Pecel lele

Pecel lele is a beloved Indonesian street food dish featuring deep-fried catfish (lele) served with sambal (spicy chili sauce), steamed rice, and fresh vegetables (lalapan). Originally popularized in Java, especially among Javanese roadside food stalls (warung lesehan), pecel lele has become a nationwide favorite for its affordability, bold flavor, and satisfying crunch.

Despite the word pecel traditionally referring to vegetables with peanut sauce (as in nasi pecel), in this dish, pecel simply denotes the serving style—fish with sambal and rice. The lele (catfish) is typically marinated with salt, garlic, and turmeric, then deep-fried whole until the skin becomes crispy and golden, while the flesh remains moist and flavorful.

The dish’s defining element is the raw or freshly ground sambal, often made from red chilies, tomatoes, garlic, shallots, shrimp paste (terasi), lime juice, and salt, pounded coarsely in a traditional mortar (cobek). It’s spicy, smoky, and intensely aromatic—perfectly complementing the rich, oily texture of the fried catfish.

Pecel lele is usually served with steamed rice, a side of lalapan such as cucumber, basil leaves, lettuce, or cabbage, and occasionally with tempeh or fried tofu. It is typically eaten with hands while sitting on floor mats, especially in late-night warungs that line busy streets and corners.