If you know Bali, you should know Indonesia. Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world. With so many regions, this country offers a wide variety of dishes that we should try when we visit this country. Here are 7 dishes from Indonesia that you must try the next time you visit! Check it out!
1. Rendang
Rendang is a dish originated from Padang, Sumatra. Padang is a city that is known for its spicy and rich dishes, and one of the most famous dishes is Rendang. Rendang is similar to Curry in a way, but traditionally it is cooked until all the broth disappeared. However, nowadays we can see various versions of Rendang, and a lot of them have more broth. Any meat can be used to make this dish but the most commonly used meat for Rendang are beef, lamb, and chicken.
2. Nasi Goreng
Nasi Goreng literally translates to Fried Rice. But let’s be real here, we can find tons of different versions of fried rice all over the world. So what makes Nasi Goreng special?
Unlike other fried rice, Nasi Goreng uses not only various spices, but also thick sweet soy sauce called Kecap. This dish is then garnished with Acar, which is basically pickled veggies, commonly made with cucumbers, carrots, and shallots. With its unique taste, Nasi Goreng is considered the national dish in Indonesia.
3. Sate/Satay
Satay or more commonly known as Sate in Indonesia is a meat skewer dish. The meat skewers are cooked over coals and served with peanut sauce poured over it, garnished with Acar. This dish is typically eaten with Ketupat or Lontong which are Indonesian rice cakes. We can see Sate being sold everywhere from street vendors to restaurants.
4. Sop Buntut
Nothing beats a warm bowl of soup, especially on rainy days. In Indonesia, we can find a dish called Sop Buntut (Oxtail Soup). It is believed that oxtail soup was first invented in London in the 17th century, but Indonesia has its own version of the dish. This soup is made with oxtail and vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes. The oxtail is usually fried or barbecued before combined with the soup base.
5. Pempek/Empek-empek
Pempek or Empek-empek is a dish made of fish and tapioca flour. This dish is originated from Palembang, a city in Southern Sumatra. Pempek has a wide variety of shapes and sizes, but the most popular one is called Kapal Selam which translates to “submarine” and contains an egg in the middle. Pempek is typically served with Kuah Cuko, which is a dark dipping sauce made with vinegar, chili, garlic, tamarind, and palm sugar.
6. Siomay
Most Indonesian street food has something to do with peanut sauce and this dish is no exception. Siomay is the Indonesian version of Shumai. This dish contains steamed fish dumplings served with steamed potato, tofu, cabbage, and egg, with peanut sauce poured over it. We can easily find this dish everywhere, but the best way to enjoy Siomay is from the bicycle vendors.
7. Martabak Manis
Enough with the savory dishes, let’s talk about the sweet one! Indonesia has Martabak Manis, which is one of the most popular desserts in the country. This dish is an Indonesian version of pancake and it also has a thicker form. There are various fillings for Martabak Manis, the typical ones being chocolate sprinkles, cheese, and peanuts. But nowadays, we can also find Martabak Manis with green tea or even oreo fillings. What interesting about this dish is that it’s only sold in the evening, all the way to midnight.
Yum! Have you guys tried these dishes? Or did you try another dish that we don’t have on the list? Let us know in the comment section below!