Notes about Recipes in this book

• Peanut and kaffir lime kerupuk (Rempeyek)

  • rmardel on April 18, 2022

    It was difficult to keep these evenly thin and crispy with small lacy holes. The dough tended to pool in the centers and be thicker. The thin and lacy areas of the crackers were crispy, flavorful, and addicting. The centers a bit too chewy and rich. This may be something that requires practice. The flavors were clear and bright and played well together. Thinly sliceded green chili might be a good addition.

• Spiced corn fritters (Perkedel jagung)

  • Running_with_Wools on March 19, 2023

    These are delicious. I made them as an appetizer for an Indonesian meal with friends. You start with a fragrant fried mixture of shallots, chilies, ginger, garlic and spices. It is ground to a paste and mixed with corn, eggs, and corn flour. I used canned corn and served with siracha and wedges of limes.

• Lamb and potato croquettes (Kroket kambing)

  • MmeFleiss on March 05, 2025

    I was initially worried about the amount of ginger in this recipe but it wasn’t overpowering like I feared. My croquettes browned in half the time stated in the recipe.

• Medanese prawn bisque with noodles (Mie udang Medan)

  • bernalgirl on June 04, 2025

    I expected so much more of this but we found it bland. It really needed salt and fish sauce, with generous lime juice. Also I considered buying plum tomatoes and wish I had, I thing the regular tomatoes added too much liquid and not enough flavor. I don’t anticipate making this again because there are so many other SE Asian soup recipes I prefer.

• Spiced meatball soup (Bakso)

  • bernalgirl on April 14, 2022

    I used a gelatin-rich beef broth and a lighter chicken stock, and doubled the meatballs. The meatballs are light and flavorful, the processing step is worth the time. We enjoyed this soup with the recommended toppings but it would be bland without them. We especially enjoyed the texture of the fried shallots and thinly sliced Chiles along with a good hit of acid, my kids used lime while the adults used a homemade Thai-style chile-infused vinegar.

  • rmardel on May 20, 2022

    I used gelatin rich broth both venison and chicken. The meatballs are light and delicate in flavor and the combination of coriander and cumin enhances the flavor of the soup. The quality of the broth is important here, as is being careful not to use a salty broth as it reduces considerably. IT is really the condiments that make this soup.

• Betawi beef and coconut soup (Soto Betawi)

  • JuneHawk on February 24, 2026

    I used chuck shoulder because I couldn't find brisket. It turned out so nice and tender. This is incredible, especially with the suggested sambal oelek and lime juice. One of the best things I have ever eaten.

• Chicken nasi goreng (Nasi goreng ayam)

  • Deja1 on February 23, 2025

    Loved this nasi goreng. I didn't have the full amount of galangal that was in the recipe so I added ginger. Also substituted peas for green beans.

• Vegetable nasi goreng (Nasi goreng sayur)

  • katmagdunn on July 27, 2024

    Whenever I cook this it's a real hit. It's the kind of thing I make for friends or family when we don't want a proper sit down meal but we want something that'll hit the spot

• Gado-gado salad with peanut sauce (Gado-gado)

  • Apollonia on May 14, 2021

    Classic Gado Gado. The peanut sauce is particularly nice--- I did mine with a mixture of roasted peanuts and peanut butter because raw peanuts are not easily available where I live, and it was great.

• Timorese tomato and coriander salad (Lawar tomat dan turis)

  • jenburkholder on May 26, 2022

    Very good. Sharp and refreshing, even kept pretty well. Went great with pork belly. We used regular sun dried tomatoes (not in oil) as our “sun kissed tomatoes”. Normally not a big fan of those but it really worked well together with the cherry tomatoes and all the other sharp freshness.

  • bernalgirl on June 03, 2022

    It’s still early for great tomatoes so I marinated the cherry tomatoes in a little salt and sugar before putting everything together. This is a really simple and delicious salad and was absolutely great with coconut rice.

• Soy mushrooms and pak choi (Jamur sayur kecap)

  • bernalgirl on April 02, 2022

    Working with what I had, I made this with cabbage and wood ear mushrooms. I got a char on the cabbage and then followed the recipe. The flavoring is subtle and delicious, the vinegar adds dimension and the sugar stops well short of cloying. I can’t wIt to make it as written!

  • jenburkholder on April 11, 2022

    Very nice treatment of bok choy and shiitakes. We decreased the sugar slightly and would do that again.

  • rmardel on May 01, 2022

    Excellent. Could use less sugar, but that may just be my taste.

• Fragrant stir-fried morning glory (Tumis kangkung)

  • bernalgirl on April 30, 2022

    A great side dish, and a nice way to prepare morning glory, or hollow stem vegetable.

  • kwansicle on May 10, 2024

    Way too spicy and quite bland.

• Stir-fried vegetable cap cay (Cap cay)

  • katmagdunn on July 27, 2024

    just okay!

• Sweet soy tempeh (Tempe manis)

  • jenburkholder on July 01, 2022

    Liked this. We subbed gai lan for the mangetout. Added a few more lime leaves and this was a good choice - their citrusy aroma was one of the nicest things about this dish. Would make again.

