Rawon (Indonesia)

An authentic guide to preparing traditional Indonesian Rawon, featuring tender beef simmered in a rich black broth crafted from keluak nuts and aromatic spices.

Level Medium Prep 30 min Cook 120 min Servings 6 Score 4.9/10

Ready in

150 min

Makes 6 servings

Prep 30m

Cook 120m

Level Medium

About this recipe

An authentic guide to preparing traditional Indonesian Rawon, featuring tender beef simmered in a rich black broth crafted from keluak nuts and aromatic spices.

Traditional Indonesian black beef soup powered by earthy keluak nuts and aromatic spices.

Instructions

Boil the beef cubes in a pot of water for 10 minutes, discard the water, and rinse the beef to remove impurities.
Grind or blend all the spice paste ingredients (including the soaked keluak nut meat, shallots, garlic, candlenuts, ginger, turmeric, and coriander) until smooth.
Heat oil in a large pot and sauté the spice paste along with the bruised lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and bay leaves until fragrant and cooked through.
Add the clean beef cubes into the pot and stir well to coat with the spice mixture.
Pour in 8 cups of water or broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the beef is tender and melt-in-your-mouth soft.
90 min
Season with salt and pepper to taste, then remove from heat.
Serve hot garnished with short bean sprouts, sliced scallions, crispy shallots, and halves of salted duck egg.

Nutrition

Calories 410

Protein 28g

Carbs 12g

Fat 28g

Fiber 3g

Sugar 3g

Sodium 680mg

Serving Size 1 bowl

Cooking Timeline

Prep 30 min

Cook 120 min

Total 150 min

Recipe Scorecard

Overall 9.3 /10

Expert 4.9 95% conf.

Taste 9.8
Presentation 9.0
Nutrition 8.0
Value 9.0
Instructions 9.0
Ingredients 8.5
Time Accuracy 9.0
Difficulty 7.5
Would Make Again 9.0

Expert Review

Reviewed by FindEdition Kitchen

Verdict

A deeply aromatic, rich, and culturally iconic Indonesian beef soup with extraordinary depth of flavor.

Pros

Authentic complex flavors
Incredibly tender beef
Rich traditional heritage

Cons

Keluak nuts can be hard to source outside Asian markets

Overview

Traditional Indonesian black beef soup powered by earthy keluak nuts and aromatic spices.

AI Insights

Summary

An authentic guide to preparing traditional Indonesian Rawon, featuring tender beef simmered in a rich black broth crafted from keluak nuts and aromatic spices.

Tips

Ensure you select heavy, sound keluak nuts and discard any that smell rancid or sour before soaking
Simmer the soup on low heat for an extended time to allow the beef to fully absorb the rich flavors
Serve alongside steamed white rice and sambal terasi for the complete traditional experience