Nasi Goreng
An ever-popular and versatile recipe, you can encounter the Indonesian fried rice anywhere from humble street food carts to high-end restaurants. The curious combination of savory taste, sweetness, spiciness, and appetizing greasiness make up a distinctive meal that is surprisingly simple to make. Nasi goreng uses Indonesian palm sweet soy, white rice, and whatever ingredients they can think of or are conveniently available — vegetables, egg, chicken, sausage, mutton, stink bean, and many more.
Rendang
If you like Indian food, rendang is a dish you need to try. Rendang is one of Indonesia’s most popular and outstanding meals, originally a treat for special ceremonies in its place of origin Minangkabau. Originating from Padang in Sumatra, rendang is a mixture of coconut milk cooked in with lots of spices, giving it that rich and spicy flavor. It is often made with beef but you also have other variations such as chicken, mutton, or goat.
Indonesian Satay
Satay is meat skewers that are cooked over coals. These juicy skewers are usually served with rice cakes (ketupat) with peanut sauce poured all over the satay. It is a national dish conceived by street vendors and has been one of the most celebrated foods in Indonesia. It is practically everywhere and highly addictive.
Nasi Uduk
This aromatic dish is also one of Indonesia’s national dish. The meal revolves around rice cooked in coconut milk. It is quite similar to Nasi Lemak from our neighbouring country, Malaysia. The difference is that nasi uduk is usually served with fried chicken, tempe (soybean cake), shredded omelette, fried onion, anchovies and topped with sambal and emping (melinjo nut crackers). You definitely cannot leave out sambal for Nasi Uduk. This dish is popular among lunchtime crowds.
Siomay
As you may or may not already know, most of the Indonesian street food has something to do with peanut sauce. This dish right here called Siomay is Indonesia’s version of dim sum. This dish contains steamed fish dumplings. The portion comes with steamed potato, cabbage, egg and served with peanut sauce. If you want to go all local, the best way to enjoy Siomay is from a bicycle vendor, who carts his large steamer at the back of his bike. Street food at its best.
Bakso
Bakso, or Indonesian meatballs, are mainly made from beef and tapioca that make them both juicy and bouncy. Balls of bakso are to be put together in a bowl with rice noodles, egg noodles, some vegetables (some even add friend wonton and other fritters), before pouring the warm, savory broth. You can add optional seasonings like soy sauce, vinegar, or a spoonful of spicy Indonesian chili condiment.
Gudeg
A popular and unique recipe from Yogyakarta, this dish is an unmissable traveling experience in itself when visiting the heritage city. It consists of steamed young jackfruit with coconut milk, palm sugar, lemongrass and other herbs that make the taste distinctively sweet and pleasantly aromatic. Gudeg can be eaten with rice and other side dishes such as meat and eggs.
Tempeh
This soy-based side dish is a nutritious and convenient protein source that has recently become popular among vegetarians around the world. Tempeh is basically fermented soybean cake that can be cooked however you want — deep-fried, pan-fried, grilled, or steamed. Tempeh can also be used as an additional ingredient for various recipes, including vegetables and soup recipes.