Nasi uduk

Nasi uduk (from Javanese nasi wuduk; Javanese script: ꦤꦱꦶ​ꦮꦸꦢꦸꦏ꧀) is an Indonesian-style steamed rice cooked in coconut milk dish, especially popular in Betawi and Javanese culinary traditions.

The Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia describes nasi uduk as rice cooked with coconut milk and seasoned with spices.

According to the book Kuliner Betawi Selaksa Rasa & Cerita (2016) written by Akademi Kuliner Indonesia, the term uduk etymology derived from the term that means "difficult" or "struggle", which suggested that this rice dish was originally consumed by farmers and hard labourers.

Another theory suggests that the term uduk is related to the term aduk which means "mix", thus nasi uduk means "mixed rice".

On the other hand, some people connected the etymology to the Javanese traditions. Sultan Agung of Mataram called this rice dish wuduk, from the Arabic word tawadhu' which means being humble before God. Depending on the dialect used, it can be referred to as uduk or wuduk in Javanese. When a reference to its taste is made, it's called sega gurih (lit. savory rice).

According to the book Makanan Khas Betawi (2018) by Lilly T. Erwin, nasi uduk is a Betawi food that is quite popular and easy to find in almost all corners of Jakarta. Despite its current popularity in the Jakarta area, historians suggest that the origin of this rice dish can be traced to the influence of two culinary traditions: Malay and Javanese.

According to historians, there were historic trade and migration links connecting the port of Malacca and the port of Batavia, thus Malay traders and immigrants frequently visited Batavia, thus they brought the nasi lemak cooking tradition into Batavia. Plus, there were Javanese settlers in Batavia who were also familiar with cooking coconut rice. Moreover, after the fall of Portuguese Malacca to the Dutch in 1641, the link between the two port cities was enforced tremendously since finally, both belonged to the Dutch empire. The trace of the Malay people's migration from the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra into Batavia can be seen in the historic name of the Kampung Melayu area in East Jakarta.

On the other hand, some historians suggested that nasi uduk was originated from Java. It was the brainchild of Sultan Agung of Mataram, a Javanese ruler, inspired by his experience consuming kebuli rice. According to Babad Tanah Jawi, Mataram sultans loved to eat "Arabic rice", which may refer to different types of pilaf or Arab-style rice. The phrase is often translated to kebuli (popular among Arabic descent in Indonesia) or biryani (an Indian Muslim dish) as these two dishes are the most commonly known among Javanese Muslims. Sultan Agung decided to create a local version of this "Arab dish" using local ingredients, partly to reduce the imported ingredients required to make that dish. Nasi uduk is mentioned in early 19th century Javanese literature Serat Centhini as sega wuduk.