  • Apollonia on September 09, 2023

    This was just ok for us. Some of the blame is on me --- needed some spicier chilies maybe, and my frozen lime leaves were probably a bit old--- but it didn't quite hang together for me. On the plus side, the warm fried peanuts and mangeout were really nice together, and the tempeh did get nicely sweet in the sauce.

• Crispy soy and ginger roast potatoes (Kentang kecap dan jahe)

  • debkellie on August 23, 2020

    Really, really tasty (served without the soy dressing). But again nowhere near golden & crispy in time & temp suggested. I boosted heat in the end. Probably 30 minutes longer...

  • katmagdunn on July 27, 2024

    These are AMAZING. Cult roasted potatoes. Everyone will love them (serve with the roast chicken)

  • bernalgirl on August 26, 2024

    I used red potatoes but otherwise made as written. My potatoes were done before they became as burnished and crispy as they are in the book photo, even with a run under the broiler. However this was a huge hit with my family, and I can’t wait to make it again.

  • mimisingh on April 14, 2026

    I cooked for longer than specified to get crispier potatoes. I don't think I loved the preparation with the spring onion/ginger/garlic oil added at the end. I think in future I would just make the oil first then coat the potatoes in it prior to cooking. I wasn't the biggest fan of the soy dressing on the potatoes because it felt quite vinegar-y. I would also take out the garlic bulb once it is starting to get charred so it doesn't burn in the oil.

  • rebecca_qjfvam on May 06, 2026

    I forgot to buy spring onions and lack the knife skills to cut ginger into neat lil matchsticks. I just chopped the ginger and garlic small and fried in oil for a minute instead. Still tasty, would make again. Like several others mentioned I needed longer baking time

• Spicy baked aubergine (Terung balado)

  • Apollonia on August 30, 2020

    This was good, though it didn't knock my socks off, probably because my sambal wasn't spicy or flavorful enough. It was, however, markedly improved as leftovers the next day, as the eggplant really picked up the flavor of the paste. I'd make again, but with more attention to the sambal.

  • rmardel on May 01, 2022

    Agree with Apollonia that this improved greatly the next day. It was not bad the first day, but not special either. This could partially be because the sambal improves if allowed to sit, and my sambal was not spicy enough simply because of the availability of chiles in my location at the moment. Worth fiddling with though.

  • MarieMacCheese on April 28, 2024

    Similar experience to others. This was a bit flat. I’d up the sambal spice if I was doing it again. This is the only meh recipe in a book I absolutely love.

• Pan-fried dabu-dabu sea bass (Ikan goreng dabu-dabu)

  • JoanN on April 29, 2022

    Liked this a great deal, although I thought the dabu-dabu was more fiery than the delicately, lime flavored, fish required. Dabu-dabu is a Northern Sulawesi condiment often served with grilled fish. Will make it again, but need to deseed some of the chiles. And would hope to find either Thai or lemon basil, which I think would better complement the fish, instead of the regular basil which was all that was available to me this time of year.

• Prawn and chicken fried noodles (Mie goreng udang)

  • bernalgirl on April 29, 2022

    I followed the recipe except for swapping blanched green bean pieces for bean sprouts due to availability and family preference. This recipe is solidly good but did not strike any of us as great. It was a bit bland in seasoning and most of us adjusted at the table. In my teen’s words, “you make way better Asian noodle dishes. Next time just add prawns to those”.

  • IdleExpatter on March 16, 2026

    I thought this was really tasty! And, apart from possibly the kecap manis (which you've almost certainly obtained anyway shortly after buying this book), it's all pantry staples. Came together quickly and I can honestly say that I don't think I've EVER made a recipe that ended up looking this much like the reference photo!

  • eclairea on April 15, 2026

    Took liberties with this recipe based on what I had in the fridge/freezer, and combined methods and ingredients with one from NYT Cooking adapted by Mia Leimkuhler. It was great (added gai lan, cabbage, no mangetout, sadly no lime which it definitely needed!) but I do want to try this one as written soon.

• Chicken satay with peanut sauce (Sate ayam Madura)

  • dosojosazules on November 06, 2022

    This is so delicious. A lot of sugar with the marinades and sauces, but totally worth it

  • franchimou on April 30, 2026

    delicious but maybe a little too sweet overall as all of the components are sweet. would make it a little saltier, more sour, and a bit less sweet next time. kind of labor intensive with all the different components but still relatively easy, and would probably be even easier if the pickle, the peanut sauce, and the kecap manis were made in advance.

• Smashed fried chicken with sambal (Ayam penyet)

  • william_j3s092 on November 29, 2025

    Made this recipe alongside the tomato sambal for dinner with a group of friends a couple years ago and still think about it. So so good!

  • katewalton on March 14, 2026

    Great flavour but the sambal recipe is not authentic - it has mint and coriander leaves in it, neither of which are used in Indonesia. More like an Indian chutney. Leave out those and you have a great recipe!

