About this recipe

Rawon is East Java’s famous black beef soup, colored and flavored by keluak (kluwek) nuts. The broth is earthy, savory, and gently spiced—comforting rather than fiery.

Mothers often serve it with salted egg, short bean sprouts, and sambal so each bowl can be customized. It looks dramatic, but the method is a straightforward braise.

Choose ripe keluak with dark, soft flesh. Pale or moldy nuts will not give the deep color or the right aroma.

Prep & cook time

Prep25 minutes
Cook1 hour 35 minutes
Total2 hours
Servings6 servings
LevelMedium

Tools you need

Large pot
Blender or mortar
Knife
Ladle

Ingredients

800 g beef (brisket or shank), cut into cubes
4–5 ripe keluak nuts, soaked and flesh scooped
8 shallots
5 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 cm turmeric
2 cm ginger
3 cm galangal, smashed
2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
3 kaffir lime leaves
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1.5–2 L water
Short bean sprouts, salted eggs, sambal, and lime, for serving

Directions

Soak keluak as directed on the package or overnight; scoop out the dark flesh and discard shells.
Simmer the beef in water until half-tender, about 45–60 minutes. Skim foam; reserve the broth.
Blend shallots, garlic, coriander, turmeric, ginger, and keluak flesh into a paste.
Sauté the paste with galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves, and bay leaves until fragrant and the oil separates.
Add the sauté to the beef and broth. Simmer until the meat is fully tender and the broth is deep black, 30–45 minutes more.
Season with salt. Taste—the soup should be savory and earthy, not bitter.
Serve in bowls with bean sprouts, salted egg, lime, and sambal.

Kitchen tips

If keluak tastes bitter, rinse the flesh and sauté the paste longer.
Short bean sprouts (tauge pendek) are traditional; add them raw for crunch.
Rawon tastes better after resting 30 minutes.
Serve rice on the side, not in the broth, unless your family prefers it that way.

Serve with

Warm rice
Salted egg
Sambal
Prawn crackers

How to store

Refrigerate up to 3 days. The flavor deepens overnight. Freeze broth and beef up to 1 month.

Common mistakes

Using unripe keluak that tastes bitter or fails to blacken the soup.
Under-salting—keluak needs enough salt to bloom.
Boiling bean sprouts in the pot until limp.