Indonesian Cuisine
Lemang Bambu Ketan Santan (Bamboo-Roasted Coconut Sticky Rice)
Prep
150 min
Cook
240 min
Servings
8
Level
Hard
Lemang is a traditional dish from the Indonesian archipelago made from sticky rice and coconut milk, slow-cooked in bamboo over hot coals until it takes on that signature smoky, banana-leaf aroma. The texture is soft and chewy with a rich coconut flavor that soaks in perfectly, making it a special dish for Lebaran (Eid) celebrations or traditional ceremonies. The cooking process definitely takes patience, but the result is well worth it—an authentic delicacy that's hard to replicate with modern methods.
🧂 Ingredients
🍽️ Servings: 8
Adjust the servings and the ingredient amounts & nutrition below update automatically.
- 1 kg white glutinous (sticky) rice
- 800 ml thick coconut milk from 2 coconuts
- 2 tsp salt
- 10 sheets young banana leaves, for lining the bamboo
- 4 stalks medium-sized lemang bamboo tubes (7-8 cm diameter, 40-50 cm long)
- to taste water, for soaking the sticky rice
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👩🍳 Instructions
- 1 Wash the sticky rice thoroughly, then soak it in water for at least 2 hours or overnight so it turns out softer and chewier when cooked. Drain well afterward.
- 2 Prepare the lemang bamboo tubes, making sure one end is still sealed by a natural node and the other end is open for filling.
- 3 Roll the young banana leaves into a cylinder that fits snugly inside the bamboo's diameter, then insert the rolled leaves into the bamboo as a lining so the sticky rice won't stick directly to the bamboo.
- 4 Mix the thick coconut milk with the salt, stirring until the salt is completely dissolved.
- 5 Spoon the drained sticky rice into the banana leaf-lined bamboo tubes, filling each about 3/4 of the way to leave room for the coconut milk to soak in and for the rice to expand.
- 6 Slowly pour the coconut milk mixture into the bamboo until it covers the surface of the rice, then let it soak down for a few minutes.
- 7 Fold banana leaves over the top of the bamboo to seal it so the coconut milk and rice don't spill out during cooking.
- 8 Prepare a bed of hot coals from firewood or charcoal, then arrange the bamboo tubes at about a 45-degree angle around the fire so the heat distributes evenly.
- 9 Roast the lemang, turning it occasionally so every side of the bamboo gets even heat; this process takes about 3-4 hours.
- 10 Check for doneness by poking the top with a bamboo skewer or satay stick—if the rice is soft and no longer sticky to the touch, the lemang is done.
- 11 Remove the bamboo from the fire and let it cool for 15-20 minutes before splitting it open, so the lemang doesn't fall apart when removed.
- 12 Carefully split the bamboo open using a knife or machete, take out the lemang along with its banana leaf lining, then slice into pieces to your liking before serving.
💡 Tips
• Choose bamboo that's still fresh and not too old, so the lemang has a more pronounced signature bamboo aroma and the tube is less likely to crack while roasting.
• Make sure the bamboo is tilted while roasting so the coconut milk doesn't easily spill out and the heat spreads evenly through the rice.
• Use a medium, steady fire—not too high, or the outside of the lemang will burn while the inside stays undercooked.
• Lemang is most delicious enjoyed warm with serundeng (spiced toasted coconut), rendang, or black glutinous rice tapai as a savory-sweet accompaniment.
📊 Nutrition Facts / serving
310 kkal
Calories (kcal)
5 gg
Protein
14 gg
Fat
42 gg
Carbs
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