nasi uduk is a dish made with coconut rice which originated in Jakarta. The dish is an intricate and popular version of steamed rice. The rice is soaked in a mixture of coconut milk, cloves, cassia bark, and lemongrass, typically served with fried shallots.
The name Nasi uduk translates to ‘Mixed rice’ in Indonesian. Other dishes can accompany Nasi Uduk, such as Tempe orek, eggs, and Krecek.
Ayam Goreng
To make Ayam Goreng, chicken is coated in with rich spices and marinated before being deep-fried until crispy. Ayam Goreng literally translates to ‘fried chicken’ and is similar to southern fried chicken.
Ayam Goreng is served like most Indonesian cuisine meals, with steamed rice, sambal, and a sambal kecap sweet soy sauce. Some eateries serve Ayam Goreng with fried tempeh and tofu.
Babi Guling
Babi Guling is an Indonesian pork roast. The pork is rubbed with turmeric, and stuffed with basa gede spice mix which includes coriander, lemongrass, shallots, galangal, chili’s, shrimp paste and garlic. The pork is roasted over an open fire until cooked through and the skin is crispy.
It is served with a piece of crispy skin, a slice of meat, some stuffing on top of a bed of steamed white rice with sambals and vegetables. It is usually reserved for special occasions. However, you will find it in traditional Indonesian eateries called warungs.
Mie Ayam
Mie Ayam is a chicken noodle dish. The wheat noodles are served al dente, with a bit of oil, soy sauce, and garlic. The chicken meat is cooked in soy sauce and traditional Indonesian spices. Some recipes also include mushrooms and spring onions.
Mie Ayam is traditionally served with chicken broth and sometimes a crispy fried wonton.
Gado Gado
Gado Gado is an Indonesian salad made with lightly boiled vegetables, hard-boiled egg, potatoes, fried tofu, and traditional rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves (called Lontongs) drenched in a peanut sauce.
Rawon
Rawon is an East Java beef soup has a heavy nutty flavor from keluak nuts. This nutty soup is seasoned with kaffir lime and bay leaves, galangal, lemongrass, and sugar.
Served with steamed rice, salted and preserved egg, fried tolo beans, and fried shallots. In Bali, Rawon is made with pork instead of beef, as the population is predominantly Hindu.
Gudeg
Gudeg is a traditional Javanese dish that is made from unripe jackfruit and has been stewed for hours in a mixture of palm sugar and coconut milk.
Gudeg is naturally a vegetarian meal. However, it is known to be served with egg or chicken and white rice.
The meat of the jackfruit has stained a reddish-brown from teak leaves added to the traditional Indonesian spices. Gudeg can be found in warungs throughout Indonesian cities.
Otak-Otak
Otak-Otak is an Indonesian grilled fish cake that is made by mixing a fish paste with spices and is served fresh wrapped in Banana leaves. The most commonly used fish include mackerel and wahoo. More expensive Otak-Otak is made with ikan belida, the featherback fish.
The mixture is seasoned with garlic, shallots, coconut milk, and pepper, combined with tapioca starch. The cakes are steamed and served as a side dish with rice at tea time.
Soto Betawi
Soto Betawi is a beef and coconut soup, originating in Jakarta. This milky soup dish has chunks of beef, the broth is seasoned with shalots, garlic, ginger, galangal, lime and lemongrass.
Soto Betawi is served with a bowl of steamed rice.
Bubur Ayam
Bubur Ayam is a chicken and rice dish accompanied with chopped green onion, sesame seeds and soy sauce. The chicken is seasoned with a blend of spices and cooked before being shredded and added to this dish.
Common toppings for Bubur Ayam include chopped green onions, prawn crackers and hard-boiled eggs, although these may vary depending on the location and chef.
Tahu Goreng
Tahu Goreng is a sweet and spicy Indonesian dish that is made with everything from beef and chicken to pressed tofu. It is served with a sweet soy sauce called Kecap Manis and is likely to be just a little different in each region of Indonesia.
Shrimp Chips (Prawn Crackers)
Shrimp chips are a popular snack or side dish in many Asian countries. They are typically made from a combination of shrimp paste, tapioca starch, and water, which is then shaped into thin, round chips and deep-fried until crispy.
The chips are usually served as a light and crunchy snack or appetizer and can be eaten on their own or with a dipping sauce.
Durian Fruit
Eaten throughout Southeast Asia, Durian is a prickly tropical fruit known for its pungent odor. However, it is commonly eaten raw as well as used to add flavor to many other dishes, including Malay candy, ice kacang, dodol, lempuk, rose biscuits, ice cream, milkshakes, mooncakes, Yule logs and cappuccino. It is also commonly eaten with rice.
Teh Tarik
Teh Tarik is a hot milk tea beverage prepared using a strong brew of black tea blended with condensed milk. Other ingredients can be added for additional flavor which include cardamom, cloves and ginger.
Although considered to be the national drink of Malaysia, it is also popular in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.
Martabak Manis
Martabak Manis are sweet and chewy pancakes that are made with tapioca flour and topped with a choice of toppings such as milk chocolate, peanuts, and condensed milk.
This dish is a popular street food in Indonesia and is enjoyed as a dessert.
Tahu Telur (Tofu Omelet)
Tahu Telur is a savory tofu omelet served with a spicy peanut sauce and a choice of crunchy toppings. It is entirely vegetarian but still packed with protein, making it a great option to enjoy as a snack or appetizer.
Perkedel
Perkedel are meat and vegetable fritters that also contain fresh herbs like green onions and spices. The meat is usually minced beef or corned beef. The fritter is shaped and dipped into an egg mix then fried until golden.
Perkedel is eaten as a side dish or a snack, accompanied by some sort of dip.
Pisang Goreng
Pisang goreng is a snack consisting of bananas cut into pieces, dipped in batter and deep fried. The batter is made from rice flour, sugar, baking powder, water and salt. They are deep fried until golden, creating a crispy exterior and a soft creamy inside. Pisang goreng are served with a dipping sauce.
Nasi Kuning
Nasi Kuning is a fragrant yellow rice dish cooked in coconut milk and flavored with turmeric, pandan, lemongrass, kaffir and bay leaves. The coconut milk is mixed with water and heated up.
Typical side dishes to eat with Nasi Kuning include meats like beef and chicken, tofu, various vegetables, eggs, tempeh and potatoes.
Rujak Cingur
Rujak cingur is a dish consisting of fruit, vegetables and buffalo snout, served in a spicy peanut sauce. The snout is mixed with the fruit and vegetables then served topped with the sauce. It is sometimes accompanied by prawn crackers.
