Indonesian dishes are well-known contain strong spices that make them have a unique taste. The tradition to make spices dishes exist for a long time ago. That makes spices becomes an important part of most type of Indonesian dishes.
Most Indonesian love every dish that contains at least three kinds of spices in their cooking. Speaking of it, this time we will bring you into the most common spices in Indonesian dishes that you can find it everywhere.
Let’s see some of the spices lists below that you can easily find in most Indonesian dishes. Check them out below!
1. Garlic and Shallot
Garlic and shallot become the most important spices in Indonesian dishes. Both of them become one of the united spices that have to be there in every dish that you cook. Indonesian call them the basic spices that should be put on every dish.
Garlic and shallot become the most popular spices that give your dishes the best flavor. You can mix or grind them with salt using the Cobek as the Indonesian traditional kitchen tools. Or simply cutting them smoothly before stirred on the first step of your cooking. The strong flavor of them becomes the most favorite flavor in Indonesian dishes.
2. Chilli Pepper
Most Indonesian love spicy food that you can easily find chili pepper on Indonesian dishes. Indonesian local Chilli pepper becomes the most favorite spices for Indonesian dishes to give them a stronger taste of the food.
There are so many variants of Indonesian chili pepper with a different level of spiciness. Commonly, people using it as the main sauce or just some garnish on the side of the dish. But, most Indonesian love it to eat directly as the sauce that combines with the salt, garlic, and shallot.
3. Pepper
Pepper has a strong taste that will gives you a warm feeling once you taste it on the dish. That makes Indonesian loves this kind of spices that gives a stronger taste to their food. Even though it has a bitter taste and spicy, but Indonesian love it the most while it mix on some Indonesian dishes.
You can find pepper in some Indonesian soup, chicken spices, Soto, and many more. Not only gives you a stronger taste in your food, but pepper also gives you a warmer feeling on your stomach.
4. Ginger
Ginger becomes one of the most common spices in Indonesian dishes that you can find in some coconut milk dishes. Indonesian also use ginger on some stirred fried dishes that will give you a little spicy taste but capable to warm your body. You can also find it on some porridge that has a delicious taste.
Ginger is not only found on some Indonesian dishes but also in some Indonesian drink. Wedang Jahe becomes the most popular drink on Javanese tribe outside using it as the basic spices.
5. Galangal
Galangal becomes one of the most common spices in Indonesian dishes that popular to put in some vegetable tamarind, stir-fried, or even some dish that contain coconut milk. You can easily found it at Chicken Opor as the most popular Indonesian food that only comes in Eid al Fitri.
Galangal has a stronger taste with a bitter taste such as the common spices in Indonesia. Commonly, Indonesian use it on some dishes that contain coconut milk to neutralize the taste. Some people claim it healthier while you put some galangal on their dishes.
6. Turmeric
Turmeric is one of the most common spices in Indonesia that quite popular in most of the Indonesian region. Commonly they will put it on some dishes that contain coconut milk or even rice. Nasi Kuning becomes the most favorable Indonesian staple food that contains turmeric inside.
Not only good for spices in some Indonesian dishes, but turmeric also use for traditional drinks. Indonesian call it the Jamu drink that has so many benefits for health, once you drank it regularly.
7. Lemongrass
Lemongrass becomes one of the most common spices in Indonesian dishes that perfectly mix with galangal or turmeric. It will gives you the most balancing taste and flavor on your dishes so that it has a perfect taste to eat.
You can find lemongrass in some Indonesian famous main dishes that contain coconut milk and stir-fried. It will give the best flavor while put on your dishes such as meat, chicken, or another stirred fried.
8. Bay Leaf
Bay leaf becomes one of the most common spices in Indonesian dishes that gives the best flavor on them. It has a strong flavor that smells perfectly good, which capable of rising your appetizing.
You can easily find a bay leaf on some Indonesian dishes such as Lodeh, Opor, Indonesian stir-fried, or even rice. It will bring the mothering feel once you smell them on some Indonesian dishes that you cook.
9. Coriander
Coriander becomes one of the most common spices in Indonesian dishes that you can find it everywhere. It is popular with the basic spices that commonly grind with some salt, garlic, and shallot.
Coriander brings the most delicious flavor that perfect to put on Indonesian dishes. Commonly, people use it for fried food such as fried Tempe, chicken, fish, and many more. It will gives the most delicious taste that combine perfectly with the crisp texture of the food.
So, there are some of the most common spices in Indonesian dishes that capable of rising your appetize once you smell them. Which spices that become your favorite?
