Rawon

Rawon is a delectable beef soup from Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. Distinguished by its unique dark color and nutty flavor, this dish owes its distinctiveness to the black keluak nut. To prepare rawon, you start by sautéing a blend of garlic, shallots, keluak, ginger, candlenut, turmeric, red chili, and salt. This aromatic mixture is then added to a pot of boiling beef stock containing diced beef slices. To further enhance the flavor, lemongrass, galangal, bay leaves, kaffir lime leaves, and a bit of sugar are incorporated into the pot.

Traditionally, rawon is garnished with green onions and fried shallots and is always accompanied by a serving of rice. Additional toppings like bean sprouts, salted preserved eggs, krupuk (crispy crackers), and fried tolo beans can be added for extra texture and flavor.

Rawon boasts a rich history, dating back to ancient Java. It was mentioned as "rarawwan" in the old Javanese Taji inscription from 901 CE during the Mataram Kingdom era. While various versions of rawon exist, the Surabaya variant is the most renowned. There's even a special type known as "rawon setan" or "devil's rawon" popular as a late-night meal at food stalls open from midnight to dawn.

In Bali, rawon takes on a slightly different form. The soup omits the black keluak nut, resulting in a brown color instead of black. Additionally, Balinese rawon often features pork instead of beef, reflecting the Hindu majority on the island.