Indonesian food is incredibly interesting and rich in history.
Arabs first came to Nusantara to trade and spread Islam, followed by Muslim Indians in the 4th century with the spread of Islam. The Chinese brought food and cuisine in the 7th century and the Dutch in the 16th century. The Dutch came for spices, but when the Dutch East India Company went bankrupt in 1800, Indonesia became a prized Dutch colony.
It’s not hard to imagine that Indonesian cuisine is rich in spices and ingredients from all these cultures. In the 2023/24 Taste Atlas, Indonesia was listed as having the sixth best cuisine in the world, behind Italy, Japan, Greece, Portugal and China.
I remember the amazing food I had when I went to Bali, with complex earthy flavours and strong spicy flavours.
CNN lists the most popular Indonesian dishes as:
1. Sambal — A chili-based sauce made from ground chili peppers, shrimp paste and lime juice.
2. Sate — Introduced by Arab traders, satay is a skewered dish grilled over hot charcoal and served with rice cakes (ketupat), cucumber and onion.
3. Bakso — meatball noodle soup, made famous by President Barack Obama’s fondness for the soup during his stay in Indonesia.
4. Soto — Clear soup.
5. Masi Goreng — Fried rice.
6. Gado-gado — Translated as “mix mix,” this vegetable salad with peanut sauce is beautifully presented on a platter with boiled or steamed beans, spinach, potatoes, corn, hard-boiled eggs, bean sprouts, sliced cucumber, tofu and tempeh.
7. Nasi Uduk — Rice cooked in coconut milk.
8. Nasi Padang — A meal of steamed rice served with dishes such as curry, fish head, and beef trotter.
9. Ayam Goreng — Fried chicken.
10. Bakini Goreng — A stir-fried noodle dish with eggs, meat and vegetables.
My friend Lisa Kwee’s husband is from Indonesia, so Indonesian food is always served at family get-togethers. She learned how to cook Indonesian food from her mother-in-law and made the following dishes for my cooking show on Na Leo TV:
Sate (Sate) Ayam
2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
Marinate the chicken overnight.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 stalks of lemongrass (white parts only)
2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons of honey
Thread the chicken onto the skewers and cook for 2-3 minutes until nicely charred on both sides and cooked through. Brush with oil while cooking. Serve with the peanut sauce, sliced cucumber and onion.
Peanut Sauce
1 cup peanut butter (plain or chunks)
1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
1 cup water (start with 1/2 cup and blend until thickened and smooth)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chili paste (sambal oelek) or sriracha
You can also add fish sauce or sweet soy sauce.
Peanut sauce is served on gado-gado salad and satay.
Gado-gado (Indonesian vegetable salad)
Steam the kidney beans, 1-inch cubed cabbage, 1/2-inch cubed potatoes, and bean sprouts.
Six eggs are hard boiled and sliced, and tofu is deep fried until golden brown. Serve with Indonesian shrimp crackers (Kerupuk Udang).
Nasi Kuning (Indonesian yellow rice)
Serves 4-5
Add the following ingredients to the rice cooker pot:
2 kaffir lime leaves
1 lemongrass stalk (white part only)
2 cups coconut milk
3 cups basmati or jasmine rice
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 bay leaf
Cook it in a rice cooker.
Ayam Goreng (Indonesian fried chicken)
1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces
Grind in a food processor:
6 shallots
3 cloves of garlic
Galangal 1 inch
1 inch turmeric
1 inch ginger
Combine the following ingredients in a large saucepan:
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 cup water
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 stalk of white lemongrass (crushed)
3 kaffir lime leaves
Add chicken to pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn chicken to thoroughly coat all sides. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside.
Fry the chicken in vegetable oil until golden brown.
Serve with nasi kuning (Indonesian yellow rice), sambal oelek, or peanut sauce.
Soto Ayam (Indonesian Chicken Soup)
Serves 6
1 whole chicken cut into 6 pieces
Place chicken and 8 cups water in a large pot and simmer for 45 minutes.
Remove chicken from pot and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Place in food processor bowl:
6 cloves of garlic
1/4 pound shallots
1 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds or 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
6 candlenuts (an Indonesian ingredient that thickens soup and adds a slight almond flavor. If unavailable, use cornstarch to thicken as needed.)
2 inches of ginger
1 tablespoon powdered turmeric
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Process until it forms a paste.
Add the following ingredients to a frying pan:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Spice paste
3 lemongrass stalks, white and bruised parts
7 kaffir leaves (fresh or frozen)
Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until fragrant.
Add to pot with chicken:
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons Betterthan Bouillon Chicken Base
1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
Simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt, sugar and chicken base to taste.
Serve with boiled rice noodles, hard-boiled cabbage, stir-fried onions, and bean sprouts.
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.
