Most of us think of Indonesia as a beach destination, but Indonesian food makes it a true foodie paradise. The cuisine of Indonesia may not be internationally famous, but it’s well worth trying. Spicy, punchy, and packed with tropical flavours, it’s absolutely delicious. Every island has its own unique dishes — and with over 17,000 islands, that’s a lot to get through. Here are some of our all-time favourites.
Rendang is the quintessential Indonesian dish. It originated in Sumatra, but it’s spread across the country and beyond. Now, rendang is often found in Malaysia and Singapore, too. While chicken rendang is a common sight on many menus, beef is the original — and we reckon the best. In classic Indonesian food, traditional curry rendang spices are coated onto the meat, and the mixture is much drier than Thai or Indian curries. As well as spices, rendang contains flakes of desiccated coconut, which gives it a unique, slightly sweet flavour and grainy texture. You might see it called Indonesian coconut curry on some menus.
Nasi goreng
Nasi goreng rice is a type of Indonesian fried rice. It’s one of the most popular street foods in the country, freshly tossed at roadside stalls across the entire nation. Of course, fried rice is hardly unique to Indonesia, so what makes fried rice nasi goreng special? To be honest, the best part of nasi goreng isn’t the rice itself — it’s the side dishes! Spicy sambals, fried eggs, and crunchy prawn crackers are all often served on the side of the plate. The rice itself may be tossed with seafood, chicken, beef — whatever you like! It’s seasoned with kecap manis, a thick, sweet soy sauce commonly used in a lot of classic Indonesian dishes.
Pempek
This traditional Indonesian food hails from the south of Sumatra. Pempek is one of our favourite Indonesian foods and makes a fabulous snack. It’s the local version of fish cakes. Puréed fish is mixed with tapioca starch, which gives pempek its uniquely bouncy, chewy texture. Pempek is usually deep-fried, so the exterior is light and crisp, creating a great contrast with that thick interior. Try it with Indonesian noodles and sliced cucumbers. It’s usually served with a thick, sweet sauce called cuko.
Babi pangang
Babi is the Indonesian word for pork. You might be surprised to find it on the menu in this largely Muslim country, but Indonesia is actually quite diverse, and non-Muslims happily chow down on this tasty grilled pork. The Batak Toba people of northern Sumatra use the entire pig to make this dish. That includes a blood dipping sauce served on the side, which may be a bit too much for some people! Other accompaniments include fresh veggies, sambal and a clear broth made from pork bones, so even if you don’t fancy the blood dip, you’ll still eat well.
Babi guling
Here’s another pork dish, and one that’s easy to try if you visit the popular island destination of Bali. The Balinese people are mostly Hindu, so they have no qualms about eating pork. In fact, babi guling is the island’s most famous dish, commonly served on special occasions. This is a type of suckling pig, served with crispy skin, rice and veggies. It’s not too spicy, but locals often eat it with a fiery sambal to turn up the heat.
If you want to try babi guling, head to the Balinese city of Ubud. Many restaurants here claim to serve the best babi guling of all, so you might want to try eating at several of them before you make up your mind! Look for restaurants that offer mixed babi guling platters. These usually include three or four different preparations of pork, along with side dishes and that mouth-watering crispy skin.
Bebek goreng
We’re staying in Bali for the next one. In addition to pork, the Balinese love to feast on duck meat. Bebek goreng is fried duck, and it’s definitely not diet-friendly food! It’s deep-fried, so the skin is extra crispy, and the meat is packed with flavour. You’ll be licking the grease off your fingers after this one. This duck dish is usually served with a herb salad, so you’ll feel a little less guilty.
Bebek goreng isn’t the only duck recipe you can try in Bali. For something even more special, try Balinese smoked duck, a rare treat that’s often eaten during celebrations.
Gado gado
Gado gado salad is an ideal Indonesian food for vegetarians. Even if you’re a committed carnivore, you won’t miss the meat as you chow down on this tasty salad with peanut sauce. The sauce, which is thick and delicious, is mixed with a range of ingredients, including tofu, tempeh, beansprouts, green beans and hard-boiled eggs. Prawn crackers are often served on the side for different textures. If you’re lucky, the chef may also throw in some lontong Indonesian cakes made of compressed rice.
Sate ayam
No list of Indonesian food would be complete without satay. Across the country, you’ll find all kinds of satay dishes —beef, goat, pork, fish— but the most popular of all is sate ayam or chicken satay. The meat is cut into very small pieces, threaded onto wooden skewers, and marinated in kecap manis for extra flavour. It’s often coated with a rich, indulgent Indonesian peanut satay sauce.
