Indonesian Recipes
28 recipes found
Sambal Oelek
The best thing about making sambal oelek yourself — besides the fact that the finished result is much more nuanced and complex than what you can purchase in stores — is that you can tailor it to your taste. Add more tomatoes and fewer chiles if you want it less spicy; leave out the nuts if you like (although they do add a nice body and nuttiness to balance out the spice and salt). Use this sambal oelek, which was adapted from Zulfikar Fahd, the chef and owner of Java Bali Kitchen, a Indonesian pop-up restaurant in Toronto, as an ingredient in other recipes or on its own as a bright, punchy condiment to complement any number of mains. (Try it with fried chicken!)
Mie Goreng
The key to achieving the signature sweet-smoky-salty flavor of Indonesian stir-fried noodles is to let the noodles cook, undisturbed, over high heat until you see small wisps of smoke. Javanese sweet soy sauce, also known as kecap manis, can be very sweet, so giving it a good cook will bring just enough of a bitter edge to its sweetness. If you’re making this dish for a crowd, don’t prepare more than two servings at a time, otherwise the noodles will crowd the pan and not brown properly, and you won’t get that smoky wok hei flavor. But don’t let all of this scare you from making mie goreng. This recipe, from Zulfikar Fahd, the chef and owner of Java Bali Kitchen, an Indonesian pop-up restaurant in Toronto, is satisfying and versatile, a quick and filling meal that uses up the odds and ends in your fridge.
Indonesian Avocado and Chocolate Shake
I know this sounds like a crazy idea, but Avocado Chocolate Shakes are as popular in Indonesia as strawberry-banana smoothies are in the US. Try this recipe!
Indonesian Ginger Chicken
This Indonesian ginger chicken recipe makes a perfect weeknight dish. Marinate it the day before and then bake it for an hour. It is absolutely fabulous.
Indonesian-Style Chicken Salad
Poached chicken breasts, which are at the center of this salad, are a low-fat, high-protein staple with endless possibilities. In this recipe, inspiration comes from the Southeast Asian country of Indonesia. Mint leaves and cilantro add a fresh bite and mung bean sprouts or sunflower sprouts help to fill out the dish. This spicy, refreshing salad makes a great summer meal.
Nasi Goreng Ayam (Indonesian Chicken Fried Rice)
Nasi goreng, which translates to “fried rice,” is one of Indonesia's best-known dishes, and it’s prepared in numerous ways around the world. Like many other fried rice recipes, this version, from the chef Lara Lee’s “Coconut & Sambal,” blends crunchy vegetables with piquant rice, but the addition of ginger and white pepper offer spice and aroma, while kecap manis, a velvety sauce, adds a slightly sweet balance to the dish. Don’t skimp on the fried egg or the fried shallots; both add essential crunch and texture. This is an ideal for a dinner for two.
Gado-Gado
Gado-gado is a beloved dish across Indonesia. Each region has a different spin: In Jakarta, it is a “double-carb” dish, featuring both potato and lontong (rice cakes). In West Java, it is known as lotek atah or karedok and served with raw vegetables. At the heart of any gado-gado is the spicy peanut sauce: Some versions call for tamarind, lime, terasi (shrimp paste) or coconut milk. Others use peanut butter instead of freshly pounded peanuts. This particular recipe is inspired by a home-cooked gado-gado eaten in Bali, where the rich, aromatic sauce was powered by shallots and garlic. Its sweetness comes from kecap manis, the thick, caramelly soy sauce foundational in Indonesian cooking, but, if you can’t find kecap manis, make your own (see Tip) or use sweet soy sauce.
