Empal Gentong Recipe - Beef Soup from Cirebon (2024)

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July 14, 2023January 22, 2024

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Empal Gentong is a signature beef soup from Cirebon in West Java, Indonesia. The dish is similar to a curry, as it features tender cuts of beef cubes in a golden, coconut milk-infused broth.

The result is a lusciously savory soup with a rich, creamy texture. Often, additional ingredients like liver, intestines, and tripe are added, though this is optional.

The traditional preparation method involves cooking the soup in a wood-fired clay pot (known as a gentong), which lends the dish its distinctive name, Empal Gentong. To serve, Empal Gentong is often sprinkled with some chopped scallions and enjoyed with kerupuk (Indonesian crackers).

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Table of Contents hide

1 What You Need to Make Empal Gentong

1.1 For the spice paste

1.2 For the garnishes

What You Need to Make Empal Gentong

4 tablespoon cooking oil
2 lemongrass, bruised (here’s how to prepare lemongrass)
2 cloves
1 kilogram beef brisket or other beef cuts for stew, bite sizes
1500 ml (6 cup) beef stock/water
200 ml (~1/2 can) coconut milk
3 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
2 kaffir lime leaves

For the spice paste

100 gram shallot
4 cloves garlic
5 candlenut
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the garnishes

thinly sliced scallions
chili sauce
deep-fried shallots
lime juice
white rice or lontong (rice cakes)
kerupuk

How to Make Empal Gentong

Making Empal Gentong is a labor of love that requires a bit of time and patience – but it’s so worth it! Here are the 4 main steps:

Preparing the Beef: In a pot, add the beef with broth or water. Boil on high heat until it starts to bubble. Reduce the heat, let it simmer until the beef becomes tender and juicy.
Preparing the Spice Paste: While the beef is simmering, prepare the spice paste. Blend all the spice paste ingredients together until smooth. If needed, add a little bit of water to help the blending process.
Adding the Flavors: Once the beef is cooked, add the spice paste, kaffir lime leaves, salam leaves, lemongrass, salt, and white pepper. Let everything simmer together, allowing the spices to infuse their flavor into the beef.
Finishing Touches: Lastly, add the coconut milk. Simmer for a further 10-15 minutes until the soup gets thicker and creamier.

To serve, place the cooked rice at the bottom of a bowl. Pour the soup over the rice and garnish with cabbage, tomatoes, and fried shallots. Don’t forget to squeeze some fresh lime juice on top for that extra tanginess!

Please refer to the recipe card below for detailed instructions.

Empal Gentong – Beef Soup Recipe from Cirebon

Empal Gentong is a signature beef soup from Cirebon, Indonesia. The dish is similar to a curry, as it features tender cuts of beef cubes in a golden, coconut milk-infused broth.

5 from 1 vote

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Course dinner, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Indonesian

Ingredients

4 tablespooncooking oil
2 lemongrass, bruised (here’s how to prepare lemongrass)
2cloves
1 kilogrambeef brisketor other beef cuts for stew, bite sizes
1500 ml (6 cup) beef stock/water
200 ml (~1/2 can) coconut milk
3 tablespoonsweet soy sauce
2 kaffir lime leaves

For the spice paste

100 gram shallot
4 cloves garlic
5 candlenut
1 fresh turmeric, or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the garnishes

thinly sliced scallions
chili sauce
deep-fried shallots
lime juice
Kerupuk
Rice orketupat(rice cakes)

Instructions

In alarge pot, Heat cooking oil in a soup pot and stir fry spice paste, lemongrass, and cloves until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the beef into the pot, and cook until the meat is tender and no longer pink.
Add the spices to the beef broth and stir until combined.
Pour in the coconut milk and simmer until the soup is fragrant and savory. Turn off the heat.
Pour the beef stock (or water) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hour, or until the meat is fully cooked and tender.
Add the coconut milk, kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), and kaffir lime leaves. Stir and bring to a boil again. Once it boils, immediately turn off the heat.
To serve, arrange rice cakes (ketupat)in a bowl (regular rice works too). Add a few slices of Empal Gentong meat and pour over the broth. Sprinkle scallions, and fried shallots on top, and serve with crackers and lime slices. ENJOY!

Notes

Tip: feel free to add a mixture of beef offal such as tripe, intestines, lungs, and liver, if you’d like.

To quickly tenderize the meat, you can also pressure cook it for 15 minutes with the spices in step 1 instead of boiling it.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Empal Gentong Recipe - Beef Soup from Cirebon (2)

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