14 Indonesian Dishes Everyone Should Try At Least Once

Indonesia is a country that captivates most visitors right from the get-go with its postcard-perfect landscapes, vibrant cultures, and dynamite cuisine. I should know — I was so taken with it that I ended up settling there and staying for nearly 10 years. One of the things that I love most about Indonesia is that no matter where you go, you're never far from a great meal. Whether you want a quick bite from a street food cart, a homey meal at a warung, or sophisticated fare at a fine dining restaurant, there's always something delicious to try.

With over 17,000 islands and hundreds of ethnic groups, Indonesia is home to one of the world's most diverse and exciting food scenes. Each region has its own specialties that showcase local ingredients and cooking traditions, as well as influences from centuries of foreign trade. For example, West Sumatra is known for its rich, slow-cooked rendang (a type of curry), while Bali's babi guling (roast suckling pig) is a staple at ceremonies and celebrations. 

Across the archipelago, you'll find a wide range dishes featuring bold spices, fresh herbs, and hits of heat from sambal, Indonesia's fiery chili paste. After almost a decade of eating my way through the country, I can say with certainty that some Indonesian dishes are truly unmissable. These are 14 of the best that everyone should try at least once.

You know a country's culinary landscape is vast when not one, but five foods are declared as national dishes. One of the top foods on Indonesia's list of beloved national dishes is nasi goreng, which is not surprising considering it can be found in nearly every corner of the archipelago. Nasi means "rice" and goreng means "fried," and that's exactly what you get here along with a variety of add-ins. It's a dish that can be eaten any time of day, and for some people it's a daily staple.

There are a few things that set nasi goreng apart from other styles of fried rice. For one, it's made with a sweet soy sauce called kecap manis that gives the rice a rich brown color and crunchy caramelization. Many versions also include terasi, a shrimp paste that infuses a hit of umami flavor. The rice can be fried just with the sauces or paired with diced ingredients like chicken, onion, cabbage, and carrot. It's often served with a fried egg on top and accompanied by sliced cucumber and tomato, as well as crunchy krupuk udang (shrimp crackers).

If I had to choose one Indonesian dish as my all-time favorite it would definitely be babi guling, aka spit-roasted suckling pig. I may be biased though, considering I lived in Ubud, Bali, which is home to Ibu Oka, one of the most famous babi guling restaurants in the country. While roughly 87% of Indonesia's population is Muslim and doesn't typically eat pork, Bali is predominantly Hindu, and pork plays a big role in the island's cuisine. Babi guling is a delicacy that's often makes an appearance at ceremonies and on holidays. It's also served at specialty warungs (restaurants) all over the island.

Cooking babi guling is an art form that involves a great deal of energy and time. First, the pig is rubbed with a spice mix called bumbu that can include shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, lemongrass, chiles, and coriander. Then the pig is roasted on a spit over coconut husks and periodically bathed in coconut milk or water. The end result is crispy, amber skin and ridiculously tender meat. Babi guling is typically served as a mixed plate with meat, crunchy skin, blood sausage, pork satay, rice, and a vegetable salad called lawar, which includes chopped vegetables, toasted coconut, and sometimes pig's blood.

Another food featured on Indonesia's list of five national dishes is soto, which is a blanket term for a wide variety of soups. Historians believe soto came to Indonesia by way of China, but over the centuries, it's taken on distinct local flavors and forms. Today, over 40 varieties of soto can be found all over the country. At its most basic, soto includes broth with some form of protein, vegetables, and a starch like noodles, rice, or potatoes. 

One of the most popular forms of soto is soto ayam, which is Indonesia's version of a comforting chicken noodle soup. It typically features shredded chicken, rice noodles, and a hard-boiled egg in chicken broth flavored with turmeric and coriander. Toppings can include crispy fried shallots, bean sprouts, potato chips, and a squeeze of lime. 

Soto Medan comes from Medan in Sumatra, and is similar to soto ayam but includes coconut milk in the broth. Soto Betawi is popular in Jakarta and features slow-cooked beef in a creamy coconut-based broth. Some soto can only be found in specific towns or even specific food stalls, which makes seeking it out all the more fun.

Next up on Indonesia's list of officially recognized national dishes is gado gado, a medley of vegetables tossed in a sweet, savory, and spicy peanut sauce. The name translates to "mix-mix," which is pretty much what you do with all the ingredients. Although recipes vary, it often includes blanched potatoes, green beans, cabbage, mung bean sprouts, and hard-boiled eggs. Some people also add tofu or tempeh, a meat substitute made with fermented soy beans. Accoutrements can include krupuk (crispy crackers), rice, or steamed rice cakes.

