Indonesian · soup

Rawon (East Javanese Black Beef Soup)

Name: Rawon (East Javanese Black Beef Soup)
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs beef brisket, cubed; 4 kluwek nuts, cracked and pulp extracted; 5 shallots; 4 cloves garlic; 2-inch piece galangal; 2 stalks lemongrass; 1 tsp turmeric; 3 candlenuts; 3 bay leaves; 1 tsp salt; 1 cup bean sprouts; 2 salted eggs, halved; 1/4 cup sambal

Rawon (East Javanese Black Beef Soup) reads nutty 6.6, umami 6.1 and richness 5.3 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indonesian soup, about 2 hr 20 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 6.5 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 3.5 / 10
Sour & Bright — 3.9 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 3.0 / 10
Rich & Fat — 8.2 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.3 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Nutty 6.6 · Umami 6.1 · Richness 5.3 · Salinity 4.3 · Allium 3.7 · Heat 3.4 · Citrus 3.3 · Sweetness 3.2 · Earthy 2.8 · Herbaceous 2.4 · Sourness 2.0 · Bitterness 1.6 · Floral 1.5 · Warm Spice 1.1 · Fruity 1.0

What's in it (13)

1.5 lbs beef brisket, cubed
4 kluwek nuts, cracked and pulp extracted
5 shallots
4 cloves garlic
2-inch piece galangal
2 stalks lemongrass
1 tsp turmeric
3 candlenuts
3 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1 cup bean sprouts
2 salted eggs, halved
1/4 cup sambal

Time & effort: about 2 hr 20 min (20 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 319.9 kcal, 15.4 g protein, 23.6 g fat, 12.1 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Blend spice paste with black keluak nuts to create the characteristic dark color.
Simmer beef in the spiced broth until very tender.
Serve the intensely flavored black soup with bean sprouts, salted egg, and sambal.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Tigadèguèna (Groundnut Sauce with Chicken) — Malian
Middle Eastern Cinnamon-Spiced Beef and Rice Stuffed Peppers — Middle Eastern
Kalio Daging (Minang Beef Stopped at the Wet Stage) — Indonesian
Sumagiyya (Gazan Chard, Chickpea and Sumac Stew) — Palestinian
Rendang (Malaysian Dry Beef Curry) — Malaysian

Keep reading: what nutty, umami, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.