Nasi Ulam

Nasi ulam is found in several cultures across the archipelago, including the Betawi as well as Bali and Malay Sumatra, the word ulam referring to the mix of herbs and leaves eaten with rice. In Jakarta two styles are recognised: a wet, gravy-soaked version associated with the north and centre of the city, and a drier southern version in which finely chopped herbs are folded straight into the rice. The dish reflects the layered make-up of Betawi food, drawing on Malay herb-rice traditions and the toasted-coconut and dendeng elements common to the region. It is often described as a once-common Betawi specialty that has grown scarcer.

The first thing you notice is fragrance — the green, peppery lift of kemangi against the warm, nutty sweetness of toasted coconut serundeng. The rice is dry and separate, each grain coated and seasoned rather than wet. Then the toppings come in turn: dark, sweet semur; chewy strands of dendeng; the salty crackle of fried anchovy and shallot; cool cucumber; the crunch of peanuts. It is savoury and aromatic rather than rich or spicy, a plate you eat by mixing everything together so no two forkfuls taste quite the same.

The dish is an exercise in dry seasoning rather than wet cooking. Serundeng is the engine of flavour: grated coconut is toasted slowly with shallot, garlic, coriander and palm sugar until golden and crisp, a dry-roasting that drives off moisture and develops deep, nutty browned notes while keeping the texture loose. Folding it through warm rice coats every grain without making it wet, which is what keeps the southern style dry. The fresh kemangi is added off the heat so its volatile aromatic oils stay bright rather than cooking away, and the contrasting toppings — gravy, jerky, fried fish, raw vegetable — are layered at the table so each retains its own texture.