Sayur Lodeh
This Indonesian side builds long beans or green beans, chayote or zucchini and cabbage into a comforting meal you can have ready in about 65 minutes. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and large pot. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (7)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: not verified. We could not confirm chayote from the ingredient list, so we make no dietary claim for this recipe.
Contains: Soy
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Blend the shallots, garlic and chiles into a paste, then cut the chayote, eggplant, beans, cabbage and tofu into bite sized pieces.
- Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the spice paste for 4 to 5 minutes until fragrant, then add the bruised lemongrass, sliced galangal and bay leaves.
- Pour in about 400 ml water with the firmer vegetables such as chayote and long beans and simmer for 5 minutes until they begin to soften.
- Add the coconut milk, eggplant, cabbage and tofu and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring now and then so the coconut milk does not split.
- Simmer for a further 8 to 10 minutes until all the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape, then season with palm sugar and salt to taste.
- Remove the lemongrass and bay leaves and serve the stew hot in bowls with steamed rice and a spoonful of sambal on the side.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Large pot · Saucepan · Blender · Steamer
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
- Shallots
- ½ small onion + a little garlic
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
What to serve with Sayur Lodeh
- Ayam Penyet Chicken
- Bakso Beef
- Bubur Ayam Breakfast
- Dadar Gulung Dessert
Tips & common questions
How long does Sayur Lodeh take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 15 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of milk?
Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Sayur Lodeh suitable for my diet?
We make no dietary claim for this recipe: at least one ingredient could not be resolved to a definite plant or animal source, so labelling it either way would be a guess. The full ingredient list is above.
Related recipes
Original recipe — developed in-house by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Sayur Lodeh is an original Indonesian recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Sayur lodeh, nasi impit dengan sambal bilis.jpg by Anarohana70, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.