Ketoprak
Hailing from Indonesia, Ketoprak is a much-loved salad. ยท Indonesia
Hailing from Indonesia, Ketoprak is a much-loved salad.
About Ketoprak
Hailing from Indonesia, Ketoprak is a much-loved salad. It is prepared with rice, cabbage and noodles.
๐๏ธ History & Culture
Ketoprak is a beloved street food of the Betawi people of Jakarta, Indonesia. Its origins are not precisely documented, but it is widely recognized as a classic Jakarta dish, and the name is thought to echo the sound of a cleaver chopping ingredients on a board. The dish typically combines rice vermicelli, compressed rice cake (lontong), tofu, cabbage, and bean sprouts, all dressed in peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce.
While ketoprak is synonymous with Jakarta, similar peanut-sauce salads such as gado-gado and lotek are found across Java, each with their own local twists. It is a quintessential example of the region's street-food culture, often sold from pushcarts and eaten for breakfast or as a quick snack, reflecting the simple, hearty, and communal flavors of everyday Indonesian cooking.
๐ณ How to make Ketoprak
AI-assisted, not kitchen-testedKetoprak (Indonesian Rice, Noodle and Tofu Salad with Peanut Sauce)
A beloved street-food salad from Jakarta, Ketoprak combines compressed rice cakes, rice vermicelli, blanched cabbage and fried tofu, all tossed in a sweet-savory peanut sauce and topped with crispy krupuk and a drizzle of kecap manis.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Recipe ingredients
- 400 g (14 oz) cooked white rice, cooled, day-old rice works best; pressed into a thin layer and cut into squares
- 150 g (5ยผ oz) dried rice vermicelli (bihun), or mung bean glass noodles
- 300 g (10ยฝ oz) white cabbage, cored and shredded into 5 cm / 2 in pieces
- 200 g (7 oz) firm tofu, tahoo from an Asian grocer; fried until golden
- 100 g (3ยฝ oz) raw peanuts, for the sauce, plus extra crushed for garnish
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 whole red Thai chilies (cabe rawit), seeds in for heat, out for mild
- 1 tsp terasi (shrimp paste), toasted dry in a pan for 1 minute until fragrant; do not skip for authentic flavor
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste, mixed with 60 ml / 4 tbsp warm water and strained
- 3 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), Bango or ABC brand
- 1 tsp fine salt, or to taste
- 200 ml (ยพ cup + 1 tbsp) water, for thinning the sauce
- 8 pieces krupuk (Indonesian shrimp crackers), substitute: plain prawn crackers
- 2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
Steps
- 1 Cook the rice: rinse 300 g / 10ยฝ oz raw jasmine rice until water runs clear, then cook with 360 ml / 1ยฝ cups water in a rice cooker or covered pot until tender. Spread evenly on a tray and let cool completely, then press firmly into a 1 cm / ยฝ in thick sheet and cut into 4 cm / 1ยฝ in squares. (Many vendors fry these rice cakes briefly in oil until lightly crisp on both sides; home kitchens can skip this step for a softer texture.)
- 2 Prepare the noodles: soak the rice vermicelli in hot water for 4โ5 minutes until just pliable, then drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside in a bowl.
- 3 Blanch the cabbage: bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, add the shredded cabbage, and cook for 1 minute only โ it should stay bright green and crisp-tender. Drain and immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking, then drain again.
- 4 Fry the tofu: pat the tofu very dry, cut into 2 cm / ยพ in cubes, and shallow-fry in 3 tbsp neutral oil over medium heat for 4โ5 minutes, turning until all sides are golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
- 5 Make the peanut sauce (bumbu kacang): dry-roast the peanuts in a pan over medium heat for 4โ5 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned, then grind to a coarse paste in a mortar or food processor. Pound or blend the garlic, chilies and toasted terasi to a paste, then combine with the peanuts, tamarind water, kecap manis, salt and 200 ml / ยพ cup water. Simmer gently for 4 minutes, stirring, until thickened to a pourable consistency; loosen with a splash of water if it tightens too much. Keep warm.
- 6 Assemble: in each of 4 bowls, layer a handful of noodles, several pieces of pressed rice, a generous mound of cabbage, and 4โ5 cubes of fried tofu.
- 7 Spoon 3โ4 tablespoons of warm peanut sauce over each serving and toss gently so every strand is coated.
- 8 Top each bowl with crushed raw peanuts, sliced scallions, and 2 krupuk broken into shards (fried in a tablespoon of hot oil for 2โ3 seconds until they puff and curl). Serve immediately while the krupuk is still crisp.
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Ketoprak โ frequently asked questions
What is Ketoprak?
Hailing from Indonesia, Ketoprak is a much-loved salad. It is prepared with rice, cabbage and noodles.
What is Ketoprak made of?
Ketoprak is made with rice, cabbage and noodles.
Where does Ketoprak come from?
Ketoprak comes from Indonesia. Ketoprak is a beloved street food of the Betawi people of Jakarta, Indonesia.
Where can I eat Ketoprak?
Locals grab a paper cone of ketoprak from a street-side cart at dusk, crushing peanut sauce and crackers over the warm rice noodles with a wooden spoon.
How do you make Ketoprak?
Making Ketoprak at home takes about 20 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe on this page serves 4 and is rated easy. Full ingredient list and step-by-step method are in the recipe section above.
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