''Nasi uduk'' (Indonesian: "''nasi'' ''uduk''") is an Indonesian style steamed rice cooked in coconut milk dish, especially popular in

Betawi cuisine Betawi cuisine is rich, diverse and eclectic, in part because the Betawi people that create them were composed from numbers of regional immigrants that came from various places in the Indonesian archipelago, as well as Chinese, Indian, Arab, an ...

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 ...

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 Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital city, capital and list of Indonesian cities by population, largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coa ...

. 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. Moreover, after the fall of Portuguese Malacca to the Dutch 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 mo ...

. It was the brainchild of Sultan Agung of Mataram (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 (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 vari ...

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

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the nor ...

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 Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food ...

instead of water, along with clove, cassia bark, 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'', may also be included. Some people may also add ''mie goreng'' or vermicelli into the dish. '' Krupuk, rempeyek,'' or ''

emping Emping (also known as arifin) are a type of Indonesian chips, a bite-size snack kripik cracker, made of ''melinjo'' or ''belinjo'' (''Gnetum gnemon'') nuts (which are seeds). Emping crackers have a slightly bitter taste. Emping snacks are av ...

'' 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 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