The start of summer may still be a little while away, but with the first sunny days of spring making a (welcome) appearance, you might have found yourself dreaming about jetting off on holiday over the next couple of months.

In the meantime, however, you don’t need to jump on a plane to get a taste of adventure, thanks to a new cookbook by the award-winning Indonesian chef, writer, entrepreneur and philanthropist Petty Pandean-Elliott. 

Her new cookbook – aptly titled The Indonesian Table – provides a crash course in Indonesian cuisine, focusing on the unique food traditions of eight regions across the country. 

This is no mean feat. As an archipelago of 17,000 islands with 700 languages, three different time zones and six major religions, Indonesia’s food culture is as varied and diverse as the people who live there. 

Influences from Arabic, Indian, European and Chinese cuisine come together to create a truly unique culinary landscape, which has been shaped by external factors such as the physical landscape and trading history. 

But with 150 accessible recipes interspersed with Pandean-Elliott’s own culinary journeys throughout Indonesia, The Indonesian Table offers an exciting glimpse of the variety which makes Indonesia so special.  

“With this book, I hope readers enjoy discovering the food culture of my homeland through the tastes, aromas and textures of the local cuisine,” Pandean-Elliott says. “Indonesian cooking is a celebration of diversity and all about layering flavours to create good food for the body and soul.”

Below, we’ve included three recipes from the book, all of which make use of traditional Indonesian ingredients. Get ready to learn more about the incredible flavours Indonesian cuisine has to offer.

Terong Saos Kacang Kanari Pedas

Pandean-Elliott says: “Pili nuts are similar to almonds but with a richer, creamier taste. They are plentiful in Maluku, a province comprised of nearly a thousand islands. The province was once known as the Moluccas or The Spice Islands, a historic trading hub for the visiting merchants from China, India and, later, Medieval Europe.

“One of the best places to find pili nuts is in the Banda Islands. Known locally as kacang kanari, pili nut trees have a vital function by offering shade for nutmeg, which could only be found in Banda in the sixteenth century. (Seedlings were eventually carried to other countries around the world.)”

Origin: Maluku

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30–35 minutes

Serves 2–4

Ingredients

• 100g/3½ oz (scant 1 cup) natural pili nuts or almonds with skin
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 banana shallot, finely chopped
• 2–3 red bird’s eye chillies, sliced
• 1–2 tablespoons lime juice 
• Salt, to taste
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• 2 large aubergines (eggplants)
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Small bunch of basil, leaves only, to garnish
• Steamed rice or Turmeric Coconut Rice (see below), to serve

To make the aubergines (eggplants), preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7. Using a sharp knife, cut the aubergine into 5-cm/2-inch pieces. Place in a roasting pan, drizzle with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30–35 minutes until soft.

To make the sauce, place the pili nuts on a baking sheet and roast on the lowest rack of the oven for 10–12 minutes. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and sauté for 2–3 minutes until fragrant. Add the chillies and sauté for another 2–3 minutes. Set aside.

In a blender, combine the pili nuts, garlic mixture and 200 ml/7 fl oz (generous 3⁄4 cup) of water and blend until thick and smooth. If necessary, add a little water. Transfer to a bowl, then add the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the aubergines to a large serving plate and drizzle with the sauce. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with rice.

Turmeric Coconut Rice (Nasi Kuning)

Origin: Throughout Indonesia

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4–5 makrut lime leaves, torn
• 1 stalk lemongrass, crushed and tied into a knot
• 1 pandan leaf, tied into a knot
• 20g/3⁄4 oz fresh turmeric, peeled and grated, or 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 300g/10½ oz (11⁄4 cups) short-grain or jasmine rice, well rinsed
• 200ml/7 fl oz (generous 3⁄4 cup) coconut milk

Place the fresh turmeric in 7 tablespoons of water. Mix well, then strain into a small bowl. (Alternatively, combine ground turmeric and water and mix well.) This is your turmeric extract. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients. Pour in 200 ml/7 fl oz (generous 3⁄4 cup) of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 15 minutes and stir occasionally until the water has evaporated. Cover, reduce the heat to low and set aside for 20 minutes.

Remove the lemongrass, pandan and lime leaves before serving.

Sayur Lodeh

Pandean-Elliott says: “This simple and delicate Javanese curry is said to have once been part of the feast within local cultural ceremonies. These days, it is the ultimate source of comfort – hearty soul food without the chilli heat seen in so many of our other dishes.

“Vegetables such as unripe jackfruit, young fern, bamboo shoots and moringa leaves are widely used in the traditional recipe, but most vegetables will work. This delicious version features aubergine (eggplant), pumpkin, spinach and green beans.”

Origin: Java

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 quantity White Spice Paste (see below)
• 400g/14 oz pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into 1.5-cm/5⁄8-inch cubes
• 3 makrut lime leaves, torn
• 2 salam leaves or bay leaves (optional)
• 1 long stalk lemongrass, crushed and tied into a knot
• 400ml/14 fl oz (12⁄3 cups) coconut milk
• 1 (300g/10½ oz) aubergine (eggplant), cut into 1.5-cm/ 5⁄8-inch cubes
• ½ teaspoon salt

Variations

• 100g/3½ oz French or runner beans, cut into 5-cm/2-inch segments
• 50g/13⁄4 oz (12⁄3 cups) spinach 
• Steamed brown rice, to serve (optional)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the spice paste and cook for 4–5 minutes until fragrant. Add the pumpkin, lime leaves, salam leaves, if using, and lemongrass. Pour in half of the coconut milk and 400 ml/14 fl oz (12⁄3 cups) of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the aubergine (eggplant) and salt, then cover and simmer for 15–17 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Add the green beans and the remaining coconut milk and simmer for 3–4 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute. Season to taste with salt.

