12 Traditional Dishes for Ramadan and Lebaran

Author Elfie V
Elfie V.

I find inspiration and joy in the kitchen as a passionate cooking enthusiast and culinary artist.

Ramadan is an important religious observance celebrated by Muslims around the world. Every year, during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims abstain from all food and drink from sunrise to sunset for 29-30 days. Beyond fasting, Ramadan is a time for self-reflection and spiritual discipline. It's also a time for increased prayer and charity towards those in need.

Image by Freepik
Image by Freepik

Meanwhile, Lebaran, also known as Idul Fitri, is a special celebration that takes place each year at the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Muslims. This special holiday brings with it a sense of joy and thankfulness as it marks the end of a spiritually fulfilling period.

In many countries, Lebaran is celebrated with great enthusiasm and is marked by several traditional activities such as reunions, feasts, and gift exchanges. Not only that, both Ramadan and Lebaran have their own traditional dishes to be served too. Check out these easy and yummy dishes for your Ramadan and Lebaran feasts!

6 Best Dishes for Ramadan

Woku Chicken

Image by Panomnom
Image by Panomnom

Woku Chicken is a flavorful and hearty dish that is perfect for cold-weather meals. The spice from the red chilies will warm you up, while the ginger and lemongrass give the dish an aromatic flavor. The shallots, garlic, and turmeric add a savory depth of flavor to the sauce. If you are looking for a tasty and easy-to-make chicken dish, then Woku Chicken is a great option! You can find our Woku Chicken recipe here.

Chicken Balls Soup

Chicken Balls Soup is a healthy soup consisting of chicken balls and several types of vegetables. This soup can be served at lunch or dinner. The method of processing this soup is similar to other soups. The difference for this soup is we have to make chicken meatballs. These chicken meatballs are very easy to make, you only need minced chicken, egg white, flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

As a complement, we can add some pieces of carrots and ear mushrooms. Other vegetables that can be added to this soup, for example, broccoli, baby corn, other types of mushrooms, etc. Check out our easy Chicken Balls Soup recipe here.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Image by Panomnom
Image by Panomnom

Usually in this dish, the chicken is fried first, then served with sweet and sour sauce. The sweet and sour sauce is a sauce that comes from water, tomato sauce, vinegar, salt, sugar, pepper, and flour as a thickener. The flour that is used for thickening is sago flour. However, this recipe does not use flour, because there is already tomato sauce that can thicken the sweet and sour sauce. If you want to use flour to thicken the sauce that's fine too.

Several things can affect the taste quality of this sweet and sour meatball, the first is the type of ingredients, then the selection of fresh ingredients, and how to cook and serve it. This food can maintain health and balance the nutrients in our bodies. You can find our Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe here.

Sauteed Bean Sprouts with Tofu

Image by Panomnom
Image by Panomnom

If you want to increase your vitamin intake, consider adding bean sprouts to your diet. This source of energy is packed with vitamins and minerals, and is low in calories. Bean sprouts contain vitamins A, C, and K, as well as folate and manganese. Bean sprouts also contain a good amount of protein and fiber. You can add it to salads, sandwiches, soups, and stir-fries.

Besides bean sprouts, another versatile and healthy food that can provide many benefits is tofu. Tofu is made from soy and is high in protein and low in calories, which makes tofu an excellent choice for those looking to lose weight or build muscle mass. You can find our Sauteed Bean Sprouts with Tofu recipe here.

Chicken Stew

Over time, chicken stew has become an Indonesian food tradition and is served at various events. Indonesian people make stews as part of a tradition that is always served during Eid. Not only as a culture, but stews also often appear at celebration events in various parts of the archipelago such as Sumatra and Kalimantan. Of course, with a taste and appearance that is adapted to the local community.

Sweet sauce (kecap manis) and sugar make the stew brown and sweet. For meat, you can use beef/chicken. This meat is sauteed for a while, then put into the stew. In addition to the main ingredients of meat and potatoes, this stew also consists of various variations in its presentation, such as the addition of tofu, tempeh, eggs, fish, and other ingredients according to the tastes of the people in their respective regions.

Check out our Chicken Stew recipe here.

