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
A list of typical Indonesian dishes and foods. Use it to help you plan a Indonesian-style meal, party or festival.
Makanan Pembuka (Appetizers)
- Krupuk (Shrimp crackers)
- Pilus (Sweet potato puffs)
Mie (Noodles)
- Mie Goreng (Fried noodles)
Unggas (Poultry)
- Ayam Goreng (Fried chicken)
- Satay Ayam (Grilled chicken skewers with peanut sauce)
Daging (Meats)
- Gulai Domba (Lamb curry)
- Rendang Daging (Beef simmered in coconut milk)
Ikan-Ikanan (Fish and Seafood)
- Ikan Bumbu Bali (Fish fried and simmered in spicy sauce)
- Pesmol Ikan (Fish in chili sauce)
- Udang Goreng Asam (Fried shrimp in tamarind sauce)
Sayuran dan Kacang-Kacangan (Vegetables and Beans)
- Asinan (Sweet-sour cucumber salad)
- Gado Gado (Vegetable salad with peanut sauce)
- Gudeg (Jackfruit)
- Oseng-Oseng Jamur (Stir-fried mushrooms)
- Sayur Lodeh (Indonesian vegetables in coconut curry)
- Tahu dan Tempe Bumbu Rujak (Tofu and tempeh in spicy coconut sauce)
- Tempe Gureh (Curried tempeh)
- Urap (Vegetable salad with coconut dressing)
Nai dan Roti (Breads and Grains)
- Lontong (Rice cakes boiled in banana leaves)
- Nasi Goreng (Fried rice)
- Nasi Tumpeng (Ceremonial yelow rice cone)
Sambal dan Pelengkap (Sauces and Condiments)
- Bumbu Dasar (Herb and spice paste)
- Kecap Manis (Sweet soy sauce)
- Sambal Bajak (Fried chile condiment)
- Sambal Kacang (Spicy peanut sauce)
- Sambal Kecap (Chili-soy condiment)
- Sambal Oelek (Crushed red chile condiment)
- Sambal Trassi (Sweet chile condiment)
- Serundeng (Toasted coconut condiment)
Asinan (Pickles and Preserves)
- Acar Ketimun (Cucumber pickle)
- Acar Kuning (Curry pickles)
Makanan Penutup (Desserts)
- Onde-Onde (Sweet rice flour balls)
- Pisang Goreng (Indonesian batter-fried bananas)
- Rempejek (Peanut wafers)
Indonesian Recipes
Try these recipes from Indonesia.
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