Serve with steamed rice, if you like. 

White Spice Paste (Bumbu Putih)

This foundational recipe is the basis for the spice pastes in the book.

Makes about 100 g/3½ oz (½ cup)

Ingredients

• 2 candlenuts or macadamia nuts, coarsely ground (optional)
• 2–3 tablespoons coconut oil or sunflower oil
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2–3 small banana shallots, sliced
• 20g/3⁄4 oz fresh root ginger, sliced
• 10g/1⁄4 oz galangal, thinly sliced

If using the candlenuts, heat a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the candlenuts and dry-roast for 3–4 minutes. Transfer the candlenuts to a plate.

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend into a smooth paste. It is now ready for use in a recipe. 

Laksa Tempe Bogor

Pandean-Elliott says: “The people of West Java were never ones to waste food, and this Bogor laksa is traditionally prepared with grilled oncom, a beautiful orange fermented soy product from this region. Visiting my uncle in Bogor was always a treat, a time to enjoy this laksa with combro, a fried snack made with grated cassava, oncom, chillies and basil.

“This laksa is often prepared with chicken, but I’ve opted to use tempeh to keep this dish strictly vegetarian. The broth, beautifully golden from turmeric, lemongrass and lime leaves, is equally fortifying and delicious.”

Origin: Java

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 10 minutes marinating time

Cooking time: 35–40 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the spice blend:

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon white peppercorns

For the laksa:

• Salt, to taste
• 250g/9 oz tempeh, cut into 1-cm/1⁄2-inch-thick slices
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil
• ½ quantity Yellow Spice Paste (see below)
• 3 green cardamom pods, slightly crushed
• 4 makrut lime leaves, torn
• 1 stalk lemongrass, crushed and tied into a knot
• 600ml/20 fl oz (2½ cups) coconut milk
• 1–2 tablespoons coconut sugar (optional)
• 200g/7 oz dried rice noodles 
• Handful of basil
• Juice of 1 lime
• Boiled Sambal (see below), to serve

For the toppings:

• 2–4 eggs
• 50 g/13⁄4 oz (1⁄4 cup) bean sprouts
• 2 tablespoons Crispy Shallots

To make the spice blend, dry-roast the spices in a small frying pan over medium heat for 4–5 minutes. Leave to cool slightly. Transfer to a pestle and mortar and grind to a fine powder. Set aside.

For the laksa, put ½ teaspoon of the spice blend into a medium bowl. Add 100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (scant 1⁄2 cup) of water and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and mix well. Add the tempeh, stir to coat and marinate for 10 minutes. Heat a griddle pan over high heat. Working in batches, add the tempeh and grill for 2–3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining tempeh, then cut into 1-cm/1⁄2-inch cubes.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the yellow spice paste and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the remaining spice blend, cardamom and half of the tempeh. Mix well and cook for 1 minute. Add the lime leaves and lemongrass. Pour in the coconut milk and 300ml/10 fl oz (11⁄4 cups) of water. Season with coconut sugar, if using, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the eggs into a small saucepan of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Drain, then transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. When cool enough to handle, peel the eggs and halve them. Prepare the dried noodles according to the package directions. Drain, then transfer to a bowl of cold water. Drain again, then set aside.

Discard the lime leaves. Add half of the basil and the lime juice to the broth and cook for 1 minute. Season to taste. Divide the noodles into 4 bowls. Ladle 2–3 spoons of hot broth into each bowl. Top with eggs, grilled tempeh, bean sprouts, crispy shallots and the remaining basil. Serve with boiled sambal.

Yellow Spice Paste (Bumbu Kuning)

Pandean-Elliott says: “Turmeric will change the flavour and colour of white and red basic pastes. You can create a mild yellow spice paste by omitting the chillies entirely, but it won’t have the same impactful flavour or colour.”

Makes 115g/4 oz (generous ½ cup)

Ingredients

• 1 quantity White Spice Paste (see above)
• 4–6 red bird’s eye chillies, coarsely chopped
• 2 large red chillies, coarsely chopped
• 15g/½ oz fresh turmeric or 1–2 teaspoons ground turmeric

Combine all the ingredients in a small blender and blend into a smooth paste. 

Boiled Sambal (Sambal Remus)

Pandean-Elliott says: “This sambal makes a good condiment for soto, meatballs, rice porridge or noodle soups.”

Makes 100ml/3½ fl oz (scant ½ cup)

Ingredients

• 2–3 red bird’s eye chillies
• 1 large red chilli
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon sugar 
• Salt

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the chillies, garlic and sugar and boil for 6–8 minutes, until softened. Reserve 4 tablespoons of the water, then drain. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. If needed, add the reserved water to loosen the mixture to the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt. 

The Indonesian Table by Petty Pandean-Elliott (£24.95, Phaidon) is out now

Photography: Yuki Sugiura