The best satay is street food. Look for stalls where you can see it being cooked in front of you. Satay should always be cooked over an open flame, which gives it that characteristic smoky flavour. Eat it on the go, savouring the taste.
Siomay
You may already be familiar with shumai, the dumpling that’s a big hit in Hong Kong dim sum restaurants. The Chinese diaspora brought it to Indonesia, where it morphed into siomay over the years. Shumai is usually made from pork, but the halal-friendly Indonesian version usually uses fish or prawns instead. Like the original shumai, siomay is steamed but served in a uniquely Indonesian way, with peanut sauce and sambal.
Ikan bakar
Indonesia is an island nation, so naturally, fish is often on the menu. Ikan bakar is fresh grilled fish. Different kinds of fish are used — whatever the catch of the day may be. Traditionally, the fish is butterflied, so it will cook quickly. The chef lightly rubs it with a dry sambal marinade. It’s then grilled over open flames, giving it a tasty, smoky flavour.
Try your ikan bakar with sambal if you want some heat, or with sweet kecap manis for a lighter touch. As with most Indonesian dishes, it’s usually served with plain rice to cut through its powerful flavour.
Ketoprak
Despite the name, this delicious Indonesian food has nothing to do with the keto diet — and that’s just how we like it! This peanut sauce salad is packed with flavour. It originated in the capital city of Jakarta, where it’s still a very popular street food. Tofu and rice vermicelli noodles are mixed with bean sprouts and other veggies and tossed in a generous helping of peanut sauce. Most vendors will top it all with a fried egg that tastes great when you mix it with the sauce.
Nasi padang
Save this one for a day when you’re really hungry. This is an absolute banquet hailing from West Sumatra. It’s a mixture of Indonesian curries, sambals, meat and vegetable dishes, and plain rice. Padang curries are particularly tasty, thanks to their fragrant sauces containing a powerful blend of fresh herbs and coconut milk.
If you fancy going to a restaurant for nasi padang, make sure you know what to expect! The waiter will bring you a huge array of dishes, often twenty or more. You’ll only pay for the dishes you eat, so choose wisely. If that sounds like too much hassle, you can also get it as street food, where you’ll be given a plate full of rice, and you can pick the toppings.
Kari ikan
There’s an ongoing debate between Indonesia and neighbouring Malaysia about where this fish curry actually hails from. We don’t know who’s in the right, but even if this is Malaysian rather than Indonesian fish curry, we’re still happy to eat it. This is one of our favourite spicy Indonesian foods. The yellow, coconut-based curry sauce is packed with fragrant lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. A squeeze of lime juice finishes the dish, lightening it and giving it a delightful citrus twist. As always, it’s served with plain rice. You’ll also often be given a small dish of sliced chillies so that you can turn up the heat to your taste.
Bubur ayam
Indonesian breakfast food can sometimes be a bit strong for Western tastes. Locals often have fried rice or noodles to start the day, which is a far cry from cornflakes! For something that’s a little lighter on the stomach first thing in the morning, try this chicken rice porridge. This is the Indonesian version of congee, and it’s particularly popular with the country’s Chinese community.
In this porridge, the rice is cooked until it’s very soft and creamy. Just take care when ordering. You can get it with shredded chicken on top, which you’ll mix in using your spoon before eating. However, other popular versions feature chicken hearts and various kinds of offal. That can be hard to stomach at any time of day, let alone at breakfast time!
Martabak manis
Have you ever tried Indonesian dessert? To be honest, we’re often happy to just enjoy a platter of fresh tropical fruit, but if you’re feeling more adventurous, then order martabak manis. This dessert defies definition. It’s essentially a kind of very thick, folded pancake smothered with all kinds of fillings: butter, chocolate, sugar or even cheese. The whole thing is very sweet, very rich, and best saved for special occasions!
Pisang goreng
Here’s another dessert that’s far lighter than martabak manis. Pisang goreng is deep-fried banana. The fruit is chopped into bite-sized pieces, battered and deep-fried. You can eat it hot from the fryer as a kind of street food, but it’s also a popular dessert in restaurants and cafés. In a restaurant, it’s often served with honey or caramel sauce. For an indulgent treat, it also goes very well with ice cream — the perfect way to finish an Indonesian meal.
Indonesian food is just one of the reasons to visit Indonesia, a magical land of islands, beaches, volcanoes and mountains. Join us for a two-week tour of Bali, Java and the Gili Islands, tasting the local cuisine along the way. Alternatively, try eight days in Bali. This trip even includes a cooking class, so you can learn to impress your friends with your favourite Indonesian dishes after you’ve gone home. Finally, our luxurious, exclusive trip to Indonesia will take you from Bali to Lombok, trying the very best food along the way.
