Contrary to popular belief, travelling as a vegetarian in Indonesia poses few or no problems, if you know what to ask for.
Compiled by Ari Fajar
As meats are considered a luxury for most Indonesians, there’s a wide variety of non-meat dishes, which guarantees that vegetarians can eat very well in the country. Of course dishes vary from one place to another, but here are some dishes that you can find in most provinces, albeit with different names:
1. Gado-gado
Gado-gado CC BY-SA 2.0 Alpha
Simply put, gado-gado, lotek, karedok, ketoprak and pecel are Indonesian salads with either cooked and uncooked ingredients such as potatoes, cucumbers and beansprouts, firm beancurds and rice cakes, drenched with creamy, sweet, sour and spicy peanut dressing, and topped with crunchy chips, creating a delicious medley of textures.
Some versions include shrimp paste but you can always ask the vendor not to include it. Also, some gado-gado are paired with emping melinjo (Gnetum gnemon nut chips), but others with kerupuk udang (shrimp crackers). Lotek is usually with kerupuk aci (sago crackers). Pecel can either go with rempeyek kedelai (soybean cracker), rempeyek kacang (peanut cracker) or rempeyek teri (anchovy cracker). Confused? You’re not on your own, even us Indonesians can get confused by all these as well. The key is to ask.
2. Kupat Sayur / Kupat Tahu
Lontong CC BY-SA 2.0 Alpha
Both ketupat, also known as kupat and tipat (rice wrapped in woven palm leaf pouch) and lontong (compressed rice in banana leaf cylinder) are popular for breakfast dishes in many places around Indonesia, usually lightly seasoned and vegetarian-friendly. There are two famous breakfast rice dumplings: kupat sayur, rice cakes in coconut milk stew with chayote and unripe jackfruit; and kupat tahu, rice cake and tofu in dark, thick sauce made of peanut and fermented soybean paste.
Some versions have shrimp paste and/or dried shrimp in them. There are also non-vegetarian types of cracker/chip.
3. Urab
Anyang Minang CC BY-SA 3.0 Ramzy Muliawan
What makes or breaks an urab (sometimes spelled urap) is the freshly grated coconut simmered with spices, which then mixed with steamed vegetables such as cabbage, long bean, cassava leaf, and water spinach. In some regions, torch ginger is added to give it a fresh tang. You’ll find urab called by many other names like kuluban, lawar, godangan, and anyang.
In Bali, locals prefer their lawar with chicken or pig’s blood. They don’t usually add this special ingredient for non-Balinese, but it is better to ask to make sure that it is not included.
4. Asinan
Asinan CC BY-ND 2.0 .angels.
Asinan is produced by preserving fruits and/or vegetables through the process of brining or vinegaring, not unlike Korean kimchi. The ingredients are carrot, pineapple, young papaya, jicama, and mustard green, doused with a red sauce that tastes refreshingly sweet, sour and spicy. Best served on a hot day, it can even be served cold with ice cubes. Note that some versions include dried shrimp powder.
5. Pepes
Pepes CC BY 2.0 Kars Alfrink
Pepes (pais, pelasan, brengkes, palai, and payeh in different Indonesian languages) refers to a cooking method where you wrap the ingredient in banana leaf and then either steam, grill, or boil it. While fish and chicken are common, there are enough non-meat varieties to make any vegetarian happy. Favourites include tofu, tempeh, mushroom, banana, and even fermented durian.
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