Rawon is a unique Indonesian dish with origins in East Java. This flavorful soup is usually made with slow-braised beef and other traditional Indonesian ingredients such as lime leaves, lemongrass, ginger, and chili. However, the key element is buah kluwek, the Indonesian black nut.
This unusual Indonesian spice is highly toxic when raw, and always needs to be fermented before consumption. It is ground with other ingredients and spices, giving the dish its earthy and sour taste and the unique dark black color. The origin of the dish is believed to be the city of Surabaya, the capital of East Java.
MOST ICONIC Rawon
View moreSoto Lamongan is a beloved Indonesian chicken soup that originates from Lamongan, a city in East Java. What makes soto Lamongan unique is its clear, fragrant broth infused with turmeric, and most notably, the addition of "koya" — a finely ground topping made from fried garlic and shrimp crackers (krupuk udang).
Koya is sprinkled generously over the soup just before serving, adding a deliciously salty, umami crunch that elevates the entire dish. The soup itself is made by simmering chicken in a broth flavored with spices like garlic, shallots, coriander, turmeric, galangal, and lemongrass.
MOST ICONIC Soto Lamongan
View moreAs its name suggests, bakwan Malang is an Indonesian dish that originated in the city of Malang, and it is closely associated with bakso - another well-known Indonesian meatball soup. Both bakso and bakwan Malang derive from the Indonesian-Chinese culinary tradition, and since Indonesia is predominantly a Muslim country, the meatballs are usually made with beef or chicken.
The two dishes share some similarities, but bakwan Malang is characterized by the addition of fried wontons (bakwan). Although it consists of common and inexpensive ingredients, the dish combines typical Indonesian flavors that are enjoyed both by locals and tourists.
MOST ICONIC Bakwan malang
Tahu campur is a traditional dish originating from East Java. Although there is a number of variations on it, this soup is usually prepared with a combination of beef broth, fried tofu, green salad, bean sprouts, egg noodles, sambal petis (bird’s eye chili peppers and dried shrimp paste), spiced fried cassava (lentho), garlic crackers (krupuk bawang), and a spice paste containing garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and black pepper.
When served, the broth is usually garnished with fried garlic, fried shallots, and krupuk bawang garlic crackers. This dish is often prepared and sold by street cart vendors in East Java.
MOST ICONIC Tahu campur
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