Sambal (chili sauce)

Although I have already mentioned sambal dozens of times in this food blog, I think due to its importance in Indonesian cuisine (and my personal love and obsession for it), it’s one of the most important components of many Indonesian meals – either in the cooking or served as a side sauce.

There are about as many different recipes or types of sambal as there are islands in Indonesia, but a classic sambal might include chilies, garlic, shallots, and other local ingredients, all puréed using a mortar and pestle. Some sambals are spicy and salty, others are more sweet, and some sambals are based upon local herbs and spices only available in that specific region.

You’ll find sambal on the table of just about every restaurant in Indonesia you eat at, and if they don’t have any available, if you ask for some, they will make a simple sambal as soon as you ask. To me, sambal is something I look forward to consuming with every Indonesian meal. And it’s not only because I’m a chili lover, but also because I think the diversity and variations of different sambals is a reflection of just how diverse Indonesia and its food are.

Where: You’ll be served sambal with just about any Indonesian food you eat in Indonesia… that’s part of the reason why I love Indonesia so much.

Balado terong

If it's red, you'll eat it. Think about it.

The color of this dish is enough to set taste buds going.

Nothing more than grilled purple eggplant topped with heaps of chili sauce made from dried shrimp paste (balacan), it calls for a substantial portion of rice to even out the fire engine flavor.

Seribu Rasa, Jl. Haji Agus Salim No. 128, Menteng, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta; +62 21 392 8892

Soto Betawi (Jakarta soup)

Jakarta is the biggest city in Indonesia, and people who live in Jakarta come from the furthest regions and islands of the country. The food directly reflects this, and walking down the street you’ll find a restaurant serving Padang food, Manado food, snacks from Eastern Java, and the list goes on and on.

But if there’s one dish that’s one of the most famous dishes, known for being homegrown right in Jakarta, it’s soto Betawi, literally meaning, Jakarta soup. Soto in Indonesia is a type of soup, and every region of Indonesia has their own version, and Betawi are the people of Batavia, the Dutch colonial name for Jakarta.

Soto Betawi is usually prepared with beef, which is boiled with aromatic herbs like lemongrass and Indonesian bay leaves, and flavored with candlenut, galangal, garlic, and shallots, and finally often a combination of both fresh cow milk and coconut milk are added to make the soup creamy. The soup is usually served in a bowl, topped with some crispy fried shallots, and eaten with a plate of rice, and some Indonesian pickles (known as acar). Eating Soto Betawi when I was in Jakarta was one of the culinary highlights for me. It’s truly an incredible dish that you can’t miss.

Where: One of the best places in Jakarta to eat soto Betawi is Soto Betawi Haji Husein. Address: Jalan Padang Panjang No. 6C, Kel. Pasar Manggis, Jakarta; Open hours: 7 am – 2 pm from Saturday – Thursday (closed on Friday); Prices: 110,000 IDR ($8.34) for 4 bowls of soto and rice.

Siomay (dumplings)

Soimai is a popular Indonesian food snack that has roots in China, but has been transformed as an Indonesian dish. Typical vendors that sell siomay have a steamer full of different ingredients including siomay, tofu, and a variety of fishcakes and stuffed items. Siomay can either be made with fish or sometimes shrimp or pork.

The siomay are dished onto a plate, and the Indonesian flavor touch is that they are served with a sweet and savory peanut sauce and some sambal to bump up the heat.

Where: In Glodok, Jakarta’s Chinatown, you’ll find many bicycle vendors that sell hot plates of siomay. But also throughout Jakarta it’s a popular street food.

Woku (Manado soup curry)

Technically, woku is an Indonesian Sualwesi blend of different spices and herbs like chilies, lemon basil, shallots, garlic, and tomatoes, that’s usually prepared with fish or chicken, and can be the consistency of anywhere from soup to more dry. When I had my first bowl of woku, it was a bit of a life-changer, one of those dishes that’s so dramatically flavorful, there’s nothing you can do but close your eyes and enjoy it.

Woku is both spicy and heavy on the herbs with a distinct taste of lemon basil, giving the entire dish a refreshing, yet hot and spicy, sensation. After spending 3 weeks in Jakarta and eating Manado food a number of times, I can safely say woku is one of my favorites Indonesian foods.

Where: Any Mandado food restaurant will have woku. In Jakarta, I enjoyed the version at Ikan Tude Manado; Address: Jalan Blora No. 28-29, Menteng, Jakarta; Open hours: 8 am – 11 pm daily; Prices: 325,000 IDR ($24.57) for 4. 

Tempeh (fermented soybean)

Tempeh (which is also spelled tempe) is a preserved soybean cake, that’s kind of similar to tofu, but it uses whole soybeans and it’s fermented in a loaf sized shape. Tempe is very nutritious, packed full of protein and fiber.

One of the most common ways tempe is cooked is deep fried or pan fried. It can be eaten as a snack, or as a part of a greater meal, and dipped into sambal chili sauce for extra flavor. To me, tempeh often has a slight sour taste, and a starchy texture. And also because of its protein content and vitamins it makes a great meat substitution, so it’s a favorite Indonesian vegetarian food.

Where: You’ll find tempeh from street food carts to restaurants, especially restaurant that specialize in deep fried items.

Gorengan

Fry it, and they will come.

Or simply "fried foods," gorengan are the most prolific snacks in all of Indonesia.

Street carts typically offer crispy golden nuggets of tempe, cassava and tofu, as well as fried bananas, sweet potatoes, vegetables fritters made from shredded carrot, cabbage and bean sprouts and fermented soybean cakes.

Any kaki lima which serves an oil-stained news-wrapping gorengan topped with a handful of green chili