Babi kecap is a popular Indonesian Chinese dish made with kecap manis (a sweet dark soy sauce) and a variety of unique spices. Babi means pork in Indonesian, but more specifically, this Babi kecap is most often made with pork belly.
While most of Indonesia’s population is Muslim (and does not consume pork), babi kecap is popular among non-Muslim Indonesians and as well as the Indo-Dutch in the Netherlands, due to past colonial ties.
The first time we saw and tried this dish was on a cruise buffet line. For those of you who have been on a cruise, the food served on board can be very diverse, with many Asian cultural options, including Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Indian, and Filipino dishes.
The Babi Kecap was a standout for us, and it was a really nice change over the usual Shanghai pork belly dish that Judy often makes for the family. But best of all, the dish is really easy to make!
What is a Kecap Manis?
Kecap manis (or ketjap manis) is a thick, syrupy Indonesian sweet soy sauce made from a soy sauce base with palm sugar. Its dark color is similar to Chinese dark soy sauce, but is much sweeter and more viscous.
Kecap Manis is available for purchase in most Asian grocery stores as well as online. If you can’t find it, you can also make your own kecap manis substitute by using ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup dark brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon molasses. Combine everything in a pan over medium heat, bring to a simmer, cool, and use it in this recipe.
What Spices are Used in Indonesian Cooking?
When I first saw this Babi Kecap, I asked the chef, and he said “It’s Indonesian-style Pork belly!” I’d never tried the dish before, so I immediately scooped some onto my plate, and instantly fell in love with the subtle but complex flavors of the dish. It took a while to realize what spices and flavors were used in the dish.
After some research, I found some key flavors used in Indonesian cooking:
Cloves, coriander, ginger, galangal, shallot, lemongrass, turmeric, cumin, makrut lime leaf, chili peppers, tamarind. It’s not an exhaustive list, but based on the flavor of the dish, I think I identified many of the spices. I recreated it as best as I could, and it turned out great!
What is served with Babi Kecap?
Babi kecap is a perfect one-plate meal, and must be served with rice. Here are some vegetable sides that would go nicely with the pork belly:
- Steamed Broccoli
- Easy Yu Choy Sum
- Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce
- Smashed Cucumber Salad
- Bok Choy Stir-fry
On to the recipe!
Recipe Instructions
Cut your pork belly into 2-inch pieces that are about 3/4-inch (2cm) thick. These will cook down nicely to bite-size tender morsels of pork! Remember that the larger your pork belly pieces, the longer they will take to cook.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and add the pork belly pieces. Stir and bring back to a boil. Simmer for about 2 minutes, or just until the pork turns opaque. This removes impurities and starts the cooking process. Take the pork out of the pot, rinse to clean off any particles, and set aside. Discard the water and clean out your pot.
Heat the pot until it just starts to smoke (or just until hot if using nonstick). Add the oil and pork. Cook until slightly browned (do not move the pork for at least a minute to minimize sticking). Next, add the ginger, garlic, onion, galangal powder, coriander powder and ground cloves.
Reduce to medium heat and continue cooking until onions are slightly softened and fragrant. Add water (the pork should be almost covered), the makrut lime leaves, dried chili peppers (if using), kecap manis, soy sauce, and salt. Stir and bring everything to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the pork is tender to your liking (use a fork to check it). Again, the cooking time will depend upon the size or your pork belly pieces.
Uncover the pot and increase the heat so the sauce comes to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced to a glistening coating.
Serve with white rice and a vegetable side. Enjoy!
Looking for more authentic recipes? Subscribe to our email list and be sure to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube!
Recipe
Babi Kecap (Indonesian Chinese Braised Pork Belly)
Ingredients
- 1½ pound skin-on boneless pork belly
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon ginger (finely minced or grated)
- 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
- ¼ cup diced red onion or shallot
- ½ teaspoon galangal or sand ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2½ cups water
- 2 dried Makrut lime leaves
- 3 dried red chili peppers (optional)
- 3 tablespoons kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cut your pork belly into 2-inch pieces that are about 3/4-inch (2cm) thick. These will cook down nicely to bite-size tender morsels of pork! Remember that the larger your pork belly pieces, the longer they will take to cook.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and add the pork belly pieces. Stir and bring back to a boil. Simmer for about 2 minutes, or just until the pork turns opaque. This removes impurities and starts the cooking process. Take the pork out of the pot, rinse to clean off any particles, and set aside. Discard the water and clean out your pot.
- Heat the pot until it just starts to smoke (or just until hot if using nonstick). Add the oil and pork. Cook until slightly browned (do not move the pork for at least a minute to minimize sticking). Next, add the ginger, garlic, onion, galangal powder, coriander powder and ground cloves.
- Reduce to medium heat and continue cooking until onions are slightly softened and fragrant. Add water (the pork should be almost covered), the lime leaves, dried chili peppers (if using), kecap manis, soy sauce, and salt. Stir and bring everything to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the pork is tender to your liking (use a fork to check it). Again, the cooking time will depend upon the size or your pork belly pieces.
- Uncover the pot and increase the heat so the sauce comes to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced to a glistening coating.
- Serve with white rice and a vegetable side. Enjoy!
