Indonesia — a vast archipelago often called the Spice Islands — sits at the crossroads of many cultures. Indian, Chinese, Malay, Dutch, Portuguese — all these culinary traditions have influenced the cooking of Indonesia. From snowy mountains to steamy rainforest, Indonesian cuisine is marked by a use of bold spices and herbs, the calming creaminess of coconut milk and the sweet touch of palm sugar.
Rice is the most common starch in Indonesia, supplemented by a variety of rice and wheat noodles. A variety of vegetables are simmered in stews or tossed in cooling salads. Mild and spicy sauces, called sambals , add flavor to most dishes.
Typical Indonesian Dishes
Indonesian Recipes
Try these recipes from Indonesia.
(Indonesian turmeric fried chicken)
(Indonesian vegetables in coconut curry)
(Indonesian batter-fried bananas)
(Indonesian beef simmered in coconut milk)
(Indonesian chicken skewers with peanut sauce)
(Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
(Indonesian peanut sauce)
(Indonesian stir-fried noodles with vegetables)
(Indonesian vegetable salad with peanut sauce)
(Indonesian cucumber pickle)
(Indonesian tofu and tempeh in spicy coconut sauce)
(Indonesian sweet potato puffs)
(Indonesian avocado smoothie; see Sinh To Bo variations)
