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Pepes tahu is a traditional dish hailing from West Java. It consists of spiced and steamed tofu that’s cooked in banana leaves. The ingredients usually include tofu, banana leaves, bell peppers, green onions, and a spice paste consisting of shallots, garlic, sugar, salt, and hot chili peppers.
The tofu is drained and mashed, then combined with the spice paste, bell peppers, and green onions. The combination is wrapped in banana leaves, steamed, then served while still warm with rice on the side. Alternatively, pepes tahu can be grilled instead of steamed, if desired.
Terong balado is a traditional dish that's suitable for vegetarians and vegans. It's made with a combination of eggplants and the spicy chili sauce known as balado. It's recommended to use Chinese eggplants as they are softer than standard eggplants.
The vegetables are cut into wedges, deep-fried, then stir-fried with the balado sauce. The sauce is made with a combination of red chili peppers, shallots, palm sugar, tamarind juice, garlic, and salt. When served, terong balado is usually accompanied by lots of white rice on the side.
Tempe bacem is a traditional tempeh-based dish that's usually associated with Central Java. The tempeh is marinated in coconut milk, galangal, and bay leaves, then boiled with a spice paste consisting of garlic, onions, coriander, palm sugar, and tamarind.
Once boiled, the tempeh is deep-fried in hot oil on both sides, but not too much because the texture will become dry or crunchy. Tempe bacem is usually served with hot chili peppers or steamed rice on the side.
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Singkong goreng is a traditional dish originating from Indonesia. This simple dish is prepared with a combination of cassava, salt, garlic, coriander, oil, and water. The cassava is sliced into long strips and steamed, while the garlic is pounded or ground.
The sliced cassava is mixed with water, salt, coriander, and garlic, then marinated for a while before it’s fried in oil until golden brown. Indonesian fried cassava is served while still hot and crispy. This snack can be eaten on its own or served as a side dish accompanying larger dishes.
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Sayur asem is a sweet and sour vegetable soup. Often referred to as tamarind soup, it is one of the favorite vegetable dishes in Indonesia. The entire dish is based on tamarind, an unusual plant commonly grown in Southeast Asia, which gives the dish a distinctive sour taste.
Other traditional Indonesian ingredients in sayur asem include jackfruit, melinjo, long beans, bilimbi, pumpkin, corn, and chayote. Sayur asem originated among the Sundanese people residing in West Java. However, their original recipe for this traditional soup has been adapted across Indonesia.
MOST ICONIC Sayur asem
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Kue nagasari is a traditional snack. It’s made with a combination of rice flour, ripe bananas, tapioca flour, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and sugar. In order to prepare this snack, the ingredients are mixed together into a batter that should be thick, yet spreadable.
The batter is wrapped in banana leaves, then steamed. Kue nagasari is served warm or at room temperature.
Tempe kering is a traditional plant-based dish. It's made with tempeh, a product made from fermented soybeans. The dish is prepared by deep-frying tempeh, then mixing it with spices and palm sugar. Once fried, the tempeh is mixed with a combination of fried peanuts, shallots, garlic, galangal, and water.
This unique tempeh preparation is also suitable for vegans. If desired, it can be served with kecap manis (sweetened soy sauce) on the side.
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