A traditional soup from East Java, Indonesia, whose distinctive black color comes from the keluak nut, which is soaked until soft and blended with a white bumbu (spice paste) to form a dark, nearly black paste. The bumbu is cooked in oil with aromatics, then built into a broth described as nutty, creamy, and slightly bitter with a savory depth. The soup contains beef and is served with an array of sides and condiments.
Kensington MD
Artha Rini
Rawon
Keluak nut / White bumbu / Oil / Lemongrass / Indonesian bay leaf / Kaffir lime leaf / Coriander / Beef
Signature Dish
From Prep to Plate
Host Seth Tillman visits Chef Artha Rini at the Indonesian restaurant of the same name to learn the art of making Rawon, the famous black beef soup from East Java, Indonesia. Chef Rini explains the fascinating process of preparing the keluak nut — a unique, dark ingredient that gives Rawon its signature color and deep, nutty flavor but requires careful fermentation to be safe to eat.
...some of Artha Rini’s best dishes are unique to her native Java. The most important ingredient in rawon, a spiced beef soup, is keluak nut, which darkens the broth to an inky black and adds a rich, chocolate-y fragrance. Artha Rini’s rawon comes with a plate of rice, a salted duck egg, and krupuk, super-crunchy cassava starch crackers. Crush one over the soup or dip it in, and it crackles like Rice Krispies in milk.
Ike Allen, Washingtonian