• Stir-fried Sumba chicken (Manu paokula)

  • Lylee on April 04, 2025

    This was delicious! The recipe uses an insane number of chillies - I roughly halved the amount used and the flavour was still really good and wasn't too spicy (I removed all the chilli seeds)

• Roasted chilli coconut chicken (Ayam bumbu rujak)

  • katmagdunn on July 27, 2024

    This is amazing. Really exceptional! More work than your average roast chicken by a long shot but worth it.

• Spiced Balinese roast chicken (Ayam betutu)

  • bernalgirl on September 21, 2022

    The spice paste is flavorful, the chicken skin is crispy, and the kale cooked in the drippings is out of this world. Excellent with coconut rice and the Timorese tomato salad in the same book.

  • MarieMacCheese on April 28, 2024

    I don’t think you can make kale taste better than this.

• Beef rendang (Rendang daging)

  • Etrnalhope on May 11, 2021

    I didn't love this version, but it could've been because I used another beef rendang recipe first, so my expectations influenced it. I ended up adding another extra tsp of salt and a Tbsp of Gula Jawa. Mine turned out drier than I wanted it. I'm not sure if was something I did or the recipe, but it didn't turn out as dry the one other time I made it with another recipe. Flavor was delicious though!

• Sticky beef short rib with chilli (Iga bumbu dendeng balado)

  • meggan on January 22, 2021

    This ended up very salty more than anything. No one was enthralled.

  • JoanN on April 26, 2022

    Wow! This was excellent. Took one taste of the sauce and went right back into the kitchen to pour spoonsful of it over the rice. Another company worthy recipe from this book. Didn't think the balado added all that much to the dish. Might be because I deseeded too many chiles or used too little lime juice but might just skip it next time.

• Sweet soy pork belly (Babi kecap)

  • atamarindpod on October 11, 2021

    The first time I made this the dish was overwhelmed by the amount of ginger that the recipe asked for and this only got worse on successive reheats. On my second try I reduced the ginger to one-fourth and got much better results. In this iteration the flavors properly mellow out and blend together, making it excellent on repeated reheats.

• Balinese sticky glazed pork ribs (Iga babi Bali)

  • JoanN on April 26, 2022

    Terrific. Company worthy. There aren't many good rib recipes that can be made in the oven and since I live in a NYC apartment, an outdoor grill is not an option for me. This is among the best oven-roasted rib recipes I've made. Almost entirely hands off and can be made ahead. leftovers as good as fresh out of the oven.

• Pork and prawn rice noodles (Kwetiau)

  • bernalgirl on April 30, 2022

    I followed the recipe with the exception of the bean sprouts, which I substituted for blanched 1-inch lengths of green beans. My family and I anjoyed this but my teen said that I make pork noodle dishes they like much more and maybe I should add prawns and eggs to those. This is a little bland.

• Green chilli and lemongrass pork (Tinoransak)

  • bernalgirl on April 30, 2022

    I knew this would be too spicy for my family as written and I couldn’t get Anaheim peppers this time of year so I used a green bell pepper, two seranos, de-seeded, and a large jalapeño. I’m sure that affected the flavor and the green bell made the combination more wet, but this was a very flavorful dish. I salted along the way and increased the fish sauce to finish at the end. I’d make this again.

• Coconut beef and peanut stir-fry (Serundeng daging)

  • rmardel on May 01, 2022

    This was promising but lacked complexity. I don't think the peanuts added anything much to the flavor profile. I do think they would have enhanced the dish if added after cooking. I may feel the same way about the coconut which I felt was lost. The flavor also needs something to brighten it up a bit: more lime leaves? lime? additional tamarind? On the fence as to whether this was a one-off or is with fiddling with.

• Tomato sambal (Sambal tomat)

  • rmardel on May 06, 2022

    Flavor was better, more complex and better melded, the second day.

  • franchimou on April 22, 2026

    delicious

• Crispy pork belly instant noodles (Indomie dengan babi tore)

  • bernalgirl on July 04, 2022

    This is a bowl full of umami goodness. The directions are very clear and result in a dish with wonderful flavors and textures — no gummy noodles. I sought out Indomie but since the recipe doesn’t include the sauce packets, I think any instant ramen-style noodle would work. Also I couldn’t get red chiles so used serranos and jalapeños with some red bell for color. It is salty, however, so don’t skip the toppings! The fresh cilantro and peanuts cut the salt and a squeeze of lime adds necessary acidity. My family loved this and I will make it again.

• Vegan butternut ribs

  • Running_with_Wools on September 25, 2022

    My friend recently went vegan and I had a butternut squash and found this when I searched. These. Are. Addictive. Absolutely delicious. I will make this again and will also try this sauce with slow cooked ribs.

• Fresh tomato and basil dabu-dabu (Dabu-dabu Manado)

  • Beebopalulu on November 26, 2023

    Fresh and delicious

• Chilli chocolate and nut caramel tart (Kue cokelat dan kacang karamel)

  • katmagdunn on July 27, 2024

    we had a lot of trouble with this one, but perhaps just bad luck -- could not get the caramel here