The reason why is Indonesian food so delicious because Indonesian food is based on fresh spices. It truly is a huge contributing factor as to why Indonesian cuisine is so flavorful and exciting to eat.
As I was about to dig into a plate of Nasi Padang, I look at the list of food below and notice the fresh herbs and multitude of spices used in Indonesian cooking.
There is actually more to Indonesian food than Nasi Goreng. Yes, you heard me right. There is so much to Indonesian cuisine. One of them is Nasi Padang and Rendang.
Nasi Padang
One of the most famous meals to be associated with Indonesia is Nasi Padang, a mix of rice and side dishes, originally from the Padang in western Sumatra. Padang food is known for being flavored with fresh curry pastes that include ingredients like galangal, turmeric, kaffir lime leaves, garlic, shallots, and lots of herbs, combined with rich curries and coconut milk.
There are two main ways Nasi Padang is served.
First, if you go to a small food stall, you’ve typically dished a plate of rice and can choose from the variety of different dishes available which are places on top of your individual plate (it’s called pesan in Indonesian).
Second, if you go to a more established indoor Nasi Padang restaurant they will serve you about 20 different dishes on your table, and you pick and choose the dishes you want, only paying for the dishes you eat (this is called hidang).
On my first trip to Sumatra back, I had a meal of Nasi Padang, and the To this day, Nasi Padang remains one of my favorite meals.
Rendang
When CNN took a survey to come up with the world’s best foods, Indonesian rendang is the dish that took the number 1 spot. Rendang is truly an outstandingly delicious Indonesian food.
Often made with beef, rendang is a dish that originates in the western part of Sumatra from the Minangkabau people, and is commonly served at Nasi Padang restaurants. Rendang is popular across Indonesia and also in Malaysia and Singapore.
Rendang literally means dry curry, rendang is a really popular dish in Indonesia that is actually a dry beef stew. It is originated from Minangkabau (or also known as Padang) in West Sumatra.
There are two main variations of rendang, one that’s quite dry (this is supposedly the original authentic version), with all the spices coated onto the meat, and another that has more of a curry gravy sauce to it. Both are fantastic, depending on your preference; I don’t think I can pick a favorite.
In order to make rendang, spices like cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, and dry chilies, garlic, and shallots are cooked with the meat. Where the recipes differ from other curries is that one of the key ingredients is desiccated coconut, which gives the rendang curry a grainy texture of the dry coconut, mixed with all the incredible spice flavors.
That is why it is either called Rendang Padang or Rendang
Minangkabau.
Rendang is basically meat, normally beef but sometimes liver, chicken, goat, or other meats, would be cooked in coconut milk and spices until dry resulting in an intense concoction of taste and texture.
It is one of the best food in the world, try it to believe it!
