Rawon (Indonesian Black Beef Soup)

  • Total Time - 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Preparation - 30 minutes
  • Cooking (Braising) - 2 hours
  • Servings: 6
  • Country: Indonesia
Indonesian Rawon soup with dark broth, beef, and rice.

The foundation of Rawon is the Bumbu (spice paste), which is fried for a long time to release its aromas and then slowly braised with the meat. For the best flavour, meat suitable for long braising, such as beef shank, brisket, or chuck, should be used.

Ingredients

For the Rawon Soup

  • 750 g Beef (shank, chuck, or brisket), diced into 2 cm cubes
  • 1.5 l Water or Beef Broth
  • 1 stalk Lemongrass, bruised
  • 2 cm Galangal (Lao, bruised)
  • 3 pcs Kaffir Lime Leaves
  • 1 tsp Palm Sugar (or brown sugar)
  • to taste Salt

For the Spice Paste (Bumbu)

  • 6 pcs Kluwek Black Nut (scoop out the flesh from 5-6 nuts and soak in warm water)
  • 6 pcs Shallots (or red onion)
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 1 tsp Turmeric (fresh or ground)
  • 1 tsp Coriander Seeds (ground)
  • 0.5 tsp Cumin (ground)
  • 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil

For Serving

  • portion Steamed Rice (Nasi)
  • portion Short Bean Sprouts (lightly blanched)
  • for topping Fried Shallots (Bawang Goreng)
  • for spiciness Sambal Terasi (shrimp paste and chili paste)

Instructions

Step 1: Preparing the Beef

Boil the beef in 1.5 l of water with 1 tsp of salt and the bruised lemongrass stalk until almost tender (about 1 – 1.5 hours). Strain the broth and set it aside. Cut the meat into small cubes.

Step 2: Preparing Kluwek and Bumbu Paste

Kluwek: Scoop out the flesh from the nuts, mash it, and soak it in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain.

Prepare Bumbu: In a mortar or blender, blend shallots, garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and the soaked kluwek into a smooth paste (Bumbu).

Step 3: Frying the Paste and Braising

In a pot over medium heat, heat the oil and fry the Bumbu paste for 5-8 minutes until an intense aroma is released and the paste darkens (it should remain black).

Add the galangal, lime leaves, palm sugar, and the cubed beef pieces. Stir for a minute to coat the meat with the paste.

Pour in the prepared beef broth. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer gently for 30-45 minutes to allow the flavours to meld and the broth to achieve a deep black colour. Add salt to taste.

Step 4: Serving

Serve Rawon very hot. Place steamed white rice (Nasi) in a bowl and pour a generous amount of the soup with meat over it.

It is traditionally garnished and seasoned with fresh short bean sprouts, fried shallots, and a small amount of Sambal Terasi.