The air thick with smoke from charcoal fires, the rhythmic sound of pounding stone from a cobek dan ulekan (mortar and pestle) grinding fresh spices into aromatic pastes, the sizzle of tempeh hitting hot oil, the sweet-savoury perfume of kecap manis caramelising over flame – Indonesian food dials up the senses.
Indonesian cuisine rests on foundations laid thousands of years ago. The Melanesians brought techniques for cooking fish and water buffalo alongside root vegetables, coconut. Later, the Austronesians arrived from Taiwan via The Philippines carrying rice, citrus, domesticated pigs, and the technique of grilling meat on skewers that would eventually become satay.
These groups coexisted, then gradually separated – Melanesians moving east toward what's now Makassar, Papua, and the Moluccas, while Austronesians spread west across Bali, Java, and Sumatra. Each developed distinct cuisines through contact with outside kingdoms and empires (Middle East, India, China and various parts of Europe), but they remained connected by this shared culinary ancestry and an approach to flavour that's simultaneously complex and intuitive – delicious organised chaos on the palate.
Indonesian food is immensely diverse – the nation is comprised of around 17,000 islands – as well fun and rewarding to cook at home, from fiery Sumatran curries to fragrant Javanese stews and fresh Balinese salads.
Pantry staples
Thanks to a tropical climate and rich volcanic soil, Indonesia is blessed native ingredients like cloves, nutmeg, galangal, candlenut, bananas, durian, jackfruit, lemongrass and pandan.
It took three words to lure me into a chilli-eating competition. These were, “Come on, ladies.” Source: SBS Food
Kecap Manis is a thick, sweet soy sauce that appears in countless Indonesian dishes, providing a unique bittersweet caramel flavour balanced with aromatic spices. Use it as both a cooking ingredient and table condiment.
Many different types of chillies are used in Indonesian cuisine, such as green chillies, birds eye chillies and dried chillies.
Spices aren’t just local seasonings – they changed the course of history for Indonesia and the world, putting Indonesian on the global map during the first millennium BC, coveted by traders from India, China, and eventually Europe. Cloves provide warm, numbing heat essential to many spice pastes. Nutmeg adds sweet, woody complexity—the Dutch literally traded Manhattan to the British in return for nutmeg-producing Banda islands. Coriander seeds, cumin and cardamom pods are also common spices.
Your aromatic arsenal should include: galangal – sharper and more citrusy than ginger, lemongrass for a herbal lemon access, tamarind for essential sweet-tartness, makrut lime leaves add bright citrus fragrance, pandan leaves work like Southeast Asia's vanilla and salam leaves are Indonesian bay leaves (substitute with curry leaves or bay leaves). Candlenuts are used for richness and thickening, keluak nuts ara a distinctive black ingredient with truffle-like notes. Terasi is Indonesian fermented shrimp paste, which delivers characteristic umami depth.
The coconut milk and palm sugar combination defines much of Indonesian cooking's characteristic creamy sweetness. Palm sugar, which comes from the coconut flower, provides a complex sweetness with hints of caramel and smoke that regular sugar can't replicate.
Tempeh, fermented soybeans that originated in Java during the 1700s, offers protein, probiotics, and a nutty flavour that takes on whatever spices you pair with it. Krupuk are light, crispy wafers that puff up when fried – they aren't just snacks but textural elements that add crunch and help carry flavours.
And of course, rice! Rice forms the foundation of nearly every Indonesian meal, serving as the canvas for all the bold flavours.
5 key Indonesian dishes
In 2016, the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy set out to nominate a national dish – they came up with 30. In 2018, five culinary icons were agreed on:
Nasi Goreng serves as your gateway – the dish every Indonesian knows. Use day-old rice (fresh rice turns mushy) and cook over high heat as you build the layers of flavour. Kecap manis provides sweetness and characteristic dark color. Finish with a fried egg and krupuk.
Originating in West Sumatra, traditional rendang cooks for hours until the coconut milk completely reduces and the meat becomes tender and intensely flavoured. Traditionally a beef stew, but it can also made with lamb or jackfruit (for a meat-free option).
Source: Feast magazine
Satay showcases ancient Austronesian grilling that spread throughout Southeast Asia. Marinated meat or vegetables are threaded on bamboo skewers, grilled over hot charcoal, and most often served with a dipping sauce and sliced raw vegetables. Success requires proper char while maintaining juiciness.
Source: Jiwon Kim
This Javanese salad evolved from rujak, an ancient fruit and vegetable dish dating back over 1,000 years. The components are simple – blanched vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, tofu, tempeh – but the peanut sauce elevates everything.
You can eat gado-gado on its own, but it's also a great side dish. The peanut sauce will last for up to 5 days, but once tossed, it's best eaten the same day. Source: Louise Hagger
Indonesia's most beloved soup is an aromatic broth that varies dramatically by region. Soto ayam, a chicken noodle soup, offers the most approachable introduction; soto mi tangkar betawi is a Betawi beef rib soup with vermicelli noodles.
Source: Alan Benson
Cooking techniques & tips
Indonesian cooking techniques are built on foundations that date back hundreds of years, and there's wisdom in that consistency. Master these fundamental methods to unlock authentic flavours.
• Use a mortar and pestle – the crushing action releases oils and breaks down cell walls that food processors can't replicate. Start with the hardest spices first, then aromatics, then softer ingredients.
• Blooming spice pastes unlocks great Indonesian. Heat oil until shimmering, add spice paste, cook slowly while stirring constantly until paste darkens and becomes fragrant – 10-15 minutes. Oil will separate when ready and kitchen fills with intense aromatics.
• Cooking over charcoal is essential to Indonesian cuisine, imparting a smoky depth for dishes like satay, ikan bakar, and ayam bakar. Build hot zones for searing and cooler areas for gentle cooking. Gas barbecues work adequately but lack charcoal's distinctive smokiness.
• Coconut milk mastery requires patience and temperature control. Use only full-fat coconut milk, never add to boiling liquid or proteins will curdle. Temper by whisking small amounts of hot liquid into coconut milk, then gradually incorporate back into the pot. Maintain a gentle simmer once added.
• Banana leaf cooking represents 1,100-year-old techniques that spread throughout Southeast Asia. Briefly char leaves over flame to make pliable and enhance flavour. Leaves impart subtle grassy sweetness while keeping food moist during grilling or steaming – essential for dishes like pepes. Traditionally used for meat or seafood, it can also be used for tofu.
• When cooking fish: when scoring fish, use a good sharp knife and make sure the incisions don't go all the way through to the bone. To check whether a whole fish is cooked, press it lightly just below the head – if it gives, the fish is done. When cooking fish in a curry, don't stir or turn it too much, as this can break up the flesh.
• You can make your own cassava flour by drying fresh or frozen cassava in the sun and then grating it.
• When cooking with whole leaves, such as salam or pandan leaf, or spices, such as cinnamon sticks, make sure to remove them from the dish before serving.
Learning Indonesian cooking means joining a tradition that spans millennia, survived colonialism, and is finally claiming its rightful place in global cuisine.
