15 Popular Indonesian food & Health Impacts
You might be missing specially tastes, aroma, nutrients, if you have not eaten some popular Indonesia dishes.
There are numerous delicious foods in many restaurants and streets of Indonesia made and seasoned with locally sourced ingredients.
These foods ingredients are largely influenced by it’s diverse culinary heritage. Just go for your favourite so as to obtain a satisfactory taste and nutrients.
Let’s explore 15 Indonesian Popular Food & Health Impacts
1. Nasi Goreng
Image source: flickr
If you plan to visit Indonesia, don’t fail to eat fried rice made with cooked rice stir-fried containing various ingredients such as shrimp, vegetables, meat and spices.
It is commonly sold in different restaurants in Indonesia. Nutrients you can get from consuming Nasi Goreng are iron, calcium, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, dietary fiber, B vitamins.
2. Satay
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Satay is a popular grilled meat in Indonesia, cooked with beef, chicken, or goat. Preparing it with marinated meat, spices and peanut makes it more flavorful.
Just like other popular food, Satay contains a large amount of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and natural compounds.
3. Rendang
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This is a traditional food of Indonesia but believed to have been originated from the Minangkabau ethnic group in West Sumatra.
The meat is steamed with coconut milk and a mixture of herbs and spices, such as dill, garlic, ginger, cloves until it tendersed.
There are presence of dietary fiber antioxidant, quercetin, flavonoid, vitamin A, iron, vitamin C, protein, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.
4. Gado-Gado
Gado-Gado is a delicious meal commonly enjoyed in Indonesia. This popular food is easy to cook and cheap. It is made from cabbage, beansprouts, potatoes and tofu.
One of the sauce you can eat Gado-Gado with is peanut sauce dressing. Though there are lots of nutrients attached to Gado-Gado.
The nutrients in Gado-Gado include vitamin C, vitamin k, iron, dietary fiber, antioxidant, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.
5. Soto
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Soto can be prepared using chicken or beef and various spices such as lime, chilli paste ( sambal) and fried shallots.
Soto contains flavonoid, Beta-carotenoid, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, potassium, magnesium, selenium, zinc, dietary fiber.
6. Nasi Padang
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Nasi Padang is that kind of steamed rice everyone would love eating daily because of the ingredients used in cooking it such as fried chicken and various vegetables.
Additionally, Nasi Padang is more pronounced in Minangkabau region of West Sumatra.
Because of the nutritional content of Nasi Padang both foreigners and citizens of Indonesia often opt for it.
7. Bakso
Image source: flickr
Bakso is a native food of Indonesia, made from either ground beef or chicken, mixed with tapioca flour. Though, people often enjoy meatball in a flavorful broth with tofu and noodles.
It is observed that these ingredients used in making bakso enables you obtain iron, protein, dietary fiber, vitamin C, calcium, selenium, zinc, copper, magnesium, phosphorus B vitamins.
8. Sate Ayam
Image source: flickr
Sate Ayam is a traditional food, sold in almost all the street of Indonesia. Sate Ayam is grilled chicken eaten with a peanut sauce. Be sure you marinated the chicken and mixed with the spices before grilling.
Nutrients found in sate Ayam are fat soluble vitamins, protein, dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty, vitamin C, calcium, selenium, zinc, copper, zinc, potassium and magnesium.
9. Martabak
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Ingredients include eggs, minced meat and vegetables while the sweet version, called Martabak Manis, is filled with chocolate, cheese, or nuts
10. Gudeg
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Eating Gudeg with rice and chicken helps generate reseasonable amount of calories, nutrients as we as bioactive compounds.
Gudeg is made from young jackfruit stewed in palm sugar and coconut milk, this helps enhance its flavour.
Some nutrients involved in Gudeg include, calcium, protein, iron, dietary fiber vitamin A, vitamin C, niacin, riboflavin, phosphorus, carb,
11.Tempeh Goreng
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If you’re protein deficient, you consider incorporating tempeh Goreng, it is made from soybeans.
12. Pecel Lele
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Frying catfish with a healthy vegetables oil, eating it with sambal sauce and fresh vegetables helps provides large amounts of nutrients.
13. Lontong (Rice Cake)
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This is a popular dish in Indonesia, made from rice wrapped with banana leaves.
14. Opor Ayam
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A popular dish consumed widely during Eid Al- fitr. The delicious food is made from chicken by boiling it in coconut milk and spices, making it a store-houses of of protein, iron, calcium, among others.
15. Nasi Uduk
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A delicious steamed rice, consists of coconut milk with bay leaves, lime leaves, lemongrass, and galingale. These allow it to provide various nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, protein, iron, dietary fiber etc
Indonesia Popular Food Health Benefits
Immune system: low serum levels of certain nutrients are attributed to weak immune system such as protein, iron, selenium, vitamin, vitamin C, among others. Intake of Indonesia traditional food helps boost immune system.
Cancer prevention: some ingredients used in cooking their traditional food include, garlic, herbs, vegetables, lime, ginger, cloves to name a few. They possess antioxidant properties which aid elimination of gene mutation – factors that cause cancerous growth.
Improve eye health: As a good source of antioxidant, vitamin A, vitamin C, they help promote eye care and reduce symptoms of eye defects.
Maintain Cholesterol levels: many of Indonesia Popular foods are helpful in terms of cholesterol moderation such as vegetables, spices and chicken, especially those without skin.
Blood Pressure regulation: Many of Indonesia foods can greatly assist in maintaining blood pressure. They are loaded with dietary fiber, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E also.
Conclusion
There are different traditional foods in Indonesia which reflects it diverse culinary tradition.
They provide incredible nutrients and bioactive compounds capable of promoting overall well-being.
15 popular Indonesian foods & Health Impacts; Rendang, Nasi Uduk, Pecel Lele, Gudeg, Sate Ayam etc.
