Ceremonial Rice Dishes: Indonesia

In many regions of Indonesia rice is cooked with several herbs and spices and is served at special events, like weddings and circumcisions. These special servings of rice are also offered when special guests visit or for family gatherings. These rice dishes have become, in many ways, family recipes. Some original set dishes are also still made, though when a certain ingredient for a certain dish is not easily found or not available anymore it will be replaced by a similar dish as gastronome and epicurean el supremo Suryatini N. Ganie writes.

Take for example the nasi golong, a dish made when somebody prays to the Almighty that his or her wish will come true, like wishing that a member of the family will pass a difficult examination or that the person praying can get the job he or she wants.

Sounds a bit peculiar now, but some 30 years ago it was custom in many Central Javanese families. Nasi golong is normal white rice, formed into a ball when still hot, and served with a dish called pecel ayam. To quench the thirst, jangan menir, consisting of various vegetables like bayam, corn kernels and labu siam, is served afterwards.

Nowadays pecel ayam is still made but jangan menir is sometimes exchanged for another clear soupy dish, as I experienced in a very traditional Javanese family.

As jangan menir requires very tender and young corn, which is not so easily available, they change the kernels into jagung putren, a variety of very tiny corn normally made into acar, or a sweet-sour pickle which is now abundantly available in traditional markets and in supermarkets.

Nasi punar, originally from the southern coast of Java, is a dish made for prenuptial wedding ceremonies celebrating the siraman, the ritual bathing of the bride.

Thick coconut milk gives the dish a very distinct flavor, which is further enhanced by aromatic leaves like daun salam. A traditional side dish is serundeng, with grated coriander and spiced fried coconut.

Another ceremonial dish from a more eastern island is nasi songkkolo of South Sulawesi’s Buginese. A wedding is not complete without nasi songkkolo, made of glutinous rice and formed into a cone.

Many people put fried chicken in the center of the cone, but others make a bajabo or a sambal made from dried teri or anchovies. For the more affluent, bandeng bakar, or grilled milkfish, is added.

Going west again, the people of West Sumatra make nasi kunyit (turmeric rice) and singgang ayam for special events. The singgang ayam is not hot but spicy and many people use dried chilies for flavor.

Turmeric, ginger and galangal dominate the flavor of the grilled chicken, and although the dish is typically West Sumatran many people outside the region are fond of it and serve singgang ayam as daily fare.

For festive events, though, nasi kunyit and singgang ayam are served in a special style. The rice is mounted on a plate with the chicken on the rice. The whole thing is covered with a traditional West Sumatran dish covering.

There are many traditional rice or glutinous rice dishes with set side dishes, like nasi kacang from Papua consisting of rice and peanuts, and eaten during harvest time.

From Binjai, a mountainous region of fertile soil in North Sumatra producing many fruits and vegetables, comes nasi campur with Chinese overtones, and also served during harvest.

Suryatini N. Ganie