Broccoli Mushroom Tofu with Oyster Sauce

Image by Panomnom
Image by Panomnom

Broccoli Mushroom Tofu with Oyster Sauce is a dish that can be a side dish for any type of food. To make this dish, just saute some garlic, then add some spices, such as oyster sauce, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Let everything cook and add a little cornstarch mixture and a little water to thicken the gravy. You can add chicken/beef to add protein to your diet.

You can find our Broccoli Mushroom Tofu with Oyster Sauce recipe here.

6 Best Dishes for Lebaran or Idul Fitri

Lontong Sayur

Image by Panomnom
Image by Panomnom

Lontong Sayur is an Indonesian dish made of compressed rice cakes (lontong) served with a coconut milk-based vegetable soup. The soup typically includes a variety of vegetables, such as green beans, cabbage, boiled eggs, and sometimes tofu or tempeh. The soup is flavored with spices like garlic, shallots, candlenut, turmeric, etc.

Lontong Sayur is typically served with a side of sambal, a spicy chili sauce, and kerupuk (Indonesian crackers). It's a delectable breakfast or brunch dish and also enjoyed as a light meal or snack. Check out our Lontong Sayur recipe here.

Opor Tofu Eggs

Image by Panomnom
Image by Panomnom

Opor Tofu Eggs is one of the dishes that can be used as a side dish. This dish has a savory and delicious taste. This side dish has a distinctive white color and usually can be found during Eid. However, you don't need to wait until Eid to cook this delicious side dish.

There are two types of opor, yellow opor, and white opor. The spice that makes these two types of opor different is turmeric. Yellow opor uses turmeric for the sauce, while white opor doesn't use turmeric. Both taste equally delicious. The main ingredient that makes this dish savory is coconut milk. You can find our Opor Tofu Eggs recipe here.

Balado Potato

Balado Potato is a typical spicy food from Minang. Balado is a spicy red sauce mixed with chunks of red chili sauce, which can be mixed with a variety of other foods. Meat or vegetables that can be made with this Balado sauce include beef, chicken, shrimp, eggplant, eggs, potatoes, etc. For meat, usually, it has to be sauteed first so that the meat is cooked, then mixed with Balado sauce.

Check out our Balado Potato recipe here.

Egg and Tofu in Balinese Spiced

Image by Panomnom
Image by Panomnom

This dish is a typical Indonesian dish consisting of a combination of eggs and tofu with Balinese spices, which have a dominantly sweet and slightly salty taste. This Balinese spice is usually red or orange in color. This color comes from red chilies which are blended together with other spices. The taste of this dish is very unique and is liked by many people.

You can find our Egg and Tofu in Balinese Spiced recipe here.

Chicken Curry

Curry is a dish that contains spices and some special seasonings. In general, this dish is a typical Indonesian chicken curry with a thick, rich, and savory sauce that can be found in Sumatra. Curry is not only found in Indonesia but other countries such as Malaysia and Singapore. It is not too spicy but if you like spicy, you can add more red chilies. This dish is very rich in taste due to the strong seasoning made from different spices and marinated with chicken.

The meat used for curry can be chicken, beef, or seafood. This thick yellow spice sauce can be found in Padang or Minangkabau. The yellow color of curry comes from turmeric, this is a mandatory ingredient when you make curry. It's very easy to cook this curry, you just need to prepare all the necessary ingredients, then follow these steps to make chicken curry.

Check out our easy Chicken Curry recipe here.

Spicy Balinese Beef

Image by Panomnom
Image by Panomnom

Bali is home to many unique dishes, one of which is Spicy Balinese Beef. This dish is made with a variety of herbs and spices, including ginger, lemongrass, turmeric, and chili. The Balinese have a unique way of seasoning their meat that is unlike any other. The combination of various kinds of spices creates a savory and sweet taste.

This Spicy Balinese Beef is cooked slowly over low heat so that the spices blend together. This cooking method produces tender, juicy meat that is full of flavor. You can use any minced meat to make this dish. Also, it's often served with warm rice and other vegetables. Check out our Spicy Balinese Beef recipe here.

Author Elfie V
Elfie V.

I find inspiration and joy in the kitchen as a passionate cooking enthusiast and culinary artist.

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