Indonesian cuisine · The table

The Indonesian table

An Indonesian meal is rendang with rice, or nasi goreng as the leftover night — satay is the stick, gado-gado is a lunch of its own.

Beef rendang is a celebration stew, dry and dark, eaten with rice. Nasi goreng is fried leftover rice with kecap, krupuk, a pickle. Satay is street meat with peanut sauce and lontong or rice. Gado-gado is a peanut-sauce salad lunch.

The inherited table is many dishes around rice on a feast day. The newer table is one wok of fried rice.

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How it looks

The rendang table

Dark beef, a mound of rice, sambal on the side.

The inherited feast is rendang cooked down until the coconut almost disappears. Rice. Sambal. Other dishes can join on a holiday. Fried rice cannot.

How it looks

The nasi goreng night

A wok of fried rice, krupuk, acar.

Nasi goreng with a fried egg and krupuk.

The newer night is leftover rice in a hot wok. A fried egg if you want. Krupuk. Pickle. The rendang pot is for the feast.

How it is served

The order of the room

Rendang wants rice. Fried rice is another clock. Satay and gado-gado can stand alone.

A Lebaran table can hold rendang and other dishes around rice — that is a feast of many, still with rice as the center. Do not also serve nasi goreng as a second starch.

Nasi goreng is a night or a breakfast of leftovers. Satay can be a snack. Gado-gado is lunch, not a side salad under rendang.

Bring it home