🤯 Vegan Indonesian food that will blow yer' mind!

I've spent several winters in Indonesia, especially in Bali where my guru has an Ashram. Plant-based Indonesian food is so freaking full of flavor, that you are gonna be making sambal tempeh on the regs.

From iconic Mie Goreng, to street food classics like Martabak Manis, these are the recipes that have influenced my cooking most from this remarkable Southeast Asian culinary universe.

My Most Popular Indonesian Recipes

Important Indonesian Condiments

Indonesian Rice Recipes

My Most Popular Indonesian Desserts

🤷‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions on Indonesian Food

What are the five national Indonesian dishes?

According to the government (yep, they made it official 🙄), these are the five crowned kings of Indonesian cuisine:

Soto (especially soto ayam)
Rendang (a slow-cooked spicy beef dish)
Nasi goreng (fried rice, but way more exciting than it sounds)
Satay with peanut sauce
Gado-gado (because vegetables + peanut sauce = instant win)

These Indonesian dishes show up on tables from homes to roadside restaurants, and they all hit different in the best way. The thing is, since my site is vegan, I am sharing with you veganized versions because I am 100% not gonna turn a cow into rendang, that's word to your mother.

Is fried rice the most common dish in Indonesia?

Most Indonesian food starts with nasi (rice) and builds from there. Whether it's nasi goreng (aka fried rice), soto ayam (a fragrant chicken soup), or street-style mie ayam (chicken noodles), Indonesian cuisine is all about flavor, balance, and comfort. You'll find peanut sauce playing a major role too, especially in gado-gado, the country's famous veggie salad. Don't freak out though, the recipes I share contain no chicken, fish, egg, or animal products of any kind!

What is Indonesia's signature dish?

Ask anyone on the street, and they'll probably say nasi goreng. Nasi means rice, and goreng means fried. This iconic fried rice is customizable, comforting, and found everywhere from high-end cafes to warung stalls. It's usually made with medium grain white rice, but it's also pretty bangin' with jasmine rice.

Is Indonesian cuisine similar to Thai food?

These cooking style share some similar DNA, like chili heat, herbs, and layers of flavor, but Indonesian food tends to be richer, more savory, and heavier on coconut and fermented stuff. While Thai recipes love lime, basil and fish sauce, Indonesian cuisine leans on tamarind, peanut sauce, and spice pastes. Thai dishes often go sweet-sour, while Indonesian dishes hit with spice and depth.

Honestly, I think Indonesian and Malaysian recipes have wayyyy more in common.