By Diya Gunawan ( a full time Home maker) Guest Post
I was born and raised in a busy corner of Jakarta, in a house that always smelled like garlic being fried in coconut oil and children running everywhere. I am a mother of four now, living in the same house where I grew up — with my husband, my parents, my younger sister, her children, and sometimes even cousins who come to visit from the kampung. We’re a big family, and in our house, food is not just about eating. Makanan adalah cinta — food is love.
Every Sunday, our kitchen turns into a warung kecil. My mother starts her day before dawn, grinding spices with her stone mortar and pestle. I take over around 8 a.m. when the kids are watching cartoons and my husband is watering the garden. On these days, we often prepare something special: Nasi Padang.
What is Nasi Padang?
Nasi Padang is more than just rice and curry. It is a feast — a style of serving food that comes from Padang, West Sumatra, brought by the Minangkabau people. You may have seen it in restaurants where dozens of small plates are stacked on the table, each with a different dish — beef rendang, sambal ijo, gulai ayam, telur balado, and more.
But at home, we don’t serve all the plates like in a Padang restaurant. Instead, we choose 3 or 4 main dishes, cook everything from scratch, and share it together. It’s messy, it’s loud, it’s warm. Ramai dan penuh cinta.
My children love Nasi Padang Sundays — not just because of the food, but because the whole family gathers, sits cross-legged on the floor, and eats with hands. For me, it’s not just about taste. It’s about culture, history, and connection.
Traditional Nasi Padang at Home – Recipe for the Soul
Here, I will share how we make a simple Nasi Padang meal at home. This includes Nasi Putih (white rice), Rendang Daging (dry beef curry), Sayur Nangka (young jackfruit curry), and Sambal Ijo (green chili sambal) — a combination that always brings smiles in my home.
1. Nasi Putih – Steamed White Rice
Ingredients:
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- Water, as needed
Method:
- Rinse rice 2-3 times until water runs clear.
- Add water (1:1.5 ratio with rice).
- Cook in rice cooker or on the stove until fluffy. Keep warm.
2. Rendang Daging (Dry Beef Curry)
Ingredients:
- 1 kg beef (preferably chuck or brisket), cut into chunks
- 500 ml thick coconut milk
- 5 kaffir lime leaves
- 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised
- 2 bay leaves (daun salam)
- Salt and sugar to taste
Spice Paste:
- 8 shallots
- 5 garlic cloves
- 5 dried red chilies (soaked)
- 2 fresh red chilies
- 1 thumb ginger
- 1 thumb galangal
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
Method:
- Blend all spice paste ingredients until smooth.
- In a heavy pot, heat a little oil. Sauté the paste until fragrant.
- Add beef and stir until it changes color.
- Add coconut milk, lime leaves, lemongrass, and bay leaves.
- Simmer uncovered on low heat for 3–4 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Cook until the sauce becomes thick, dark brown, and the oil separates. The beef should be tender and coated in rich paste.
Tip: Cook rendang a day before — it tastes better after resting overnight.
3. Sayur Nangka (Young Jackfruit Curry)
Ingredients:
- 500 g young jackfruit (nangka muda), cut and boiled until tender
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 lemongrass stalk, bruised
Spice Paste:
- 6 shallots
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 candlenuts (or 2 tbsp cashew paste as substitute)
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 thumb ginger
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- Salt to taste
Method:
- Blend the spice paste ingredients.
- Sauté in a pot until fragrant.
- Add coconut milk, lemongrass, and bay leaves.
- Add boiled jackfruit and simmer gently for 20–30 minutes.
- Adjust seasoning. Serve warm.
4. Sambal Ijo (Green Chili Sambal)
Ingredients:
- 10 green chilies
- 5 green bird’s eye chilies
- 4 shallots
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tomato (green or red)
- Salt and sugar
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp oil
Method:
- Steam or boil chilies, shallots, garlic, and tomato until soft (about 5–7 minutes).
- Coarsely blend or crush with pestle.
- Sauté the sambal in oil for 5 minutes.
- Season with salt, sugar, and lime juice. Serve at room temperature.
How We Serve It
We lay a banana leaf on the table or large tray, scoop rice in the center, surround it with rendang, gulai nangka, and sambal. Sometimes we also fry eggs or make perkedel (potato patties) for the kids. The children eat with their fingers, giggling and fighting over the crispiest rendang edge.
Ini bukan hanya makan — it is a celebration of family.
Why Nasi Padang Is Home for Me
Every time I cook Nasi Padang, I remember my childhood. My grandmother stirring gulai in a giant pot. My father sneaking extra sambal when my mother wasn’t looking. Now I see my own children doing the same.
Food is how we tell stories in my house. It’s how we pass on our roots. Nasi Padang, with all its flavors — spicy, creamy, bold — teaches my children patience, tradition, and the joy of eating together.
In a city as fast as Jakarta, this meal forces us to slow down. Even if only for a Sunday.
Terima kasih, Nasi Padang. Kamu rasa rumah. You taste like home.
