Authentic Soto Betawi (Beef Coconut Soup)
Jakarta beef soup also known as soto Betawi is an authentic dish from Jakarta, it is a very famous dish made with beef and lots of herbs, spices and coconut milk. This is a must-try recipe if you love Indonesian dish!
Origin
The name states that the soup comes from Jakarta. Betawi is another name for Jakarta a long time ago.
Even though it comes from Jakarta, the person who invented the dish was a Chinese named Lie Boen Po. (1)
Lie Boen Po was the one who popularize this Jakarta Beef Soup or Soto Betawi but not many people know this fact.
What does Soto Betawi Taste Like?
Soto Betawi is beef cooked very tenderly with spices and coconut milk. It is very delicious with so much aromatic flavor.
It consists of beef slices, fried potato, tomato slices, garnished with emping chips and fried shallots.
It has a slightly creamy taste and it is usually perfect for lunch with a plate of steamed rice.
Similar to Soto Betawi but with more spices is another version of Indonesian soup: Soto Tangkar. Check out the differences of Soto Tangkar and Soto Betawi.
Authentic Soto Betawi Recipe
- 500 gr beef shank
Spices A:
- 10 pcs shallots
- 4 pcs garlic
- 3 pcs candlenut
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp cumin
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
Spices B:
- 3 pcs lime leaves
- 3 pcs bay leaves
- 1 pcs galangal
- 1 pcs ginger
- 2 lemongrass stalks
- 1.5 liter water
- 130 cc coconut milk + 500 cc water
Seasonings:
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp mushroom powder (optional)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp pepper
Topping:
- Emping (chips)
- Tomato
- Fried potato (squares)
- Chopped leeks
- Fried shallots
- Lime
- Chili sauce
MEAT – The main meat that you can use is beef shank. You can add white tripes, tendons, or even beef lungs. All need to be cooked until tender.
SPICES – I separate the spices into 2 groups to make it easier to cook. Spice A will be blended until smooth. If you don’t have the fresh version of these spices, don’t worry, the ground or dried ones will not affect the flavor too much.
Spices in group B don’t have to be blended. You only have to crush the lemongrass and galangal. This is also optional. If you crush it, the aroma will be stronger. Put all the spices in group B in the pot together with the blended one.
COCONUT MILK – You can use the canned coconut milk if the fresh one is not available in your area. The flavor will be the same.
TOPPINGS – If you can’t find emping crackers in your area, you can use other savory crackers like shrimp crackers.
How To
- Blend all spices in group A. Set aside.
- Fry the potato slices or squares. Set aside.
- Cook the meat in a pressure cooker for 50 minutes. If you plan to use tripe, you need to cook it separately. Throw away the water after cooking the tripe. Use the broth from the meat. Set aside the meat.
- Heat some cooking oil. Put in spice A.
- Put all the spices in group B.
- Stir fry until fragrant. Pour in the broth from the meat.
- Let it simmer.
- Take some broth, mix with coconut milk and water in a bowl.
- Put it into the soup, stir until well blended.
- Let is simmer.
- This is optional but in my family it is a must! I always strain the broth. I throw away all the spices in group B and sieve all spices in group A. So I have a very smooth broth.
- Put the sifted broth in a clean pot. Put in the tender meat. Let it simmer.
- Chili sauce: cook the chilis until the water boils.
- Blend the chilis and water smoothly. Set aside.
- Serve the soto.
- Put the fried potatoes, tomato slices, some meat, the broth. Sprinkle with fried shallots, emping chips, and minced leeks.
- Give some sweet soy sauce and pickled cucumber.
- Enjoy!
Serving
The beef soup is served hot with fried potatoes, tomato slices, lime, chili sauce, and emping crackers. It is sprinkled with fried shallots and minced leeks to make it more aromatic.
Many people in Indonesia like to add sweet soy sauce, too.
Soto Betawi is served with hot rice sprinkled with fried shallots. Side dish will be pickled cucumbers and green chilis.
Substitute for Coconut Milk
Since many people think of coconut milk as not a healthy ingredient, a lot of people have made soto Betawi with regular milk or evaporated milk. There is not much difference from the look. You can only tell until you actually taste it. The soup is smoother and much healthier.
Storage
If you can’t finish the soup, you can store the soup in a container in the chiller. You may want to separate all the meat, potatoes, tomatoes, and pickles.
Heat in a pot before use and serve like I mentioned above.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: What makes Soto Betawi different from other Indonesian soups?
A: Soto Betawi is different from other Indonesian soup because of its coconut milk broth. Other Indonesian soup mostly have clear broth.
Q: Can Soto Betawi be made without beef?
A: Beef is a traditional ingredient in Soto Betawi, but it is also possible to make a variation of the soup with other ingredients. You could substitute with chicken or go for a vegetarian version using mushrooms or tofu.
Q: What are some common mistakes to avoid when making Soto Betawi?
A: One common mistake is not properly sautéing the spice paste, which is crucial for developing the soup’s depth of flavor. Another mistake is using low-quality coconut milk or too light coconut milk, which can affect the richness of the soup.
Q: How can I make a vegetarian version of Soto Betawi?
A: To create a vegetarian version of Soto Betawi, you can replace the beef with a hearty vegetable like potatoes, or protein-rich options like tofu or tempeh. Use a vegetable broth as the base, but maintain the same blend of spices and coconut milk to capture the traditional flavor.
Q: Is it possible to find the ingredients for Soto Betawi outside of Indonesia?
A: Yes, many Asian grocery stores or international markets carry the spices and ingredients needed for Soto Betawi. If you can’t find some spices like galangal, you can find the dried or ground form.
There are so many Asian recipes you can try in this blog, you might like other Asian recipes like:
- Chicken Rendang
- Soto Tangkar
- Sop Buntut Sapi / Oxtail Soup
- Bihun Goreng – Fried Vermicelli
- Nasi Goreng Kampung – Indonesian Fried Rice
Soto Betawi
Ingredients
- 500 gr beef shank
Spice A
- 10 pcs shallots
- 4 pcs garlic
- 3 pcs candlenut
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp cumin
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
Spice B
- 3 pcs lime leaves
- 3 pcs bay leaves
- 1 pcs galangal
- 1 pcs ginger
- 2 stalk lemongrass
- 1.5 liter water
- 130 ccc coconut milk add 500 cc water
Seasonings
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp mushroom powder optional
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp pepper
Toppings
- Emping fried chips
- Tomato slices
- Fried potato squares
- Chopped leeks
- Fried shallots
- Lime
- Chili sauce
Instructions
- Blend all spices in group A. Set aside.
- Fry the potato slices or squares. Set aside.
- Cook the meat in a pressure cooker for 50 minutes.
If you plan to use tripe, you need to cook it separately. Throw away the water after cooking the tripe. Use the broth from the meat. Set aside the meat. - Heat some cooking oil. Put in spice A.
- Put all the spices in group B.
- Stir fry until fragrant. Pour in the broth from the
meat. - Let it simmer.
- Take some broth, mix with coconut milk and water in
a bowl. - Put it into the soup, stir until well blended.
- Let it simmer.
- This is optional but in my family it is a must! I always strain the broth. I throw away all the spices in group B and sieve all spices in group A. So I have a very
smooth broth. - Put the sifted broth in a clean pot. Put in the tender meat. Let it simmer.
- Chili sauce: cook the chilis until the water boils.
- Blend the chilis and water smoothly. Set aside.
- Put the fried potatoes, tomato slices, some meat, the broth in a bowl. Sprinkle with fried shallots, emping chips, and minced leeks.
- Give some sweet soy sauce and pickled cucumber. Enjoy!