nasi uduk — Jakarta, Indonesia

Nasi uduk is a rice dish cooked in coconut milk rather than plain water, which leaves the grains soft, faintly sweet, and fragrant with the aromatics simmered alongside them. It belongs to Betawi cooking, the cuisine associated with Jakarta's long-settled population, and it is eaten as a full meal on its own once the accompaniments are added. The dish is reported to come from Jakarta and is closely tied to Betawi cooking there, though it is now found across the country, sold at food stalls from early morning through the evening. To prepare it, rice is rinsed and simmered or steamed in coconut milk together with pandan leaf, lemongrass, bay leaf, and a little salt, until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender and glossy. The rice is then finished with a second light steaming to firm it up, and served warm, generously topped with crisp fried shallots. This version is defined by its plain, unadorned rice cooked with a fixed set of aromatics rather than mixed through with vegetables or meat during cooking, leaving the accompaniments to carry most of the variation. It is typically served alongside fried chicken, sambal, fried tempeh or tofu, and a boiled or fried egg, so the same base rice can be dressed quite differently from one stall to the next.