Cook your first Indonesian meal with confidence

Spend around 15 minutes reading on days one and two, then cook one dish on each of the remaining days. Save or print this page and return when you are ready for the next lesson.

You do not need dozens of specialist ingredients. The aim is to understand a small number of flavours and techniques well enough to cook independently.

Sambal is not "chilli sauce." That's the single most useful thing to understand.

Many supermarket chilli sauces are built on vinegar, water, and heat — they add spice. Sambal is an Indonesian condiment and cooking base built on flavour: chilli character, aromatics (garlic, shallot, lemongrass, galangal), and umami depth from ingredients like terasi (shrimp paste). In a huge number of Indonesian dishes, sambal is the flavour base you build the whole plate on.

Start with the ingredients that recur across several dishes. Use fresh chillies or a plain shop-bought sambal oelek as a base; there is no need to buy a branded product from us.

These ten ingredients cover most of the recipes in this plan and keep well.

• Sambal oelek — chilli base
• Kecap manis — sweet, thick Indonesian soy sauce (nasi goreng needs this)
• Terasi / belacan — shrimp paste for umami depth
• Tamarind paste — sourness that balances rich dishes
• Lemongrass (fresh or paste)
• Galangal (dried or paste) — peppery, not ginger
• Dried kaffir lime leaves — citrus aroma
• Palm sugar (gula jawa) — caramel depth
• Coconut oil — the traditional cooking fat
• Jasmine or long-grain rice — the foundation

Start mild and build heat gradually. You can always add more; you cannot take it out.

Nasi Goreng (20 min) — learn why cold, day-old rice and a hot pan matter. This is the fastest route to understanding kecap manis and balanced seasoning.

Ayam Penyet (55 min) — practise aromatic poaching, crisp frying and the controlled smashing technique that gives the dish its name.

Ikan Bakar — finish with an aromatic marinade and caramelised glaze. The recipe works on a barbecue, grill pan or in the oven.

• More recipes — ayam penyet, nasi goreng, lalapan and more.
• Tell us whether you would join a live class with Chef Yossie.

Terima kasih — thank you for cooking with us.