Indonesian food is good, filling and delicious with fresh ingredients and spices. It is a very interesting country when it comes to food, with more than 5000 traditional dishes that you can taste.

Below are suggestions of some traditional Indonesian dishes to try.

and satay

Seven Ayami are marinated chicken skewers that are grilled over charcoal. The skewer cooking method makes the meat very juicy and good tasting.

A good peanut sauce is usually served with meat.

meatballs

Bakso are Indonesian meatballs that are very popular to eat in Indonesia. Meatballs are about the size of a golf ball (or larger) and are made from chicken, pork or beef.

Meatballs can be served on their own or in noodle soup.

fried rice

Nasi goreng is considered by many to be Indonesia’s national dish, and it is rice fried in a sweet soy sauce called kekapi.

Rice is also fried with various vegetables, chicken and eggs and served hot.

deep fried chicken

Indonesian fried chicken is called Ayam Goreng in the country and is a very popular dish among locals and tourists alike.

The meat is marinated in various spices before being cooked to perfection. Delicious and strong sambal sauce is served with chicken.

rice mixture

Nasi campur is a dish consisting of small portions of rice and various local dishes. These foods usually include vegetables, meat, eggs, fish or shrimp, and peanuts.

It is a great Indonesian dish that is also popular in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.

shady

Rendang cuisine comes from West Sumatra, Indonesia and is a spicy and salty meat dish.

Rendang is mainly made from beef that has been cooked in coconut milk and spices for a long time to make it really tender. The meat is cooked until the liquid has evaporated, leaving dark brown flesh with a rich taste.

tempeh

Tempeh is something you just have to try when you are in Indonesia. It is a traditional dish made from boiled soybeans, where the mold is allowed to rise.

In 1-2 days, a white mycelium forms, which binds the beans together into a solid mass, which becomes a tempeh cake, which is then baked or deep-fried.

One of Indonesia’s favorite dishes is tempeh kekap – tempeh with sweet soy sauce.

tamarind vegetable soup

Sayur Asem is a sweet and sour soup made with tamarind juice, vegetables and peanuts. It is a very refreshing soup usually eaten with steamed rice and sambal.

gudeg

Gudeg is a classic dish that comes from Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The dish consists of jackfruit, which is cooked for hours with coconut milk and palm sugar.

The fruits are really soft and the stew very tasty. The stew is served with rice, boiled eggs and chicken.

Sambal

Sambal is not directly an Indonesian dish, but a sauce that is used in Indonesian cooking and also as a side dish with various dishes.

It is a chutney made from chili with other ingredients such as fermented shrimp sauce, ginger, lemon juice, sugar and salt. Put all the ingredients in a mortar and grind into a nice mess.

grilled fish

It is a dish made from fish, which is marinated in various spices before being grilled on charcoal. Grilled fish is usually served with a soy- and chili-based sauce.

Siomay

Siomae are Indonesian dumplings filled with fish – but sometimes you can find them filled with shrimp or pork.

They are served on a plate with peanut chutney and sambal for a bit of heat.

More Indonesian food

Indonesia clearly has one of the most interesting cuisines in the world, with many different cuisines. Indonesian cuisine is so widespread because the country has many local dishes with their own traditions and local favourites.

For example, Sumatran cuisine has influences from India and the Middle East, while Javanese cuisine is mostly local Indonesian cuisine with little influence from Chinese cuisine.

With over 5,000 traditional dishes in Indonesia, you can only imagine how much the country has to offer when it comes to food.

Do you have more questions about Indonesian cuisine? Please leave a comment!