I recently visited Yogyakarta again after many years, and while I didn’t get the chance to stop by Pasar Beringharjo—the bustling traditional market that holds so many fond memories for me—I found something unexpectedly familiar during breakfast at the hotel. Among the buffet trays of fried rice, toast, and tropical fruits, there it was: a humble plate of pecel sayur. A colorful medley of blanched vegetables topped with a generous spoonful of warm peanut sauce, a few crispy krupuk, and a sprinkle of fried shallots.
The first bite took me right back.
My earliest memory of pecel sayur comes from that very market I missed this time—Pasar Beringharjo—on an early morning years ago. The scent of steamed vegetables mingled with the earthy aroma of freshly ground peanut sauce. I remember sitting on a low wooden bench, eating off a banana leaf-lined plate handed to me by an ibu who had clearly been serving pecel sayur longer than I had been alive.
There was something deeply comforting about it—the warm, nutty sauce coating a colorful pile of vegetables, a sprinkle of serundeng (spiced grated coconut), a dash of fried shallots, and a crunchy krupuk (cracker) on the side. I wasn’t just eating breakfast. I was partaking in a ritual passed down through generations.
Ever since that morning in Jogja, pecel sayur has remained a favorite of mine—not just for its taste, but for the stories it holds and the memories it revives. And sometimes, even a hotel breakfast version is enough to bring it all rushing back.
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The Beautiful Flexibility of Indonesian Salad
One of the things that makes pecel sayur so appealing—especially for home cooks—is its adaptability. This Indonesian salad is less about rigid structure and more about the joyful abundance of seasonal vegetables. You can make it with whatever greens are available in your kitchen or at your local wet market.
The classic vegetables include kangkung (water spinach), long beans, cassava leaves, bean sprouts, and cabbage. But I’ve seen versions that incorporate spinach, sweet potato leaves, baby corn, chayote, or even broccoli. The secret lies not in the specific vegetables, but in their preparation—lightly boiled or blanched until just tender, preserving their color, texture, and nutrients. Once bathed in a rich, aromatic peanut sauce, even the simplest vegetables are elevated into something celebratory.
For those outside Indonesia trying to recreate this dish, there’s no need to hunt down exact ingredients. Pecel sayur is forgiving. You can use green beans instead of long beans, kale in place of cassava leaves, or even napa cabbage instead of regular cabbage. What matters is maintaining the heart of the dish—a vibrant medley of vegetables brought together by a bold and flavorful sauce.
In this version of pecel sayur, I use five easy-to-find and wonderfully complementary vegetables: spinach, bitter gourd, long beans, bean sprouts, and cabbage. Together, they offer a perfect range of textures and flavors—soft, crunchy, fresh, slightly bitter, and naturally sweet—making each bite interesting and satisfying.
A Brief History of Pecel Sayur
Pecel sayur is a dish deeply rooted in Javanese food culture, especially in Central and East Java. The name “pecel” likely comes from the act of pressing or mashing—the way peanuts and spices were traditionally crushed by hand using a stone mortar and pestle. Sayur simply means vegetables. Together, they form one of Indonesia’s most beloved plant-based dishes.
Historically, pecel sayur was a dish of the people. Farmers, market vendors, and families in villages across Java relied on seasonal crops and affordable staples like peanuts, garlic, and palm sugar. The result was a dish that was not only nourishing and economical but full of layered flavor. Over the years, it migrated from humble kitchens to train stations, pasar stalls, and city lunch counters.
What’s remarkable is how it has retained its authenticity. Despite changes in serving styles, toppings, and sides, pecel sayur is still recognizable—still deeply Javanese at its core. And like many Indonesian salads, it celebrates not only the ingredients but the land and traditions they come from.
What Does Pecel Sayur Taste Like?
If you’ve never had pecel sayur, the best way to describe it is comfort in a bowl. At the center of the dish is the peanut sauce: rich, nutty, slightly sweet, subtly spicy, and aromatic. It clings to every strand of long bean, coats each leaf of spinach, and fills the curls of blanched cabbage. The sauce is a flavor bomb—savory, sweet, tangy, and earthy all at once.
