Indonesian ingredients: how to get them in my hometown?

You will be surprised how easy it is to get Indonesian recipe ingredients in Europe. Holland has a huge Indonesian community and therefore most of the ingredients from our Bunda Indonesia recipe eBook are available in your hometown. In my parents’ town, for example, the local poulterer sells a big range of products but I know many cities where there is an Asian or even Indonesian supermarket. If you aren’t lucky there, you might be able to get some of the products at an Islamitic supermarket. When Redy was in Holland he was blown away because he really didn’t expect that everything would be available so far from his home country.

Before you start running around checking all the local sellers in your town or city. Check if your city or town has a big Indonesian community and maybe find out where they do their groceries. I know the Albert Heijn sells some of it too, but probably not as good as the ones a local shop.

In case products are really not available you might be able to replace them. My family is a big fan of Indonesian cuisine and I know that my mother can always find good alternatives if a product is not available. If it is difficult to find, it is always an option to ask a local Indonesian restaurant or caterer. When still out of luck, you can always contact us through Facebook or Instagram, we are happy to help you find a good replacement.

Are you worried it’s too spicy? In many recipes, you can reduce the chilies or leave them out altogether. Another option is to use chilies that are less sharp or older. Since chilies lose their spiciness with age. Do it exactly as you want because believe it or not, there are also people whose lips already burn when hearing the word sambal. Also, cooking in Indonesia is intuitive, so you just have to do what feels good for you.

Well, what are you waiting for? Indonesian cooking is super fun and the flavors are so deep and diverse. A wonderful way to spend the evenings in the Netherlands or where ever in the world you might be. Click here to go to our cooking eBook so you can start cooking.