Indonesian Cuisine

By Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD

Known as the Spice Islands, the archipelago Indonesia lies on the equator, neighboring Australia and Southeast Asia in the southern Pacific Ocean. Over the years, Indonesia has attracted everyone who had a ship. Traders from India, the Middle East, and Holland came for the spices and spread the word. At one time or another, Indonesia was ruled by the governments of Holland, China, Portugal, India, and the United Kingdom. Today, Indonesia has a population of about 180 million multicultural inhabitants, speaking about 250 dialects. "Unity in Diversity" is the Indonesian national motto.

Indonesia's native spices are very important to its history and to its menus. Over the span of history, the Spice Islands have supplied India, China, the Middle East, Portugal, Spain, Holland, and England with peppercorns, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, chilies, and cardamom. In return, traders brought cumin, dill, caraway (the flavor of rye bread), coriander, and fennel to the Islands.

Besides adding interest and flavor, chilies and spices play an important role in Indonesian cuisine. The area's intense heat and humidity can put a damper on the appetite and can promote a lot of uninvited 'visitors' to grow on the food. Chilies, cinnamon, and ginger can both stimulate the appetite and act as a bacterial suppressant for stored foods. Sambal, served at every meal, can be either a sauce or condiment (like a chunky salsa) with a base of fiery hot chilies, flavored with citrus and spices.

Everyday Indonesian meals are seasoned with fresh chilies, ginger, lemon grass, and kaffir lime leaves. Palm sugar is used for sweetening and coconut milk for creaminess and to smooth out some of the "heat" from chilies. Many of the spices for which Indonesia is known are exported. You'll more likely find cloves used for cigarettes rather than for flavoring dishes.

Traders bartering for spices and tropical fruit in Indonesia shared their traditional dishes with the islanders. The Middle Eastern kebabs became satays, skewered meats served with peanut sauces and chilies. To make a vegan version of satay, skewer thin ribbons of tempeh or seitan instead of meat, and add the peanut sauce from the recipe later in the article. Dutch cuisine was fairly bland until traders from the country incorporated (and renamed) the Indonesian rijsttafel (rice table), an opulent buffet of delicacies served with pungent sauces and steamy rice. Religions influence menus, as does ethnic heritage. Many of the Indonesian islands are Muslim, with much of the population following the laws of Halal. The island of Bali is Hindu. You'll also see Chinese, Indian, and Portuguese influences in Indonesian food preparation.

Differences in geography affected the availability of items and therefore their dominance in the cuisine of certain regions. To the west, there are the Sunda Islands, the Greater Island, Borneo, Java, and Sumatra. Many of these islands have rain forests, lush coastal areas, mountains, rivers, and volcanoes. Rice, peanuts, spices, bananas, coconuts, mangosteens, and citrus fruit are common ingredients. In the south, there are Bali and Timor with mountains and rivers. Corn and spices are prevalent in local recipes, as are white and sweet potatoes. To the east are the Moluccas, known for their spices.

Easily available ingredients on most of the islands include rice and rice noodles, coconut, coconut milk and coconut oil, green onions, garlic and onions, ginger, lemon grass, chilies, basil, cilantro and mint, peanuts, and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Cooking techniques include steaming, boiling, parcooking (blanching), stir-frying, simmering, and braising. Leaves from edible plants, such as banana and palm, are used as food wrappers and as serving dishes. There is little to no baking in the traditional Indonesian cuisine.

Rather than native breads, rice is eaten three times a day and serves as the culture's primary source of starch. The traditional method of cooking yields a fluffy rice, with every cooked grain distinct. At many a selametan, the Indonesian term for ceremonial feast, a tumpeng is served. The tumpeng is a huge cone or pyramid of rice, representing a sacred mountain and spiritual purity. Seasonal delicacies showing the relationship between the human senses and spirituality are used to decorate the tumpeng. Each garnish has spiritual significance, such as red chilies representing anger, yellow squash or melon representing greed, and green vegetables representing jealousy. Also, glutinous rice is incorporated into desserts or ground into powder for use in sweet dishes.

