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)
