Indonesian Recipe Spice Calculator
Auto-scale traditional Indonesian recipes: rendang, opor, soto, gulai, sambal. Recipes cited from Sajian Sedap and William Wongso.
Authentic Padang rendang — voted world's best food (CNN Travel 2017). Recipe based on William Wongso & Sajian Sedap.
Spice Paste (ground/blended)
- Red curly chili≈ 25 chilies200 g
- Shallots≈ 12 shallots150 g
- Garlic≈ 6 cloves50 g
- Ginger≈ 3 cm30 g
- Turmeric≈ 2 cm20 g
- Toasted candlenuts≈ 6 candlenuts30 g
- Galangal≈ 3 cm30 g
Whole Spices (bruised/cracked)
- Kaffir lime leaves4 lembar
- Bay leaves (Indonesian)2 lembar
- Turmeric leafoptional1 lembar
- Lemongrassbruised2 batang
- Asam kandisor 1 tbsp tamarind2 buah
Liquids
- Thick coconut milkfrom 2 coconuts, or 250ml instant + 750ml water1 L
- Thin coconut milk500 ml
Seasonings
- Salt≈ 2 tsp10 g
- Palm sugar1 small block50 g
💡 Cooking Tips
- •Toast candlenuts before grinding — releases aroma, prevents raw taste.
- •Cook on LOW heat — secret to rendang's textured fibers and deep flavor. Total 3-4 hours.
- •Stir gently to prevent coconut milk from breaking. Stir more often as it dries down.
- •For authentic flavor, use turmeric leaf and asam kandis (Padang specialties). Substitute: 1 tbsp tamarind paste.
Recipe sources: William Wongso · Sajian Sedap · Kemenparekraf RI
7 Available Recipes
- 🍛Rendang Padang (Beef Stew)8 servings · 3-4 hours (low heat)
- 🍗Opor Ayam (Coconut Chicken Stew)6 servings · 45-60 min
- 🍜Soto Ayam Lamongan (Clear Chicken Soup)8 servings · 60-90 min
- 🥘Beef Gulai (Sumatran Curry)8 servings · 1.5-2 hours
- 🌶️Sambal Bawang (Shallot Chili Sauce)5 servings · 10 min
- 🍖Semur Daging (Betawi Soy-Braised Beef)4 servings · 1-1.5 hours
- 🍲Rawon (East Javanese Black Beef Soup)8 servings · 2-2.5 hours
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I scale these recipes for large parties?▾
Yes. Enter the amount of beef/chicken/chili you need, all spices auto-scale. For 50-person event: rendang ~ 6-7 kg beef. Note: very large scaling more accurate with +10-15% safety margin (spices tend to under-flavor in big batches).
Where do these recipes come from? Are they authentic?▾
Base recipes from Sajian Sedap (Indonesia's largest recipe magazine, Kompas Group), William Wongso (world-class chef for rendang), and NCC (Natural Cooking Club). All publicly available, widely-cited among Indonesian home cooks.
Why does my rendang differ from this?▾
Rendang has many regional versions (Padang Bukittinggi, Pariaman, Solok, etc.) and family variations. The version here is canonical Padang based on William Wongso and Sajian Sedap. Adjust to your family or taste.
Whole spices (leaves, stalks, pieces) don't scale linearly?▾
Correct — in traditional recipes, leaf/stalk/piece counts aren't proportional to main ingredient. 1 lemongrass stalk works for 1-2 kg meat. Calculator rounds to practical values, not weird decimals like '1.5 bay leaves'.
Can these recipes work for vegan/vegetarian?▾
Spice paste and herbs are already vegan-friendly. Just substitute meat with tempeh, tofu, mushrooms, or jackfruit. Skip eggs and shrimp paste/kecap (for strict vegan).
Where can I buy ingredients like kluwek or asam kandis?▾
Online (Indonesian grocery sites, Tokopedia/Shopee), Asian supermarkets, or Indonesian specialty stores. Substitutes: kluwek → tamarind + soy sauce (color won't be as black). Asam kandis → tamarind paste 1 tbsp.