Coconut milk is a staple Indonesian cooking ingredient. Coconut milk is not the thin liquid found when sipping on a coconut; that's coconut water or juice. And it's not the really thick, gooey stuff used to make tropical drinks. That's cream of coconut, made by adding lots and lots of sugar to coconut milk and boiling it. Coco-nut milk is a combination of coconut pulp and water. Most groceries carry canned coconut milk (always go for the unsweetened variety); try Asian or Latino stores. Or make your own. Dry, unsweetened coconut flakes or dried fresh, grated coconut can be combined with equal amounts of boiling water in a blender. (Be careful!) Purée, allow to sit for a minute, and strain, pressing to get all the liquid. Your coconut milk is ready to use.

If you want to get some of the fat out, an alternate way to prepare coconut milk is to simmer coconut with water over a low flame for about 30 minutes. Strain and let stand; a layer of "cream" will develop. You can skim this off and discard or save for later use. (Coconut cream is wonderful to use in baked dishes instead of soymilk or puréed tofu. It can also be added to coffee or used as a topping on hot or cold cereal.) You can make your coconut milk thicker or thinner depending on your preference; just add more or less water. If using for sauces or curries, you might want thicker milk. For smoothies or as a beverage ingredient, thinner milk may be best. If you want to store it, it must be refrigerated, as it is perishable and can support bacterial growth if left too long at warm temperatures. Coconut milk should last about three days in the refrigerator; if it separates, just shake or stir to mix. Coconut milk does not freeze well, so plan your amounts carefully.

Indonesian meal planners attempt to include sweet, salty, sour, and spicy tastes at each meal, with rice always the center of the meal. If eating authentically Indonesian, you don't have to worry about having enough silver. Traditionally, one eats with one's hands. Food is mixed with rice, rolled into a ball and eaten with the right hand.

Indonesian meals can begin with fritters, rempah or perkedel, that are fried or boiled. Ingredients can include combinations of corn, chopped white or sweet potatoes, peanuts, and coconut. Indonesian soups are either delicate broths called sop or meal-in-a-bowl, soto. Entrées can include vegetable combinations, white and sweet potato-based dishes, and hot salads. As much rice as a family can afford is served at every meal. Every meal includes a variety of condiments, which can include chopped fresh or pickled chilies, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, sambals, soy sauce, pickled cucumbers and carrots, sweet soy sauce, and peanuts.

Desserts almost always include fresh fruit. There are many tropical fruits that are just becoming available on a limited basis in the United States, such as durian and mangosteen. If the cook has time, kelepon is prepared as small balls of sticky rice dough (powdered sticky rice mixed with water or coconut milk), filled with palm sugar and garnished with grated coconut. Dodol is a fudgy dessert, made with sticky rice, coconut milk, and palm sugar.

Tea is usually served with meals, hot or iced, depending on the climate. Many colorful drinks are made with flavored syrups, coconut milk, and fruit. Palm sugar and pieces of sticky rice dough are colored and added as garnishes. Es selasih is a combination of mixed fresh fruit and coconut water (the fresh juice drained directly from the coconut) served with sweet basil seeds. The seeds swell and become like tapioca in the bottom of the glass. Fresh juice drained from unopened coconut palm flowers is called tuak manis and is a thirst-quenching beverage. The tuak begins to ferment almost immediately in the hot climate. Within a day or two a beer-like drink, tuak wayah, is produced. Tuak can be distilled (sometimes in a backyard still) to make arak, an Indonesian brandy-like beverage.

Indonesian recipes traditionally call for frying and are heavy on coconut milk and oil. Using lower fat items, such as braised vegetables and fresh fruit served with flavorful condiments, would be a healthier approach to Indo-nesian cooking. The recipes below are traditional, with a bit of fat reduction. If we eliminated all the oil, coconut, and peanuts, you'd lose the true taste and texture of Indonesian cuisine. Plan your menus to include an Indonesian dish with steamed, baked, grilled, or other low-fat preparations. And be sure to include lots of rice!