Rica-rica (Manado dish)

Just like woku, rica-rica is a popular blend of chilies and herbs that originates from Northern Sulawesi. But while the different versions of woku that I had were more turmeric heavy and usually cooked a bit soupy or watery, the versions or rica-rica I experience were more dry, like a sauce, teeming with red chilies, shallots, and tomatoes.

Rica-rica definitely has a bit of sweet and sour tasting components to it, but while being spicy, and full of chunky tomatoes at the same time. You’ll find recipes for rica-rica using different types of meat, but the most popular is ayam rica-rica, with chicken.

Where: I had a good Manado meal at Brama Kusu; Address: Jalan Panglima Polim Raya South Jakarta; Open hours: About 11 am – 8 pm daily; Prices: 167,000 IDR for my wife and I for a full meal.

Gudeg (stewed jackfruit)

Considered to be the one of the national dishes of Yogyakarta (Jogja), gudeg is young jackfruit that’s braised with palm sugar, coconut milk, bay leaves, lemongrass, and galangal, until it’s extremely tender, and blended together.

Gudeg Jogja as it’s sometimes called, is served with rice as a main dish, but accompanied with a few other common side dishes that include chicken, and curried cow skin. While I couldn’t eat gudeg very often because it’s a sweet dish, I did really enjoy the amazing texture of the young jackfruit after being cooked for so long.

Where: Nasi Gandul Bu Endang; Address: Jalan Pesanggrahan No. 14, Puri Indah, Jakarta; Open hours: 8:30 am – 10 pm daily; Prices: 148,000 IDR for 4 people, gudeg was alright, but my favorite was the rawon.

Nasi Liwet (Javanese rice)

Similar to nasi uduk, nasi liwet is a traditional Javanese style of cooking rice that includes coconut milk and chicken broth, with the fragrance of bay leaves and lemongrass. It’s common to eat nasi liwet along with a variety of side dishes and extra coconut cream.

When I was in Indonesia, Ken and Gracia from Cowokrakus invited me to experience an authentic local Sundanese nasi liwet feast at their home in Bogor, about an hour from Jakarta. The rice was extremely fragrant, and along with the coconut milk, it was also mixed with little fried fish to give it another added dimension of taste and texture. We ate off a communal banana leaf, piled with side dishes like grilled chicken, and a variety of curries, and fresh herbs and vegetables to garnish. It was one of the most memorable Indonesian meals I’ve ever had.

Where: I had this dish home cooked, but do you know of any good restaurants? I would love to hear from you in the comments section at the bottom of this post.

Gulai Daun Singkong (curry cassava leaves)

I grew up for a number of years in Congo with my parents, and one of the dishes we ate nearly everyday was cassava leaves, sometimes cooked with peanuts, and I used to love them.

So I was very glad that a common type of leaf vegetable you’ll find in Indonesian cuisine are cassava leaves. Cassava leaves are actually toxic if you eat them raw, but they are delicious when cooked, and have a slight leathery texture to them.

Where: The best curry cassava leaves I had in Jakarta was at Rumah Makan Medan Baru; Address: Jalan Krekot Bunder No. 65, Pasar Baru, Sawah Besar, Jakarta; Open hours: 9 am – 9 pm daily; Prices: Ou total bill was 406,000 IDR ($30.69) for many dishes.

Asinan (pickled vegetable salad)

Asinan is a snack that includes pickled fruits or vegetables, but in a number of different forms and styles depending on which region of Indonesia you’re in.

When I was hanging out with Hey Theresia, a local Indonesian food blogger, we stopped for a plate of Asinan Betawi, a Jakarta version of asinan. The vendor chopped up a bunch of pickled and blanched vegetables, then added on a couple of fried noodle crackers, and then doused the snack in a sweet and salty fruity tasting sauce. It was a very interesting mix, including lots of sour and salty flavors.

Where: Right outside the entrance of Ragusa Es Italia ice cream shop; Address: Kav 3-5, Komplek Pertokoan Duta Merlin, Jalan Gajah Mada, Jakarta, Indonesia (not far from the National Monument in Jakarta).

Nasi Goreng (fried rice)

If you read any Indonesian food guide or guidebook, likely one of the most famous foods they will mention is Indonesian fried rice, known better as nasi goreng. Although just wok fried rice with a host of salty seasonings, this simple hot and fresh cooked single plate meal is a popular street food throughout Indonesia.

For myself, while nasi goreng simply can’t compete with curries and more flavorful rich dishes, I do find Indonesian nasi goreng quite enjoyable from time to time, and it makes an easy cheap meal. When you find an Indonesian street food cart that sells nasi goreng, they can usually make it with whatever ingredients you see in their cabinet – vegetables, chicken, egg, and stink beans (my personal recommendation).

The rice is stir fried, often in a little margarine and oil, seasoned with crushed chili sambal and garlic and the ingredients, then mixed with kecap manis which gives the fried rice its unique Indonesian touch. You’ll seriously find nasi goreng street food cards just about everywhere you look in Jakarta and across Indonesia. My favorite version to order nasi goreng with with stink beans and a fried egg – for me it’s the ultimate fried rice.

Where: Any street food stall where you see “nasi goreng” written, and you will see it all over Indonesia. In Jakarta you can try the legendary goat fried rice at Nasi Goreng Kambing Kebon Sirih.

Pempek (fishcakes)

One of the prized Indonesian foods originating from Palembang (in the south of Sumatra), pempek is a unique type of fishcake, that’s very popular as a snack in Jakarta as well.

The recipe for the fishcakes or fish balls not only includes pureed fish, but also tapioca starch to give it a chewy bouncy texture. The pempek are then usually deep fried (although you can get them grilled as well), and served with noodles and a sauce that’s sweet, salty, and sour. I have never been a huge meatball / fishball fan, but I have to admit that pempek was pretty good. I loved the bouncy texture and the flavorful sauce they are eaten with.

Where: I had pempek at a restaurant called Pempek Palembang & Otak – Otak 161 and they have multiple locations around Jakarta; Address: Jalan Boulevard Raya Blok FW I No. 26, Kelapa Gading, Jakarta; Open hours: 11 am – 8 pm daily.