Iga Babi Bali (Balinese Sticky Glazed Pork Ribs)
The smell of Balinese barbecued pork ribs is a harmonious scent typically associated with trips to the picturesque island, but this recipe from the chef Lara Lee’s book, “Coconut & Sambal,” brings the aroma to your home kitchen. Juicy, tender pork is glazed in sticky kecap manis (a sweet condiment that’s typically made with palm sugar and soy sauce, commonly used throughout Indonesia and found at most Asian markets), yielding ribs that are sweet, smoky and viscid. The garlic and chile marinade packs additional heat. (Look for moderately hot red chiles, such as cayenne, that are the length and width of your index or middle finger.) Ms. Lee loves preparing the dish for dinner parties, as they can easily be made in advance and reheated (cover the ribs with foil and place in a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes). You can serve these with potato wedges or morning glory (water spinach).
Rendang Daging (Beef Rendang)
Rendang is one of the national dishes of Indonesia, and its tender, caramelized meat is usually reserved for special events, such as weddings, dinners with important guests, and Lebaran, the Indonesian name for Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan. Bathed in coconut milk and aromatics like galangal and lemongrass then reduced until almost all moisture is evaporated, rendang can be served with turmeric rice. Rendang, a dish designed to keep for hours on a journey, has traditionally fed young Indonesians leaving home for the first time on merantau, a right of passage that teaches them about the bitterness and sweetness of life. Created by the Minangkabau, an ethnic group native to West Sumatra, this version from Lara Lee’s cookbook, “Coconut & Sambal,” is a nod to the multiple iterations of rendang across the nation, culminating in a rich and hearty slow-cooked meal. Rendang keeps in the fridge for several day or frozen for up to three months; to reheat, cover the beef with foil and heat in the oven at 300 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until piping hot, or microwave uncovered for three minutes stirring halfway through.
Opor Ayam (Indonesian Chicken Curry)
This luxurious chicken stew from Java is a staple of the Indonesian kitchen, made by simmering the meat in coconut milk with curry paste and lemongrass. The chef Retno Pratiwi grew up eating the dish on special occasions in West Java, and continues to make it at her pop-up restaurant in Boston, always opting for drumsticks over white meat. Though the shallots are traditionally incorporated raw into the curry paste, Pratiwi prefers to caramelize them first to bring out their sweetness. It adds a little time to the process, but the final result is worth it.
Tempe Penyet (Smashed Tempeh With Sambal)
Tempe penyet is a famous street food in Indonesia, especially common on the island of Java, where tempeh originated. “Penyet” means “to smash” or “to flatten” in Indonesian, and the technique ensures that every crack and crevice of this fried tempeh is penetrated by the sambal it is smashed upon. This version pan-fries the tempeh for ease, rather than deep-frying it, as is traditional. (If you prefer deep-frying, fry for 5 to 6 minutes in 350-degree oil until golden.) Caramelize the shallot, tomato and chile sambal until it browns and slightly chars, adding wonderful flavor and chewy-crispy bits. A drizzle of kecap manis, an Indonesian sweet soy sauce infused with spices, balances the dish with a savory-sweetness. To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter.
Acar (Cucumber Pickles)
Shrimp and Potatoes in Sambal (Sambal Goreng Kentang Udang)
If you're seeking seriously intense heat and rich, layered flavors to go along with it, Indonesian sambal will deliver a two-for-one punch. The chef Retno Pratiwi uses a mix of red bell peppers and two kinds of red chiles to form the base of the exquisite, bright red sauce, softening it with a little coconut sugar and brightening it with aromatics. You can reduce the number of chiles or opt for milder ones if you're not looking for a kick. Then use it to cook shrimp, as in this recipe, or to enliven other meats and vegetables.
Atjar Bloemkool (Pickled Cauliflower Indonesian Style)
Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice With Vegetables)
Sambal Goreng Telor (Hard-Cooked Eggs In Shrimp And Tomato Sauce)
Fatty ’Cue Spareribs
Sea Bass Baked in Coconut Milk
Chicken Roulades With Shrimp
Indonesian-Style Breast of Chicken
Indonesian-Style Vegetables
Chicken Breast Satay
Vegetables and Shrimp With Gado Gado