Gado gado has several things going for it. First off, it's nutritious and vegetarian-friendly. It's also flavorful and filling. The peanut sauce is what really takes this salad beyond your usual plate of veggies though. The sauce gets its richness and kick from ingredients like roasted peanuts, shallots, garlic, chiles, palm sugar, tamarind, and lime juice. Gado gado is ubiquitous across Indonesia. You can find it at street food stalls, markets, and restaurants. It's also pretty easy to make at home with any vegetables you have on hand. Homemade peanut sauce will taste best, but you can use store-bought peanut sauce if you're crunched for time.

Rendang is one of Indonesia's most iconic national dishes and a shining example of how Indonesians took inspiration from a foreign cooking technique and transformed into something utterly unique. The dish comes from West Sumatra, but many believe its roots lie in the curries that Indian traders introduced to the region. Like curry, rendang features meat cooked in a spice-laden coconut-milk sauce. However, unlike many curries, rendang is cooked low and slow until the sauce is ultra-thick and dark brown and the meat is tender enough to shred.

Rendang is typically made with beef, although it sometimes features water buffalo meat. The meat is braised in coconut milk and a variety of spices and aromatics like onion, garlic, galangal, ginger, turmeric, star anise, chiles, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves. The slow cooking process and spices tenderize the meat and add flavor, and also help to preserve it. Rendang is often served at special events like weddings and Eid Al-Fitr (the end of Ramadan), although you can find it at restaurants year-round.

Street food is a way of life in Indonesia. Whether you're in a tiny town or a bustling metropolis like Jakarta, you'll find vendors peddling tasty eats on push carts, at roadside stalls, and in markets. Martabak is one of the most popular snacks you can grab on the go. It's basically thin fried dough similar to roti that's stuffed with ingredients like ground chicken or beef, eggs, green onions, and cilantro. The dough is folded over the filling several times, fried in oil until golden brown and crispy, and cut into squares. It's often served with whole chile peppers and pickled veggies.

Many martabak vendors also sell a sweet version of the dish called martabak manis or terang bulan. It's made with a batter that's fried in oil until it turns into a thick pancake. It's slathered with margarine and topped with a variety of fillings including sweetened condensed milk, chocolate sprinkles, bananas, and peanuts, then folded over and sliced. One popular way to eat terang bulan is with margarine, chocolate sprinkles, and grated white cheese. It may sound odd, but I can attest that the chocolate-cheese combo actually works surprisingly well.

Given that Indonesia is an island nation, it should come as no surprise that seafood features in a multitude of dishes. Pepes ikan is one of my favorite because it's fragrant, ultra-flavorful, and visually appealing to boot. Ikan means "fish" and pepes refers to the technique of cooking food in banana leaves. The banana leaves keep the fish moist and infuse it with subtle earthy, green flavors. The leaves also trap the marinade so you don't lose any of the spices or sauce.

Pepes ikan is typically made with mild white fish like tilapia or red snapper. The fish is coated in a spice paste that includes shallots, candlenuts, lemongrass, chiles, tomatoes, shrimp paste, tamarind, turmeric, coriander, and galangal. It's then wrapped in banana leaves that are sealed on both ends with bamboo skewers or toothpicks. The parcels are grilled over charcoal or baked in the oven until the fish is tender and cooked through. Pepes ikan is often served with rice, veggies like steamed kangkung (water spinach), and sambal. 

At first glance, es cendol may look slightly shocking with its bright green bits of jelly floating in a milky concoction. However, give it a try and you'll find a sweet, creamy, and refreshing treat that's perfect for beating the heat in Indonesia's tropical climate. It consists of coconut milk, palm sugar syrup, and small gummy worm-like pieces of jelly that are made with mung bean flour, naturally colored and flavored with pandanus leaves. What you get is a delightful combination of sweet, nutty, grassy flavors and slightly chewy textures.

Historians believe that es cendol originated on the island of Java over 400 years ago. It subsequently spread across Indonesia and to neighboring countries like Singapore and Malaysia. In Indonesia, you can find it at street-side stalls, roaming food carts, and even trendy cafes that put their own spin on the dish. It's traditionally served in a tall glass or bowl with a spoon and can include extras like jackfruit or red beans for added texture and flavor.  You may also see it called dawet, which just means the jelly is made with rice flour instead of mung bean flour.

One Indonesian dish that I believe doesn't get the hype it deserves is gudeg. That may be because it's pretty hard to find outside of its birthplace of Yogyakarta. This sweet and savory stew is made with young jackfruit that's cooked for hours with coconut milk, palm sugar, and aromatic spices. You might think that fruit would be an odd choice for a stew, but young jackfruit is mild and soaks up other flavors well. When it cooks, it takes on a shredded texture much like pulled pork, which is why many people use it as a substitute for barbecue meat.

Explore the streets of Yogyakarta (or Jogja as it's called by locals) and you'll find gudeg sold at all sorts of dining establishments including food stalls, markets, and restaurants. In some spots it's served wet and in other places it's cooked down more so that the stew is almost dry. Gudeg is often served with rice, opor ayam (coconut chicken), and hard-boiled eggs, and some people add tofu or tempeh. You might also find it accompanied by sambal goreng krecek, which is beef skin cooked in a fiery sauce.