The vegetables provide textural variety. Spinach gives softness, long beans offer chew, cabbage has that gentle snap, bean sprouts bring crisp lightness, and bitter gourd adds a unique edge—a hint of sharpness that balances the sauce’s sweetness.
Unlike Western-style salads that often feel cold or raw, pecel sayur is warm, filling, and layered. Each bite shifts slightly depending on what you pick up with your fork (or spoon)—sometimes creamy, sometimes crunchy, sometimes a bit of everything.
And the toppings? They take things to the next level. A sprinkling of crispy fried shallots, maybe a handful of crushed rempeyek (peanut brittle crackers), or a crunchy emping—these final touches add a burst of umami and crunch that completes the experience.
Pecel Sayur Variations: With or Without Bakmi
Traditionally, pecel sayur is served with rice or lontong (compressed rice cakes). The rice provides a neutral base, letting the vegetables and sauce shine. But as it spread across Java and beyond, it took on new forms—including one of my favorites: pecel with bakmi.
In this version, yellow wheat noodles replace rice, making the dish a little more filling and a lot more slurpable. It’s especially popular in East Java, where you’ll often find it sold on street corners late at night or as a quick, satisfying lunch. The noodles hold onto the peanut sauce in a different way than rice, turning every bite into a saucy, flavorful treat.
Other variations include adding fried tempeh or tofu, topping with boiled eggs, or even combining both rice and noodles for a full carb-load meal—a very common Javanese comfort combo!
The beauty of pecel sayur lies in this flexibility. Whether you want something light and plant-based or heavier with protein and starch, there’s a version that suits your appetite.
A Word About the Peanut Sauce (And Where to Find the Recipe)
Of course, no pecel sayur is complete without the star of the show: the peanut sauce. While the vegetables provide the structure and variety, it’s the sauce that gives the dish its soul. And although this post focuses on the vegetable base and assembly, I’ve created a dedicated post that walks you through every step of making an authentic, thick, Javanese-style peanut sauce.
You can find it here:
→ How to Make Javanese Peanut Sauce for Pecel Sayur
In that post, I cover the difference between frying vs. roasting the peanuts, tips for balancing sweetness and spice, and how to store the sauce for later use. You’ll also learn how to get the consistency just right—thick enough for pecel sayur, or thinner for dishes like gado-gado or satay.
For this recipe, I recommend making a slightly thicker batch and thinning it with a bit of hot water just before serving. That way, it’ll cling beautifully to the vegetables and deliver a punch of flavor in every bite.
Once you have the sauce ready, pecel sayur becomes incredibly easy to put together. You can even prepare everything in advance and assemble right before serving.
Things to Watch Out For When Making Pecel Sayur
Even though pecel sayur is a simple, wholesome dish, there are a few key tips to make it shine:
- Don’t overcook the vegetables – They should be tender but still vibrant. Aim for 30–60 seconds of blanching per item.
- Drain well – Excess water can dilute the peanut sauce and make the dish soggy.
- Bitter gourd caution – It brings character, but it’s potent. Slice it thin and blanch thoroughly to mellow the bitterness.
- Store separately – Keep the sauce and vegetables separate if prepping in advance. Combine only before serving.
- Toppings matter – Don’t skip fried shallots or crackers. They add texture and a finishing touch that elevates the dish.
Above all, trust your taste. Adjust the sauce amount, spice level, and toppings to suit your preferences. Pecel sayur, like many Indonesian salads, isn’t meant to be rigid—it’s meant to be loved.
Key Ingredients for Pecel Sayur
The beauty of pecel sayur lies in its simplicity and flexibility, but a few core ingredients give this Indonesian salad its signature flavor and texture:
- Spinach – Soft and earthy, it forms a gentle base for the peanut sauce to cling to.
- Bitter gourd – Sliced thin and blanched to tame its sharpness, it adds a welcome contrast to the sweetness of the sauce.
