Menu
tumpeng — Indonesia
Photo: brother-harahap — CC BY 2.0

Version from Indonesia

tumpeng — Indonesia

Tumpeng: an Indonesian cone of turmeric-yellow rice surrounded by meat, vegetables and condiments, centrepiece of a ceremonial meal called selamatan.

0Jump to the recipe ↓
40 min
Prep
45 min
Cook
8
Servings
Medium
Difficulty
Tumpeng is an Indonesian dish built around a cone of rice, usually coloured yellow with turmeric, surrounded by a selection of vegetables, meats and condiments arranged on a shared tray. It is closely tied to the selamatan, a ceremonial meal held to mark or give thanks for an occasion such as a birth, a house-warming or a harvest, where the cone is placed at the centre of the table and shared among guests. The rice is steamed with coconut milk, turmeric, bay leaf and lemongrass until it turns a deep yellow, then packed into a cone-shaped mould, often lined with banana leaf, and turned out onto a tray. Side dishes such as shredded chicken, fried tempeh, boiled egg and sautéed vegetables are arranged around the base. The choice and number of side dishes shift by region, occasion and household budget, and some ceremonies call for a specific set of accompaniments with its own meaning, though the cone of yellow rice itself remains the dish's clearest identifying feature. It is generally eaten by hand, guests taking rice and side dishes together from the shared tray, often after a short prayer or speech marking the occasion.

Preparation

  1. Rinse the rice and par-cook it briefly with turmeric, salt, bay leaves and lemongrass added to the coconut milk.

  2. Continue steaming the rice over simmering water until fully cooked and coloured evenly yellow, fluffing occasionally.

  3. While the rice cooks, prepare the side dishes separately: shred and season the chicken, fry the tempeh slices, boil the eggs, and sauté the vegetables.

  4. Let the cooked rice cool slightly so it holds its shape, then pack it firmly into a cone-shaped mould, pressing well.

  5. Turn the mould over onto a large tray lined with banana leaf and lift it away carefully to reveal the rice cone.

  6. Arrange the chicken, tempeh, boiled eggs and vegetables around the base of the rice cone in small separate portions.

  7. Serve at room temperature, letting guests take rice from the cone alongside the side dishes.

More recipes from Indonesia

All recipes from Indonesia