''Nasi uduk'' (Indonesian: "''nasi'' ''uduk''") is an

Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...

style

steamed Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. This is often done with a food steamer, a kitchen appliance made specifically to cook food with steam, but food can also be steamed in a wok. In the American southwest, steam pits used for cooking hav ...

rice cooked in coconut milk dish, especially popular in Betawi cuisine.

Etymology

According to the book "Kuliner Betawi Selaksa Rasa & Cerita" (2016) composed by Akademi Kuliner Indonesia, the term ''uduk'' etymology derived from the term that means "difficult" or "struggle", which suggested that this rice dish was originally consumed by farmers and hard labourers. Another theory suggests that the term ''uduk'' is related to the term ''aduk'' which means "mix", thus nasi uduk means "mixed rice". On the other hand, some people connected the etymology to the Javanese traditions. Sultan Agung of Mataram called this rice dish ''wuduk,'' from

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

word ''tawadhu which means being humble before God''.'' Depending on the

dialect The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of linguistic phenomena: One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a ...

used, it can be referred to as ''uduk'' or ''wuduk'' in Javanese. When a reference to its taste is made, it's called ''sega gurih'' (lit. savory rice).

History

According to the book "Makanan Khas Betawi” (2018) by Lilly T. Erwin, nasi uduk is a Betawi food that is quite popular and easy to find in almost all corners of Jakarta. Despite its current popularity in Jakarta area, historian suggested that the origin of this rice dish can be traced from the influence of two culinary traditions; Malay and Javanese. According to historians, there was historic trade and migration links connecting the port of Malacca and the port of Batavia, thus Malay traders and immigrants frequently visited Batavia, thus they brought nasi lemak cooking tradition into Batavia. Plus, there was Javanese settlers in Batavia that also familiar in cooking

coconut rice Coconut rice is a dish prepared by soaking white rice in coconut milk or cooking it with coconut flakes. As both the coconut and the rice-plant are commonly found in the tropics all-around the world, coconut rice too is found in many cultures th ...

. Moreover, after the fall of

Portuguese Malacca Portuguese control of Malacca, a city on the Malay Peninsula, refers to the 130 year period (1511–1641) when it was a possession of the Portuguese East Indies. It was conquered from the Malacca Sultanate as part of Portuguese attempts to ...

to the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

in 1641, the link between two port cities were enforced tremendously since finally both belongs to the Dutch empire. The trace of the Malay people migration from Malay Peninsula and Sumatra into Batavia can be seen in the historic name of Kampung Melayu area in East Jakarta. On the other hand, some historian suggested that nasi uduk was originated from

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...

. It was the brainchild of

Sultan Agung of Mataram Sultan Anyakrakusuma is known as Sultan Agung ( jv, ꦱꦸꦭ꧀ꦠꦤ꧀ꦲꦒꦸꦁꦲꦢꦶꦥꦿꦧꦸꦲꦚꦏꦿꦏꦸꦱꦸꦩ, Sultan Agung Adi Prabu Anyakrakusuma) was the third Sultan of Mataram in Central Java ruling from 1613 to 1645. ...

(Javanese ruler), inspired by his experience eating ''kebuli'' rice''.'' According to ''Babad Tanah Jawa'', Mataram sultans loved to eat "Arabic rice", which may refer to different types of pilaf or Arab-style rice. The phrase is often translated to '' kebuli'' (popular among Arabic descents in Indonesia) or

biryani Biryani () is a mixed rice dish originating among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. It is made with Indian spices, rice, and usually some type of meat ( chicken, beef, goat, lamb, prawn, fish) or in some cases without any meat, ...

(an Indian Muslims dish) as these two dishes are the most commonly known among Javanese Muslims. Sultan Agung decided to make a local version of the "Arab dish", using local ingredients. He did this partly to reduce the state's expense (the cost to buy imported ingredients to make the above-mentioned dishes were very high) and to improve local pride. Soon, ''sega uduk'' became a part of "syarat" (mandatory dish) in Javanese "gratitude" ceremonies, often called ''banca'an'' (alternative Latin spelling: ''bancakan'') or ''

slametan The slametan (or selametan, slamatan, and selamatan) is the communal feast from Java, symbolizing the social unity of those participating in it. Clifford Geertz considered it the core ritual in Javanese religion, in particular the abangan varian ...

''. ''Sega'' ''uduk'' can be found in a ''berkat'', a food package (usually contains rice, veggies, and side dishes), or served as a ''

tumpeng Tumpeng ( Javanese: ; Balinese: ) is an Indonesian cone-shaped rice dish with side dishes of vegetables and meat originating from Javanese cuisine of Indonesia. Traditionally featured in the '' slamatan'' ceremony, the rice is made by using a ...

