ESL Blogs

Good morning, Robbie and friends,

I'm so sorry for my belated response in this challenge. Since no body posted Indonesian dishes, I will do. :D I hope you won't miss these dishes whenever you visit Indonesia. ^^ [Tourist guide :D ]

1. Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice)

Nasi goreng is the mainstay cuisine of Indonesia. It is so tasty or even spicy. :) Most people (including foreign tourists) like it and commonly every one can make it so that it becomes the cheapest and easiest food to make.

There are various recipes to make this dish. The main ingredient is rice, not a soft. You just need at least: onion, garlic, and chili. Besides, what makes Indonesian fried rice different-tasty is the condiment, i.e. terasi (shrimp sauce/ condiment made from pounded and fermented shrimp or small fish) and/or kemiri (candlenut). Some people may add some other ingredients. All are mashed OR thinly sliced. Saute them for a while in a frying pan and pour one or two plates of rice into it. Keep stirring with frying spatula. Of course it needs a little of salt and sugar (as flavor/MSG). Mostly here you'll find its color is a little dark or red. It is from soy sauce and/or tomato sauce, poured after pouring the rice. I like the spicy one with soy sauce. :) 

Well, in Indonesia you will find we really love all the nutrients are together in one dish. :D Some people like to add some veggies such as carrot, sprout, bean, string bean, etc.. It is not common this dish without egg/ chicken meat/ prawn/ other protein sources on the plate. :D Sometimes, people fry both veggie or protein source (chicken or prawn, small sliced) together with rice. And.......Done! Enjoy your fried rice! ^_^ 

Picture sources: selerasa.com, Indonesian Cuisine

2. Bakso (meatball with soup)

You're probably familiar with this term, 'meatball'. Meatball in Indonesia contains not only meat, but also tapioca (starch extracted from cassava root). This made it rubbery and tender. Together with garlic, white pepper, ice water, salt, and egg, they are ground, shaped ball round and boiled. This is usually served with the specific soup (made of onion, garlic, salt, water, and pepper, tastier mixed with beef rib :)).

When we want to eat, we mostly add noddles in the bowl before pouring the soup. Again,, we don't want to leave veggie in our menu. Sometimes people add mustard or sprout. The last thing before you eat this is adding 'sambal' (made of 100% mashed chili) :D. This made the dish delicious-spicy. :D You can leave it if you don't like. ^^ You can also add soy sauce and/or tomato sauce if you wish.

Despite the complicated making, this is also the most favorite dish for most Indonesian people as well as foreign tourists. You will find many bakso seller in all districts of Indonesia. Now enjoy your lunch with 'bakso'! ^_^

Picture sources: bakso, kuliner

3. Gado-gado (Javanese Salad)

The last, fiuhh. :D The simple healthy food. Why Javanese Salad? Because the main ingredient is veggie (sprout, spring beans, tomato, sometimes carrot, mustard, potato, and/or other green veggies). But the sauce is from peanuts, and some flavors (Too long to explain further :D). Again and again, complete nutrient.:D We usually add lontong (food consisting of rice steamed in a banana leaf), tempe (fermented soybean cake, much protein), tahu (soybean curd) and boiled egg. We usually eat this together with kerupuk (chips made of flour flavored with fish or shrimp). You can choose if you like spicy or not, but mostly Indonesian Food is spicy,, hot.. Now, I feel full. :D 

Picture source: kuliner

"A heart with love can make a good taste of food" ^^

Thank you so much for reading. I'd be glad to have opinions from you. I'm eager to know if there's such dishes in your country. I mean Indonesian food are there. Or you have a similar one. :) Thank you once again.

Have a wonderful December! ^_^