Indonesian recipes: from rendang to fresh tempeh salads

Pecel terong is all about two distinct textures: eggplant with soft, almost creamy flesh and a spicy peanut sauce with a tangy note of tamarind. Charring the skin all around gives the vegetable extra depth.

In this gulai kentang, potatoes cook in a fragrant coconut sauce with ginger, turmeric, chili and lemongrass. Serve the curry with white rice; the potatoes soak up the spiced sauce and stay firm if you let them simmer gently.

In this Indonesian vegetable dish, fresh spinach wilts briefly in a gentle coconut broth with shallot, garlic and the fresh, aromatic flavor of kencur. Serve it as a side dish with rice and something spicy.

In this Java-inspired botok, crumbled tempeh is mixed with coconut, chili and fragrant spices. The banana leaf keeps the filling tender as it steams; a quick turn on the grill adds extra aroma to the wrapping. Serve with rice and green beans.

Soft rice cakes and golden-fried tofu are joined by crunchy bean sprouts, refreshing cucumber and a rich peanut sauce with tamarind and chili. Add the crunchy toppings at the very last minute.

This tahu isi has a thin, golden-brown coating and a juicy filling of cabbage, carrot and bean sprouts. Serve the warm tofu with fresh, spicy sambal rawit.

Thin strips of tempeh are fried until crisp, then coated in a glossy tamarind, palm sugar and chili sauce. Peanuts add extra crunch. Serve this Indonesian side dish with rice and vegetable dishes, and ideally bring it straight to the table.

Golden-brown fried tofu in a thin, soft omelet, with peanut sauce, crunchy bean sprouts and fresh cucumber. Petis udang gives the sauce a savory depth; served with rice, this makes a complete meal.

Gently simmered tempeh takes on a spiced, sweet-savory flavor from gula jawa, ketjap manis, galangal and coriander. Briefly fry the slices afterward for a sticky exterior. Served with a sharp lime sambal, this makes a distinctly Indonesian starter or a dish for a rijsttafel.

These potato fritters have a golden-brown crust and a soft, fragrant centre. Celery leaves, fried shallot and nutmeg give the perkedel their flavour; a quick sambal made with bird’s eye chillies and lime adds a fresh kick.

This cauliflower version of perkedel has a soft, coarsely mashed centre and a thin, golden-brown fried coating. Fried shallot and celery leaves add savoury flavour; sambal and lime keep every bite fresh.

This tomato sambal is gently fried, full of ripe tomato flavor and spicy from red chilies. Lime juice adds a fresh counterpoint at the end. Serve it with rice and other savory dishes.

Stir-fry the broccoli briefly with garlic, shallot and red chili, then let it cook until just tender with a small splash of water. Kecap asin gives the vegetable a savory, salty flavor; a little oyster sauce can add extra depth.

Thin slices of tempeh in a seasoned, light batter: mendoan is fried only briefly, so the outside is just cooked and the tempeh stays soft. Serve warm with kecap manis, lime and green rawit chilies.

Sweet, lightly smoky corn gets a fresh, spicy topping of tomato, shallot and lime. Thin slices of crispy tempeh add savory flavor and a satisfying contrast.

Tender, spice-infused chicken gets a golden-brown crust after frying, topped with a generous layer of airy kremes. The crispy crumbs are made from the seasoned cooking liquid, bringing the chicken, topping and rice together beautifully.

Crisp green papaya and cucumber get a fresh, spicy dressing of kecap manis, lime and chili. Golden-brown fried tempeh makes this a hearty main-course salad; fresh basil and crispy shallots add fragrance and extra crunch.

Golden-brown tempeh gets a glossy coating of kecap manis, lime and chili. Crisp cucumber, fresh herbs and peanuts add freshness and bite; serve it with rice for a complete meal.

Crisp-fried tofu is coated in a tangy, spicy sauce made with tamarind, sambal and lime. Cucumber, fresh herbs and peanuts add freshness and crunch; serve with rice for a complete meal.

Golden tofu gets a sticky, sweet-and-sour glaze of tamarind and kecap manis. Fresh green mango, crispy shallots and peanuts turn it into a complete meal with rice.

Beef simmers slowly in coconut milk and a fragrant spice paste of chili, ginger, galangal and turmeric. The sauce then cooks down until it is dark and sticky, clinging to the meat: the characteristic dry final stage of Padang rendang.

Tender-crisp green beans and crunchy bean sprouts get a fragrant, spiced coconut coating in this Balinese urab, with chili, lime leaves and kencur. Bright, aromatic and delicious with rice and other dishes in a rijsttafel.

A generous Indonesian vegetable platter with lontong, egg, tofu and tempeh. The freshly pounded peanut sauce is creamy, slightly sour and spicy all at once; kroepoek adds a crisp contrast.

Sweet ears of corn develop dark, roasted patches and get a fresh, spicy topping of sambal matah. Toasted coconut adds a crunchy accent; extra lime brightens the whole dish.