Few dishes are as synonymous with Indonesian street food culture as bakso, the country's beloved meatball soup. You can find bakso vendors all over Indonesia, typically selling it from push carts called kaki lima (the name means "five legs" and alludes to the three legs of the cart and two legs of the vendor). As they move through neighborhoods and busy streets, the vendors announce their arrival by tapping a spoon against a bowl to make a familiar "ting-ting" sound. Hungry patrons can sidle up and order bowls of the soup served from a large pot on the cart.

Bakso is the ultimate comfort food. It typically consists of small beef or chicken meatballs in a savory broth with mustard greens and yellow rice noodles or rice vermicelli. Most vendors offer sauces like kecap manis and sambal for patrons who want to add more flavor. Some will also include toppings like fried shallots or chiles. You can also find bakso meatballs sold on their own. There are tons of varieties across the archipelago, including bakso ikan made with fish, basko telur with eggs inside the meatballs, and huge bakso the size of tennis balls.

Rounding out the list of officially recognized national dishes of Indonesia is satay (also spelled "sate"). Brought to Southeast Asia by Arab traders, the dish consists of skewered meat that's cooked over hot coals. In Indonesia, you can often find satay vendors set up on street corners with tiny grills that billow fragrant smoke into the air as the meat sizzles over the coals. Satay is also sold everywhere from small warungs to high-end restaurants.

Popular types of satay include chicken, beef, and goat. The smoky, grilled skewers of meat are often served with spicy peanut sauce and sometimes compressed rice cakes. Some regions also have their own specialties. For example, in Bali you can try sate lilit, which consists of minced seafood mixed with spices, wrapped around a bamboo stick or a stalk of lemongrass. In West Sumatra, the go-to is sate padang, which includes beef or ox tongue skewers served with a spicy red or yellow sauce. If you're in the city of Solo on the island of Java, you can try sate buntel, which consists of minced spiced mutton pressed into sausage forms around skewers.

Rich, aromatic, and deeply spiced, gulai is a type of curry that's popular across Indonesia. As mentioned, Indian traders first introduced curry to the region centuries ago. However, Indonesia's version differs from many Indian curries in that it often features local ingredients like kaffir lime leaves and galangal. Gulai typically includes meat, seafood, or vegetables cooked in coconut milk-based sauce infused with turmeric, lemongrass, and aromatic spices like cinnamon and cardamom. It can be gently cooked to create a thin sauce or simmered for longer to thicken it up. It's usually served with rice to help soak up all the sauce.

Like many Indonesian dishes, gulai comes in several forms. One of the most popular types is gulai ayam, or chicken curry. It's often made with chicken leg quarters simmered in a creamy spice-infused coconut milk sauce. It's so popular that McDonald's offers it as a special menu item around Ramadan. Meanwhile, gulai daun singkong is a staple at Padang food restaurants, where customers can pick and choose from an array of dishes displayed on plates. It features cassava leaves cooked in a spicy coconut curry sauce. Other varieties of gulai are made with goat, snapper, and jackfruit.

While vegetarian travelers may have a hard time finding good eats in many meat-centric countries around the world, Indonesia offers a smorgasbord of tasty plant-based dishes. One of those is urap, a blanched vegetable salad with a spiced, grated coconut dressing. It comes from the island of Java and is often part of tumpeng, a celebratory spread served at birthdays and other special occasions. Tumpeng typically includes a cone of rice surrounded by a variety of side dishes. Urap is also popular on the neighboring island of Bali.

Although recipes for urap vary, common ingredients include spinach, kangkung (water spinach), long beans, mung bean sprouts, and carrots. The vegetables are blanched, then tossed or topped with a dressing made of freshly grated coconut, tamarind paste, chili paste, and palm sugar. Some people also add terasi (shrimp paste). It looks like a relatively simple dish but the flavors are complex. You get freshness from the vegetables, tartness from the tamarind, a hit of heat from the chiles, and earthy sweetness from the coconut.

Whenever I would take road trips around Bali, one of my favorite things to do was make at least one stop at a pecel lele restaurant. These tarp-covered restaurants line roadsides all over the island and they're easily recognizable by their huge banners that feature pictures of the dishes they sell, like chicken, duck, and lele (catfish). You simply grab a seat at the communal table, tell the cook what you want, and they will cook your meal to order right in front of you.

Pecel lele is catfish that's marinated and deep-fried until the meat is tender and the skin is crispy. It's often served with rice and spicy sambal. Sometimes it comes with a medley of raw vegetables called lalapan that can include sliced cucumber, long beans, and cabbage. If you want to eat pecel lele in true Indonesian fashion, use your hands to tear apart the crispy fish and mix it with your rice and sambal. Like in other cultures where eating by hand is the norm, there are certain etiquette rules to follow. The main one is to only use your right hand to touch your food, because the left hand is typically reserved for bathroom business.