Nasi kebuli facts for kids
A plate of nasi kebuli kambing
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| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Indonesia |
| Region or state | Jakarta, Central Java and East Java |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Rice with minyak samin (ghee) spiced and served with goat meat |
Nasi kebuli is a special Indonesian rice dish. It's a bit like a type of pilaf, which is a rice dish cooked in a tasty broth. Nasi kebuli is made by cooking rice in a rich broth from goat meat, along with goat milk and clarified butter, often called ghee.
This delicious meal is very popular among the Arab community in Indonesia and the Betawi people who live in Jakarta. Nasi kebuli has been influenced by many different cultures. Its roots can be traced back to Middle Eastern cuisine, especially from Yemen (like mandi rice or kabsa). It also has influences from Indian cuisine (like biryani rice) and Afghan cuisine (like kabuli palaw).
In Betawi culture, people often enjoy nasi kebuli during important Islamic celebrations. These include holidays like Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, or Mawlid. Outside of Jakarta, you'll find nasi kebuli is well-loved in areas where many Arab Indonesians live. Some of these places are West Java, Banten, Surakarta, Surabaya, Gresik, and Banyuwangi.
Where Nasi Kebuli Comes From
Nasi kebuli gets its name and history from a dish called kabuli palaw. This is an Afghan type of pilaf that comes from the city of Kabul. It's similar to the biryani dishes you find in places like India. However, nasi kebuli also has strong influences from Hadhrami (Yemeni) and Indian cuisine in how it's cooked and seasoned.
The Middle Eastern version of kabuli rice is more like the Afghan kabuli palaw. The word pilaf, palau, or palaw simply means a rice dish cooked with a seasoned broth. History tells us that this type of dish was brought to the Middle East from the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. One difference is that the Middle Eastern or Afghan versions of Kebuli often include shredded carrots and sometimes grapes.
How to Make Nasi Kebuli
Making nasi kebuli involves a special cooking process. First, the rice is cooked in goat meat broth along with milk or coconut milk instead of just water. This gives the rice a rich flavor.
The goat meat is cooked separately with a mix of spices. This spice mixture is first sautéed in clarified butter, which is often ghee (known locally as minyak samin). The spices usually include ground garlic, shallot, ginger, black pepper, clove, coriander, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. After the meat and spices are cooked, they are mixed with sliced tomatoes. Then, these ingredients are boiled together with the half-cooked rice in milk until everything is fully cooked and tender.
Serving Nasi Kebuli
Nasi kebuli is usually served with a fresh side dish called asinan nanas. This is a mix of pineapple in a spicy and sour sauce. Sometimes, it's also topped with sambal goreng hati, which is cow liver cooked in a spicy sambal sauce.
To make it even more delicious, nasi kebuli is often sprinkled with raisins and sometimes nuts. In the Indonesian Hadhrami community, people sometimes enjoy it with maraq soup. This is a flavorful spiced lamb or goat soup that goes perfectly with the rice.
