Cuisine · Indonesia

Indonesian cooking

Spice paste pounded fresh — bumbu. Rendang that takes 4 hours. Sambal on everything. A thousand islands' worth of regional variety.

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Beef Rendang with beef, coconut milk and lemongrass — Indonesia recipe

🇮🇩IndonesiaAdvanced

Meat Dishes

Beef Rendang

Voted the world’s best food by CNN Travel readers in 2011 — slow-braised beef in a rich aromatic paste of coconut milk, garlic, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, and spices, cooked uncovered for hours until every drop of liquid evaporates and the meat is coated in a dark caramelized crust. A labor of love from West Sumatra that gets even better the next day.

150 min380 kcal5 serves

🌶️Spicy🌾Gluten-free💪High protein

Gado-Gado with potato, peanuts and cabbage — Indonesia recipe

🇮🇩IndonesiaAdvanced

Salads

Gado-Gado

A warm Indonesian salad of blanched and fresh vegetables, potato, and egg, drizzled with a rich spiced peanut sauce. Indonesia's national dish — gado-gado means 'mix-mix', and you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand.

30 min230 kcal2 serves

🌿Vegetarian⚡Quick🌶️Spicy

Jamu (Indonesian Turmeric Ginger Tonic) with fresh turmeric, ginger and water — Indonesia recipe

🇮🇩IndonesiaMedium

Beverages

Jamu (Indonesian Turmeric Ginger Tonic)

Jamu is the general name for Indonesian herbal drinks; this version follows kunyit asam, which in Indonesia is fresh turmeric boiled with tamarind, palm sugar and a pinch of salt. Some cooks there add ginger, as here; black pepper, honey and coconut oil are not part of the Indonesian drink and are optional. Serve it warm in small cups on a rainy morning, or over ice in the afternoon.

20 min65 kcal4 serves

🌾Gluten-free⚡Quick🌿Vegetarian

Pepes Ikan (Fish in Banana Leaf) with fish, lemongrass and turmeric — Indonesia recipe

🇮🇩IndonesiaMedium

Fish and Seafood Dishes

Pepes Ikan (Fish in Banana Leaf)

An Indonesian classic — white fish fillets wrapped in banana leaves with a fragrant spice paste (bumbu) of shallots, garlic, chili, galangal, turmeric, and lemongrass, then steamed until tender. The banana leaf infuses a subtle herbal aroma that you cannot get any other way.

40 min280 kcal2 serves

🌾Gluten-free🌶️Spicy💪High protein

Tempeh Stir-Fry with tempeh, soy sauce and sesame oil — Indonesia recipe

🇮🇩IndonesiaAdvanced

Vegetable and Mushroom Dishes

Tempeh Stir-Fry

Crispy-edged tempeh cubes and stir-fried vegetables in a savory-sweet soy, ginger, and garlic sauce. Tempeh is one of the few plant proteins that genuinely crisps when fried — the dense, fermented structure browns at the edges while staying chewy in the center, which is exactly what a stir-fry needs. The sauce caramelizes against the hot pan in the last minute of cooking, coating everything in a glossy layer. Serve over jasmine rice or soba noodles with sesame seeds and spring onion.

30 min420 kcal3 serves

🌿Vegetarian🌱Vegan⚡Quick

Nearby flavors

Four kitchens with overlapping ingredients and similar rhythms to Indonesian cooking.

Thai19 recipes Malaysian2 recipes Vietnamese11 recipes Indian19 recipes