Padang cuisine orMinangkabau cuisine is the cuisine of theMinangkabau people ofWest Sumatra,Indonesia. It is among the most popular cuisines inMaritime Southeast Asia. It is known across Indonesia asmasakan Padang afterPadang, the capital city ofWestern Sumatra province.[1] It is served in restaurants mostly owned byperantauan (migrating) Minangkabau people in Indonesian cities. Padang food is ubiquitous in Indonesian cities and is popular in neighboringMalaysia,Philippines,Brunei, andSingapore.
Padang food is famous for its use ofcoconut milk and spicy chili.[2] Minang cuisine consists of three main elements:gulai (curry),lado (chili pepper) andbareh (rice).[3] Among the cooking traditions inIndonesian cuisine, Minangkabau cuisine and most ofSumatran cuisine are influenced byIndian andMiddle Eastern cuisine, with dishes cooked incurry sauce with coconut milk and a wide variety of spice mixes.
Padang restaurant waiters are known for their exceptional skill of carrying multiple plates in their hands when serving thehidang style.
Because most Minangkabau people areMuslims, Minangkabau cuisine followshalal dietary law rigorously. Most of its protein is taken from beef, chicken, water buffalo, goat, lamb,mutton, poultry and fish. Minangkabau people are known for their fondness of cattle meat products includingoffal. Almost all the parts of cattle are used in Minangkabau dishes. Seafood is popular in coastal West Sumatran cities, and most are grilled or fried with spicy chili sauce or in curry gravy. Fish, shrimp, and cuttlefish are cooked in similar fashion. Most Minangkabau food is eaten with hot steamed rice or compressed rice such askatupek (ketupat). Vegetables are mostly boiled, such as boiledcassava leaf, or simmered in thin curry as side dishes, such asgulai of youngjackfruit or cabbage.
In popular usage prevalent in Indonesia and neighboring countries, the term "Padang food" is often used generally to refer to the culinary traditions of the Minangkabau people of Western Sumatra. However, this term is seldom used in Minangkabau inland cities itself, such asBukittinggi, a culinary hotspot in West Sumatra, where they refer to it as "Minang cuisine" or "Minang food" instead. This is partly because many Minangkabaunagari (counties) take pride in their culinary legacies, and because there are differences betweenPadang rice of Padang andkapau rice of Bukittinggi.
In Padang food establishments, it is common to eat with one's hands. They usually providekobokan, a bowl of tap water with a slice oflime in it to give a fresh scent. This water is used to wash one's hands before and after eating. If a customer does not want to eat with bare hands, it is acceptable to ask for aspoon andfork.
The food is usually cooked once per day. When eatingnasi Padang (Padang rice) in restaurants, customers choose from various dishes which are left on display in high-stacked plates in the windows. In a dine-inhidang style Padang restaurant, after the customers are seated, they do not have to order. Rather, the waiter sets the table with dozens of small dishes filled with various dishes. Customers take only what they want from this array, and they pay only for what they take.[4] The best known Padang dish isrendang,[citation needed] a spicy meat stew.Soto Padang (crispy beef in spicy soup) is commonly eaten for breakfast, whilesate (beefsatay incurry sauce served withketupat) is served in the evening.[citation needed]
The serving style is different innasi kapau food stalls, a MinangkabauBukittinggi style. After the customer is seated, he or she orders specific dishes, which will be put directly upon the steamed rice or in separate small plates.
There are many Padang food establishments throughout Indonesia and surrounding countries, according toIkatan Warung Padang Indonesia (Iwapin) or Warung Padang Bonds. In greaterJakarta alone there are at least 20,000 Padang restaurant establishments.[5] Several notable Minangkabaurestaurant chains areSederhana, Garuda, Pagi Sore, Simpang Raya, Sari Ratu, Sari Bundo, Payakumbuah and Natrabu.
Padang cuisine
Padang cuisine served in a beach stall in Gandoriah Beach,Pariaman. Dishes in coastal areas of West Sumatra are mostly sea produce, such as fishes andprawns.
Thehidang style Padang food served at Sederhana restaurant; all of the bowls of food are laid out in front of customer. The customer only pays for whatever bowl they eat from.
An array of Padang dishes arranged in a restaurant window.
The cooking method ofgulai, which employing certain ingredients; meat, poultry, vegetables, fish or seafood simmered and slowly cooked incoconut milk,spice mixture andchili pepper, formed the backbone of Minangkabau cooking tradition. The thick golden, yellowish, succulent and spicygulai sauce has become the hallmark of Padang restaurants' window displays everywhere. In Padang, smart cooking means the capability of preparinggulai.Randang (beef simmered in coconut milk and spices),asam padeh (sour and spicy stew) andkalio (watery and light-colored gravy) are just a few variations of Padanggulai.[3]
Dendeng batokok, thin strips of pounded and softened grilled beef .
Gulai, curry dish with main ingredients might be poultry, goat meat, beef, mutton, various kinds of offal, fish and seafood, and also vegetables such as cassava leaves and unripe jackfruit.
Rendang, chunks of beef stewed in spicy coconut milk and chili gravy, cooked well until dried. Other thanbeef,rendang ayam (chicken rendang),rendang itiak (duck rendang),rendang lokan (mussel rendang), and number of other varieties can be found.
Roti canai, a thin unleavened bread with a flaky crust, fried on a skillet with oil and served with condiments orcurry.
Roti jala, the name is derived from the Malay wordroti (bread) andjala (net). A special ladle with a five-hole perforation used to make the bread looks like a fish net. It is usually eaten as an accompaniment to a curried dish, or served as a sweet withserawa.Serawa is made from a mixture of boiled coconut milk, brown sugar and pandan leaves.
Sambal lado tanak,sambal withcoconut milk, anchovies, green stinky bean and spices.
Sarikayo, jam made from a base of coconut milk, eggs and sugar.
Es campur, cold and sweet dessert concoction of fruit cocktails, coconut, tapioca pearls, grass jellies, etc. and served in shaved ice, syrup and condensed milk.
Es tebak, mixed ofavocado,jack fruit,tebak, shredded and iced with sweet thick milk
A task ofThe Amazing Race 21 requires a team member to balance several plates ofhidang-style dishes to be delivered to a table of customers of a Padang restaurant in Surabaya.
Indonesian filmTabula Rasa (2014), describes aMinang family which run aRumah Makan Padang (Padang food restaurant) that hires an aspiringPapuan football player who struggles in Jakarta as their cook.[6][7]
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