Indonesian food series: Nasi Rempah recipe (Indonesian spiced rice)

Gado-Gado is one of the staples of Indonesian cuisine. While the gado-gado recipe originates in Java, you can find it virtually everywhere in the country. Having a vegetable base and a peanut sauce, it is a perfect vegan and gluten-free alternative to the mostly meat-oriented Indonesian cuisine. In this post, I will show you the nasi rempah recipe that we learned from Chef Hero on our cooking class in Warung Sunny in the beautiful tropical paradise island of Gili Air. It is a really easy dish to put together and with ingredients that are found anywhere in the world! Let’s dig in!

Warung Sunny Cooking Class review: our experience in an Indonesian cooking class in Gili Air

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Indonesian Nasi Rempah recipe ingredients

1. Nasi rempah ingredients

• 2 cups long-grain rice
• 3 1/2 cups water or chicken/vegetable stock
• 1 lemongrass stalk, bruised
• 2 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 pandan leaves (optional, for added aroma)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 3 cardamom pods
• 1 star anise
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Cooking tip: if you have prepared yellow bumbu, you can just use that instead of the spice mix in this recipe, making the preparation of the dish very easy.

Cooking tip: for extra creaminess, use a mix of coconut milk and chicken/vegetable stock to cook the rice.

Instructions

1. Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear, then drain.
2. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods, star anise, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds for a couple of minutes until they become fragrant. Let them cool, then grind them into a fine powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
3. In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the ground spice mixture, turmeric, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves. Stir-fry the spices for about a minute until they release their aromas.
4. Add the rice to the pot and stir to coat it evenly with the spices.
5. Pour in the water, and add the lemongrass stalk, kaffir lime leaves, and pandan leaves (if using). Season with salt to taste.
6. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and let the rice simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed.
7. Once the rice is done, fluff it with a fork and remove the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and pandan leaves (if used).

And that’s it! Serve the Nasi Rempah hot as a flavorful side dish or with your favorite Indonesian main dishes.

Closing statement

This simple nasi rempah recipe is a perfect flavourful side dish to move away from simple white rice. Serve it next to your favourite Indonesian dishes such as chicken sate, kare ayam or balado. We learned this recipe at our cooking class in Warung Sunny in Gili Air, Indonesia. You can check out our experience in the class here:

Warung Sunny Cooking Class review: our experience in an Indonesian cooking class in Gili Air

If you’re in the Gili islands, you’ll probably find these helpful:

Quick Gili islands guide: a starters kit for paradise seekers in Indonesia

The chill Gili: Gili Air

The party Gili: Gili Trawangan

The honeymoon Gili: Gili Meno

Also, if you’re in Indonesia, have a look at these:

Perfect 3 days itinerary in Ubud, Bali

Hiking Mt. Bromo and Mt. Ijen in Java, Indonesia

Perfect 3-day itinerary in Nusa Penida, Indonesia

What to do in North Sumatra, the secret Indonesia keeps from you

Perfect 10 days Flores itinerary in Indonesia

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