Indonesian

When you think of comfort food, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s something warm, soothing, and flavorful—a dish that feels like a hug in a bowl. For me, it’s always been vegan wonton soup. The steamy broth, tender dumplings, and fresh veggies create a perfect balance of lightness and heartiness. But as someone who’s embraced a plant-based lifestyle, I had to find a way to enjoy this classic dish without compromising on flavor. This recipe is a game-changer. It’s not just for vegans—it’s for anyone looking to enjoy a simple, wholesome meal full of flavor that comes together quickly. Whether …

Sayur Bening Bayam is a traditional Indonesian vegetable clear soup that is light, nutritious, and easy to prepare. It features spinach (Bayam) as the main ingredient, complemented by corn (or carrot) and simple seasonings. sayur = vegetable dish; bening = clear soup; bayam = spinach There are 2 unique things that you have to remember from this recipe: This dish tastes very clean and light, and I love it when my mother cooks it. When she does, I eat three plates of rice bowl. Yes, three; I didn’t write it incorrectly. Even though this can be eaten by itself, I …

This is one of the savory—sweet Indonesian snacks that I will never be able to resist! A crispy and crunchy deep-fried corn fritter (bakwan jagung) famous from North Sulawesi (Manado) will be everyone’s favorite! We Indonesians love to fry everything, including fruit such as bananas or vegetables like cabbage (yes, we do fry ’em) and corn, which we will make in this recipe. Bakwan jagung, or bakwan in general, is classified under “gorengan,” a term in Indonesia for a deep-fried snack. What is Bakwan and Bakwan Jagung? So Bakwan is a general term in Indonesia for any deep-fried fritters. You …

Terik tahu tempe is a traditional Indonesian cuisine that is accidentally vegan. It is rich in coconut milk with a hint of sweetness and traditional Indonesian spices. Try this recipe if you are bored with your regular cooking method for tofu and tempeh. If you grow up eating Indonesian food, you should realize there are many types of curry, and terik is one of them. Other types of curry in Indonesia are gulai (view my jackfruit gulai recipe here), lodeh, and opor (I will share both recipes later in another post). “I have no idea what Terik Tahu Tempe is” …

Gudeg Yogya is a niche food. People who like it will love it, like me 😂. But people who dislike it will never try this food again. One of the reasons for that is probably the sweet taste of this dish. Most people associate sweet food with dessert, so it will feel alien to some when they come across a sweet main course dish. That’s why I said gudeg is a niche food. However, as one of the gudeg lovers, I have an obligation to share it with the world ✈️. To let people know that this yummy food exists. …

Gulai Nangka? Meat-free curry? Yes, Please! Gulai Nangka is a delicious Indonesian dish of young jackfruit in coconut yellow curry. The main ingredient, as its name suggests, is young jackfruit. It is cooked in spices and coconut milk, along with other vegetables like long beans. The flavor of the dish improves over several days after cooking, as the spices meld over time, and the vegetables truly absorb the flavor.  In Indonesia, this dish is commonly found in restaurants that serve Padang Cuisine, which is named after Padang, the capital city of Western Sumatra province. Imagine eating this with a warm bowl …

Tofu tempe bacem is a humble traditional Indonesian dish from Yogyakarta and Central Java. Like many other Javanese dishes, it has a sweet and savory flavor. You can eat this tahu and tempe bacem as a snack or with rice and vegetable dishes. My mother’s hometown is Surakarta, a city in Central Java that most people know as “Solo.” We usually visit this city once a year and never miss a visit to its traditional market. You can easily find people selling tahu and tempe bacem, common street foods in that market. Besides Solo, there is also one region famous …

Most people probably know about Indonesian mie goreng from the instant brand of “Indomie”. This recipe is the classic version of that noodle. Vegan mie goreng is a dish that will please everyone in the family. Crunchy vegetables, chewy noodles, sweet sticky sauce, what’s not to like? It’s easy to make on a weeknight and delicious enough to serve anyone. So what exactly is mie goreng? “Mie” in Indonesia is noodle, and “goreng” means fried, so “mie goreng” is a fried noodle. This Indonesian food is heavily influenced by Chinese cuisine but has a definite Indonesian taste. One key differentiator …

Satay (in Indonesia, we usually call it “Sate”) is a grilled skewer dish famous in Southeast Asia. It is similar to Middle Eastern kebab but is served with a sauce. Most of the time, satay is made of meat, but other ingredients like mushrooms, tofu, and tempe are not uncommon. In this recipe, we will make vegan mushroom satay! Satay Varieties There are many varieties of satay based on the meat used, the way the meat is cooked, the spice used for the seasoning, and the sauce served with it. One study in Indonesia says there are 252 varieties of …

This could be the first time you hear the word “Pepes”. If you googled this word, you will find a Wikipedia article saying that this word means the Indonesian cooking method using banana leaves as a food wrapping. After the wrapping step, the pepes can be steamed, baked, or grilled. The purpose of using banana leaf as a wrapper is to get the special aroma from the burnt banana leaf as it will be infused inside the cooked food. Spiced tofu cooked in banana leaves (or pepes generally) is famous in the West Java region of Indonesia. There are lots …