The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Indonesian Foods. If you manage to be in an Indonesian restaurant or you are visiting Indonesia, I recommend the following:
1. Indonesian Satay
It is one of Indonesia’s best dishes. Satay is made with chopped chicken or lamb meat. After marinating it with hot spices, the satay is ready for grilling. Once the satay is ready to grill, peanut sauce is drizzled on top and served. If you try it you will want to repeat. You can serve the satay with rice and don’t forget to add some sambal.
2. Beef Rendang
Rendang is meat (usually beef) cooked with coconut milk and spices. It is a dish originating from Padang in West Sumatra. Rendang is the most popular and internationally accepted Indonesian food. It is not easy to make, requiring a lot of spices and cooking time. It is served in restaurants called “Rumah Makan Padang” or “Rumah Makan padang”. Restaurants that sell it always carry the same name.
3. Fried Rice
Nasi goreng (fried rice) is the simplest food you can find in Indonesia, and is mostly eaten for dinner. There are many types of nasi goreng such as chicken, seafood, fish and prawns among others, usually accompanied by fried egg, fried chicken, satay or keropok. It is one of the most popular dishes in the region, and can be found almost everywhere in the country.
4. Indomie
It basically consists of fried noodles with vegetables sautéed in sweet soy, chicken, prawns, beef or satay accompanied with a fried egg. It is one of the best known and most consumed dishes in Indonesia, not only by tourists but also by locals.
5. Sweet Martabak
It is a street food that is usually eaten in the evening. It is made with flour, eggs, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and a little butter. Sweet Martabak can be topped with many toppings such as peanuts, chocolate, cheese, Oreo biscuits, Toblerone, Nutella and many more. If you have a sweet tooth you have to try the Martabak.
6. Nasi Rawon
It is beef cut into pieces in a black sauce soup. The place of origin of this dish is Surabaya in East Java. The color of the broth is black and it has a slightly sweet taste. The black color is caused by the Kluwak (black walnut). The taste of Rawon will vary according to the quality of the kluwak, the higher the quality of the nut the tastier the dish will be.
7. Sop Buntut (Oxtail Soup)
This soup is made mainly with a base stock and vegetables, and is one of the best delicacies Indonesian cuisine has to offer. It is also one of those dishes that you can try over and over again, as the different variations will make you think you are trying it for the first time. No Sop Buntut is the same as the last, and each time you try it, you will discover each of the flavors it has to offer.
8. Nasi Uduk
It is a very complete dish of basmati rice accompanied by vegetables, meat or fish, tempeh, tofu, egg and prawn bread. There are many Warungs that have all the ingredients listed and you choose what you like. The main ingredient (meat or fish) is cooked in spicy coconut milk and a paste of ground spices: galanga, chillies, shallots, garlic, ginger, lemon leaves and other spices.
9. Pempek
Pempek is one of the most prized foods from Palembang on the island of Sumatra. It is a type of fish and tapioca cake that is very popular as a snack. It is similar to the Spanish croquettes. They are usually fried and served with noodles and a tasty sauce of vinegar, chillies and sugar.
10. Siomay
Siomay is a popular Indonesian snack with Chinese roots. It is a fish paste (although it can also be shrimp or pork) steamed and served with boiled potatoes, hard-boiled egg, cabbage and tofu. Of course, accompanied by the usual peanut sauce. Although it is not a vegetarian dish, it is one of the lighter Indonesian street food dishes.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Asian Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.