Asinan Betawi (Jakarta Pickled Vegetable Salad)
A refreshing Jakarta street-food salad of lightly pickled cabbage, cucumber, bean sprouts and carrot with golden fried tofu, tossed in a tangy, spicy peanut and tamarind dressing with a whisper of shrimp paste.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Brine the vegetables
In a large bowl, mix the water with 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Add the cabbage, cucumber, bean sprouts and carrot, stir to submerge, and let them sit for 15–20 minutes. This quick salty-sour soak is what makes asinan 'pickled' and gives the vegetables their characteristic tang before the sauce goes on.
- 500 ml water
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 200 g cabbage
- 1 cucumber
- 150 g bean sprouts
- 1 carrot
✅ Done when: the vegetables taste lightly sour and still feel crisp, not soft
Fry the tofu
Drain the vegetables in a colander, squeezing small handfuls gently to push out extra liquid, then set aside. Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat (170°C/340°F) and fry the tofu cubes for 4–5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and a little crisp outside. Drain on paper towels.
- 200 g tofu
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
✅ Done when: the tofu is golden brown outside and still soft inside
Soak the tamarind
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Blend the peanut dressing
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Toss the salad
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Garnish and serve
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Brine the vegetables
In a large bowl, mix the water with 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Add the cabbage, cucumber, bean sprouts and carrot, stir to submerge, and let them sit for 15–20 minutes. This quick salty-sour soak is what makes asinan 'pickled' and gives the vegetables their characteristic tang before the sauce goes on.
- 500 ml water
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 200 g cabbage
- 1 cucumber
- 150 g bean sprouts
- 1 carrot
✅ Done when: the vegetables taste lightly sour and still feel crisp, not soft
Fry the tofu
Drain the vegetables in a colander, squeezing small handfuls gently to push out extra liquid, then set aside. Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat (170°C/340°F) and fry the tofu cubes for 4–5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and a little crisp outside. Drain on paper towels.
- 200 g tofu
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
✅ Done when: the tofu is golden brown outside and still soft inside
Soak the tamarind
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Blend the peanut dressing
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Toss the salad
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Garnish and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Asinan Betawi comes from the Betawi, the indigenous community of old Jakarta, whose cooking blends Malay, Chinese, Arab and Sundanese influences that mixed in the port city over centuries. The word 'asinan' comes from 'asin,' meaning salted, a nod to the old technique of soaking vegetables in salted, vinegared water to preserve and firm them before refrigeration was common.
Sold from carts and market stalls across Jakarta, it became a beloved everyday snack, distinct from the sweeter, fruit-based asinan found in nearby Bogor. The vegetable-and-tofu version with peanut-chili sauce is the one most associated with the Betawi name today.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It's famous for its contrast of textures and flavors: crisp pickled vegetables, soft fried tofu, and a dressing that is sour, sweet, salty and spicy all at once, a refreshing counterpoint to Jakarta's heat and to richer, heavier dishes.
💡 Fun Fact
Street vendors traditionally carry asinan in large glass jars on their carts, ladling out the peanut-chili sauce fresh over the pickled vegetables for each customer.
Jakarta, home of the Betawi people
-6.21°S, 106.85°E
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