,'' to be distributed after the ceremony''. Sega uduk'' also becomes a required dish to be served during ''Wiwitan'', a Javanese pre-harvest ritual. ''Uduk'' was introduced to Batavia by Javanese migrants in 1628, and later become popular dish in this region. Betawi people who sell this dish will often add a Betawi touch by adding ''semur jengkol''. ''Uduk'' is also popular among

Javanese diaspora The Javanese diaspora is the demographic group of descendants of ethnic Javanese who emigrated from the Indonesian island of Java to other parts of the world. The Javanese diaspora includes a significant population in Suriname, with over 13% of ...

s in Suriname and the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. ''Nasi uduk'' is made by cooking rice soaked in coconut milk instead of water, along with clove,

cassia bark ''Cinnamomum cassia'', called Chinese cassia or Chinese cinnamon, is an evergreen tree originating in southern China, and widely cultivated there and elsewhere in South and Southeast Asia (India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam) ...

, and

lemongrass ''Cymbopogon'', also known as lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, Cochin grass, Malabar grass, oily heads, citronella grass or fever grass, is a genus of Asian, African, Australian, and tropical island plants in the grass family. Some ...

to add aroma. Sometimes knotted '' pandan'' leaves are thrown into the rice while steaming to give it more fragrance. The coconut milk and spices imparts an oily, rich taste to the rice. ''Bawang goreng'' (fried

shallots The shallot is a botanical variety (a cultivar) of the onion. Until 2010, the (French red) shallot was classified as a separate species, ''Allium ascalonicum''. The taxon was synonymized with '' Allium cepa'' (the common onion) in 2010, as th ...

) is sprinkled on top of the rice before serving. Other dishes are usually served as side dishes. Depending on the occasion, ''uduk'' can be served "''berkat'' style" in a woven bamboo box, wrapped in teak wood or banana leaves, or served as a large cone on a ''tampah'' (a rounded bamboo platter) as a ''tumpeng''.

Side dishes

For certain rituals or ceremonies, uduk is usually served with traditional Javanese dishes like ''kering tempe'', ''urap,'' and ''sambel goreng (kentang''/potato, ''krecek/''cow's skin'', teri/''anchovy, etc'')''. Humble protein sources, such as, a hard boiled egg, fried tempeh, or fried tofu, can also be included in the package. In today's ''slametan'', modern Indonesian food dish (or from other regions), such as sliced fried egg, ''telur bumbu Bali'' (Balinese style egg)'','' or ''

rendang Rendang ( ; ) is a Minang dish originating from the Minangkabau region in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It has spread across Indonesian cuisine to the cuisines of neighbouring Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the ...

'', may also be included. Some people may also add ''mie goreng'' or vermicelli into the dish. ''

Krupuk ''Krupuk'' ( Javanese), ''kerupuk'' ( Indonesian), ''keropok'' ( Malay), ''kroepoek'' ( Dutch) or ''kropek'' (Tagalog) is a cracker made from starch or animal skin and other ingredients that serve as flavouring. Most krupuk are deep fried, ...

rempeyek Rempeyek or peyek is a deep-fried savoury Indonesian- Javanese cracker made from flour (usually rice flour) with other ingredients, bound or coated by crispy flour batter. The most common type of rempeyek is ''peyek kacang'' ("peanut peyek") ...

,'' or '' emping'' can also be added. Jakarta's's style ''uduk'' is a cross between Javanese's ''uduk'' and Melayu's '' nasi lemak''. It may include ''jengkol'' (brown stinky beans) as a Betawi touch, and some elements of nasi lemak, such as ''teri-kacang'' (slightly similar to Javanese ''sambel goreng'' ''teri'', except that it's not spicy). Sambal may be used in a commercial ''uduk'', but it's not prerequisite for a ritual/ceremonial ''uduk''. In general, any types of sambal can be used as a condiment.

Nasi Uduk in Jakarta

Each neighbourhood in Jakarta has its own variant of the dish, the most notable being ''Nasi uduk Slipi'' from West Jakarta. Kebon Kacang area near

Tanah Abang Tanah Abang is a district of Central Jakarta, Indonesia. The district hosts the biggest textile market in Southeast Asia, Tanah Abang Market. It hosts Bung Karno Stadium, in Kelurahan Gelora, and the western half of the largely skyscraper-dom ...

in Central Jakarta is renowned for its nasi uduk. Nasi uduk is a popular dish for the busy commuters in Jakarta, mainly because it is affordable (one serving costs on average Rp10,000 or about US$0.77). It can be found throughout the day; some roadside stalls open exclusively in the morning, noon, or night, depending on the demographics of the surrounding area. Stalls near residential areas, marketplaces, train stations, and schools are usually open from morning to noon, while the ones near offices and street-side are usually open afternoon to midnight.

References

External links