Many vegetarians have a misconception about Asian countries as they feel that these countries are all about animals and insects and seafood and therefore carry packaged food from home. Here we shall bust that thought process as Indonesia for starters has a huge number of vegetarian dishes to satisfy your soul! Here is a list that will convince you to drop those packets of food right now!
Gado-Gado
This is a popular Indonesia salad made of vegetables which consists of sliced deep-fried tofu and tempeh (fragmented soybeans) with boiled, blanched or steamed vegetables like potato, cucumber, bean sprouts, spinach, string beans, cabbage, lettuce and the list can go on. As for the dressing, a lot of peanut sauce is used. The sauce is made from ground fried peanut, chilli, salt, lime juice and leaves, water, palm sugar and sweet soy sauce. This dish is usually served withlontong (rice wrapped in banana leaf), cracker (kerupuk), emping (fried crackers, made from melinjo or gnetum gnemon) with fried shallots sprinkled on top.
Tempeh Goreng/Sambal
This dish is basically evolved as a cheap way of adding protein to a meal. Tempeh is mostly soybeans compressed into the shape of a bar which is then sliced into strips and fried until it darkens. It has a nutty taste. It is so tasty that sometimes people just fry it until it is crisp and then served with chilli paste to give it some kick.
Nasi Padang
Originated in the Padang area of West Sumatra, this dish is a combination or a thali as we Indians call it wherein you will be served a plate of white rice and a selection of smaller dishes - almost 20- will be brought to your table. Vegetarians can spot what is not meat and stick to what they like. Some of the veggie highlights of a Padang restaurant are dishes likeDaun singkong which are cooked cassava leaves and other dishes include telur balado, eggplant (terong) which is cooked with chilli paste, or potato cakes called perkedel. Tofu is also common.
Vegetable Fried Rice
Now, this is a no brainer. This is a dish with fried rice full of vegetables mixed with rice, salt, garlic, chilli and sweet soy sauce. In addition, if you like egg, they will throw in some scrambled egg, crackers and sprinkle it with shallots, depending on how you want it.
Urap
Urap is a vegetarian dish which consists of mix vegetables like long beans, water spinach, bean sprout, carrot, spinach, cabbage, basil, young cassava leaf, papaya leaf, and more. All these vegetables are steamed, sliced and mixed with seasoned and spiced grated coconut for dressing. This coconut is seasoned with garlic, shallot, palm sugar,chilli, salt, tamarind juice, salt, lime leaves and the list can go on. It differs from restaurant to restaurant. Crunchy and delicious this nutritious salad is consumed with rice, cracker, and other foods.
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Gudeg
This dish is a traditional food originally from Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It has a sweet taste and can be considered a vegetarian dish. It is made of unripe jack fruit which is boiled with palm sugar and coconut milk and then mixed with spices like garlic shallot, coriander seed and more. It is usually had with rice and other dishes.
Nasi Uduk
This dish is made from steamed rice which is cooked in coconut milk. It also has pandanus leaves, clove and lemongrass. Nowadays, it is served with fried shallots on the top with egg or shredded omelette, tofu, fried spice potato) etc.
Sayur Asam
Just like Thailand has Tom yam soup, Indonesia hassayur asam. This is a sour vegetable soup which tastes the same as tom yam but both dishes are cooked in a different style. Sayur Asam is made from tamarind based soup add with vegetables and nuts like peanuts, young jack fruit, chayote, melinjo, long beans, corn etc. You are supposed to have it with white rice, Indonesian chilli and other side dishes.
Sayur Lodeh
This is a coconut milk based dish.It is made of jack fruit, squash, tomato, tofu, Tempe, long beans, eggplant, corn,melinjo, bay leaves, galangal and other spices boiled in coconut milk. This is served with white rice.
Nasi Goreng
This is the best-known dish in Indonesia! It is a simple plate of fried rice with various things added to it. It can be cooked with anything! Literally, anything like meat, fish, and seafood in it, keep a purely vegetarian with only vegetables of your choice a fried egg on top. If you want it like that then ask the chef to make โtanpa dagingโ (without meat).
Rujak
Yes, Rujak is a strange concept for some people. It is a fruit and vegetable salad which is served with a thick sauce made of chilli and peanuts.This is made differently in different parts of Indonesia, Everyone gives it their own interesting twist. You will find it in water apple, raw unripe mango, pineapple, cucumber, or sweet potato. It is often eaten more as a snack than as part of the main meal.
Keep checking for this section as we will add in more dishes as we like to experiment with our palettes at HerZindagi and try new things, discover what more can different places give us, especially to satisfy the foodie soul in us.
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