Must-have Indonesian Breakfast Specials

Serving breakfast is actually quite a profitable idea. Customers love quick and tasty dishes, so take a look at some of the most delicious Indonesian breakfast items you can tempt diners with!

Breakfast Meals

Nasi uduk

Nasi uduk is a traditional Betawi dish, but there are also other dishes akin to it such as nasi lemak from Sumatra and nasi gurih from Jawa. Nasi uduk is a simple dish of seasoned rice accompanied by side dishes such as omelette or tempeh, making it a perfect choice for your customer’s breakfast.

Fried rice

Fried rice is also a common breakfast choice for Indonesians, especially now that its popularity skyrocketed after it was voted the runner up in CNN’s most delicious dishes after rendang. What if you fused these two recipes into one scrumptious meal? Try out this nasi rendang recipe and find out!

Chicken porridge

Another popular dish for breakfast is chicken porridge. Its savoury taste and soft texture are part of what makes it so irresistible. Manado porridge or Tasik porridge are two examples of popular chicken porridge variants in Indonesia. Add toppings such as chicken katsu or abon to make it even more enticing.

Lontong sayur

Lontong is another favourite breakfast choice in various provinces of Indonesia. One example of a well-known variant of lontong is from Padang, where curry filled with jackfruit, beans, and sometimes paku vegetables are used. Soft lontong and savoury sauce is a good breakfast choice before starting the day.

Gudeg

While not every place in Indonesia sells gudeg, it is still a very popular choice for breakfast in Yogyakarta and Central Java. This dark brown jackfruit dish combined with thick areh sauce, krecek, and telur bacem is guaranteed to satisfy your customer’s hunger pangs in the morning.

Nasi krawu

This particular dish is a traditional culinary favourite from Gresik, East Java. It is a simple dish consisting of white rice served alongside slices of beef, serundeng, and offal on bamboo plates layered with banana leaf; an attractive addition to your menu.

Chicken soto

You can never go wrong with chicken soto. Here’s an amazing soto ceker recipe for you to try, but do remember to adjust your soto dishes to appeal to the local palate.

Snacks

Indonesians also have snacks served alongside a cup of hot coffee or tea as a breakfast meal. In fact, some are so popular, they’re commonly served in restaurants and hotels. Here are some great picks for your menu:

Kue lumpur

This soft cake is made of potato, flour, eggs and coconut milk, with raisins as decorations on top. It’s high in carbohydrate, fat and protein which makes it a fitting snack for those looking for morning fuel. Tempt your customers with this delicious kue lumpur recipe and watch them crave for more!

Bika Ambon

Even though this dish has ‘Ambon’ in its name, this sweet cake is actually a traditional treat from Medan. Made with flour, eggs, coconut milk and yeast, this cake goes perfectly with a cup of morning tea or coffee. Try experimenting and create your own variant of bika Ambon by adding toppings such as cheese, almond, or mete.

Bolu kojo

Bolu kojo is a popular snack from Southern Sumatra. This cake was originally only served during cultural festivals, but it is now part of the culinary tradition of Sumatra. Bolu kojo has a soft texture and sweet taste, making it a fitting choice for breakfast. Its main ingredients are flour, eggs and coconut milk, resulting in a real breakfast treat.

Lemper

This traditional Javanese snack is made from sticky rice and coconut milk with chicken filling. Its dense texture, savoury flavor and high carbohydrate content makes it a great light breakfast snack for customers who aren’t used to a heavy meal in the morning.