- Long beans – Crunchy and slightly nutty, they hold their texture well even after cooking.
- Bean sprouts – Light and crisp, they add freshness and a hint of nuttiness.
- Cabbage – Naturally sweet and tender when blanched, it balances the dish.
- Peanut sauce – The soul of the dish, rich and aromatic. (Full recipe in this separate post)
- Krupuk (crackers) or rempeyek – For crunch and texture.
- Fried shallots – A fragrant topping that adds depth and umami.
These ingredients are easily found in most Southeast Asian grocery stores, and you can swap or add based on availability and preference. The key is to blanch the vegetables just right and let the sauce bring them all together.
Pecel Sayur (Traditional Javanese Salad with Peanut Sauce)
2
servings15
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minutesPecel Sayur is a warm Indonesian salad made with steamed vegetables and rich peanut sauce. This Javanese classic is comforting, nutritious, and full of flavor—perfect as a light meal or hearty side.
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Ingredients
- Vegetables
3.5 ounces 100 g spinach (roughly 2 small bunches)
3.5 ounces 100 g long beans, cut into 1 cm pieces
3.5 ounces 100 g cabbage, chopped into bite-sized pieces
3.5 ounces 100 g bitter gourd, thinly sliced
3.5 ounces 100 g bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
- Peanut Sauce
7 ounces 200 g peanut sauce paste (see separate recipe)
0.25 – 0.5 cup 50 – 100 –100 ml hot water, to dilute the paste to a pourable consistency
- Toppings & Garnish
1 tbsp 1 tbsp fried shallots, for garnish
2-4 pc 2-4 pc pieces of krupuk or rempeyek, for serving
- Optional
7 ounces 200 g steamed rice or lontong (compressed rice cakes), for a more filling meal
1 1 boiled egg or fried tofu/tempeh, if you’d like to add protein
Directions
- Wash and Prepare the Vegetables
Start by washing all your vegetables thoroughly under running water. Trim the spinach and remove any wilted leaves. Cut the long beans into short, uniform pieces—about 1 cm long—so they cook evenly and are easier to eat. Chop the cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Slice the bitter gourd thinly to help reduce its natural bitterness. Lastly, rinse the bean sprouts and set them aside in a colander to drain.
- Steam the Vegetables
Set up your steamer and steam each type of vegetable separately to maintain their individual textures. Begin with the long beans and cabbage, which need about 6 to 8 minutes to become tender yet still crisp. Next, steam the sliced bitter gourd for around 5 minutes to mellow its bitterness. The spinach only takes 2 to 3 minutes—just enough to wilt it while keeping its vibrant color. Finally, add the bean sprouts and steam them for about 1 to 2 minutes, just until they soften slightly but still have a fresh crunch. Allow all the vegetables to cool slightly after steaming.
- Prepare the Peanut Sauce
While the vegetables are cooling, take your peanut sauce paste—whether freshly made or pre-prepared—and transfer the amount you need into a bowl. Add hot water gradually, stirring as you go, until the sauce reaches a thick but pourable consistency. The amount of water you need will depend on the thickness of your paste, but for pecel sayur, aim for a smooth sauce that clings well to vegetables without being runny. Taste and adjust if needed before assembling.
(For detailed peanut sauce instructions, see How to Make Javanese Peanut Sauce for Pecel Sayur.)
- Arrange the Salad
On a serving plate, arrange the steamed vegetables either grouped separately or lightly mixed together—whatever suits your aesthetic. If you’re serving pecel sayur with steamed rice or lontong (compressed rice cakes), place that on the plate first, then pile the vegetables on top.
- Add the Peanut Sauce
Spoon the diluted peanut sauce generously over the vegetables. Let it flow naturally—thick enough to coat the greens, but smooth enough to spread. This is what brings everything together into one delicious, harmonious dish.
- Garnish and Serve
Top everything with crispy fried shallots to add aroma and a savory crunch. Serve with krupuk or rempeyek on the side for that satisfying texture contrast. Pecel sayur is best enjoyed warm, just after assembling.
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