If there’s one dish that perfectly captures the wild, wonderful chaos of Indonesian street food, it’s Rujak Cingur. This isn’t your typical fruit salad. It’s a savoury masterpiece that brings together tender beef muzzle, crisp vegetables, fresh fruits, and a thick, addictive sauce that’s sweet, spicy, funky, and absolutely unforgettable.
But here’s the thing: most people are intimidated by the “weird” ingredients. Beef muzzle? Fermented shrimp paste? We get it. But this recipe is about demystifying those components and showing you how to create authentic Surabaya street food magic at home, no shortcuts, just full flavour.
Let’s break down how to make proper Rujak Cingur from scratch. Yes, it takes time, but it’s worth every minute.
Let’s get this straight: Rujak Cingur isn’t just “Indonesian fruit salad.” It’s East Java’s gift to the culinary world and Surabaya’s national treasure for good reason.
The name translates to “muzzle salad,” and yes, that refers to the beef muzzle (cingur), which gives this dish its name and signature texture. What lands on your plate is a beautiful collision of textures and flavours that shouldn’t work together but absolutely do.
Cingur (Beef Muzzle): slow-cooked until tender, providing that unique, slightly gelatinous texture that Indonesians crave
Petis Udang Sauce: the soul of the dish, made with fermented shrimp paste, peanuts, palm sugar, and chillies
Fresh Fruits: unripe mango, jicama, pineapple for that sweet-tart crunch
Blanched Vegetables: kangkung, long beans, bean sprouts for freshness
Protein Additions: fried tofu, tempeh for substance
Lontong: compressed rice cakes that soak up every drop of that incredible sauce
You’ll find variations across Indonesia, but this is the Surabaya original, the one that made Rujak Cingur famous. Master this version, and you’ll understand why Indonesians queue up at street stalls for their fix.
To make authentic Rujak Cingur, you’ll need three main components: tender cingur, complex petis udang sauce, and a fresh mix of fruits and vegetables. Each element serves a purpose; nothing here is just for show.
This is where most home cooks panic, but don’t. Cingur is simply a beef muzzle that’s been slow-cooked until incredibly tender. The texture makes this dish special; it’s substantial and slightly gelatinous, absorbing the sauce beautifully. Think of it as perfectly braised beef but with a unique mouthfeel that is prized in Indonesian cuisine.
If you can’t source cingur (and many can’t), beef shank or honeycomb tripe work brilliantly as alternatives. The key is that slow-cooking process that breaks down the collagen and creates that signature tender texture.
This is where the magic happens. Petis udang is a thick, dark, fermented shrimp paste that’s the backbone of the sauce. It’s funky, intensely savoury, and essential. Combined with fried peanuts, palm sugar, tamarind, and chillies, it creates a complex, balanced, and completely addictive sauce.
The technique here is crucial; you’re not just mixing ingredients. You’re creating an emulsion, grinding peanuts to release their oils, and building layers of flavour that complement rather than compete with each other.
The fruits and vegetables aren’t just fillers; they make each bite different. Unripe mango provides tartness, jicama gives crunch, kangkung adds mineral freshness, and bean sprouts bring textural contrast. Everything is blanched just enough to remove the raw edge while maintaining that essential crispness.
Making authentic Rujak Cingur isn’t about shortcuts but timing and sequence. Get the flow right, and it’s surprisingly manageable. Start early with the cingur (it needs time), make the sauce while it’s cooking, then prep your fresh components last to keep them crisp.
The cingur needs the longest cooking time, so start here. Give it a good rinse, then blanch it in boiling water for 10 minutes to remove any impurities. Drain, rinse, and start fresh.
Add the cleaned cingur to a pot with aromatics, lemongrass, galangal, bay leaves, and lime leaves. Cover with water and bring to a gentle simmer. This isn’t a rush job. You want 2.5 to 3 hours of slow cooking until the cingur is fork-tender and slices easily.
The key is patience. Properly cooked cingur should have no resistance when you slice it, but it shouldn’t fall apart. That’s the texture you’re after.
While the cingur is simmering, tackle the sauce. Start by dry-frying your peanuts until golden and fragrant. Let them cool completely; this is crucial for the grinding process.
In a mortar and pestle (or food processor), grind the cooled peanuts with chillies, garlic, and shrimp until you have a coarse paste. Don’t over-process; you want texture, not peanut butter.
Add the petis udang, palm sugar, tamarind water, and salt. Mix thoroughly, tasting as you go. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, deeply savoury, and balanced between sweet, sour, and spicy notes.
This is where the organisation pays off. Blanch your vegetables separately, kangkung for 1 minute, long beans for 2 minutes, bean sprouts for just 30 seconds. Everything should be crisp-tender, not mushy.
Slice your fruits into uniform pieces. Julienne the jicama and mango, and cube the pineapple. Keep everything separate until you’re ready to assemble.
Once your cingur is tender, slice it thinly and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the sliced cingur with your blanched vegetables, fresh fruits, fried tofu, and tempeh.
Add the sauce gradually, mixing gently but thoroughly. You want everything coated but not swimming. The sauce should cling to each component, creating a glossy, appetising mixture.
Rujak Cingur is all about the experience; how you serve it matters as much as how you cook it. This is street food, so embrace that casual, communal vibe.
If you can source banana leaves, use them. The warmth of the rujak slightly releases the leaf’s aroma, adding another layer of flavour. It’s not just presentation; it’s part of the authentic experience.
Never serve Rujak Cingur without lontong (compressed rice cakes). They’re not optional; they soak up the precious sauce and provide the starch that makes this a complete meal. If you can’t find lontong, steamed rice works, but it’s not quite the same.
Unlike many dishes, Rujak Cingur is best served at room temperature or just slightly warm. This allows all the flavours to meld properly and lets the sauce reach its ideal consistency.
In Indonesia, Rujak Cingur is often part of a larger spread. For a proper Indonesian feast, serve it alongside other Indonesian dishes like Gado-Gado, Satay, or Rendang.
Rujak Cingur rewards attention to detail. It’s not complicated, but it’s precise. These tips will help you avoid common mistakes and always achieve that perfect balance.
The cingur makes or breaks this dish. Undercook it, and it’s tough. Overcook it, and it falls apart. You want that perfect tender texture that slices cleanly but has some substance. Test it regularly in the final hour of cooking.
Not all petis udang is created equal. Look for a thick, dark paste with no separation. The smell should be intensely savoury, not fishy or off. ABC and Dua Belibis are reliable brands if you can find them.
Traditional grinding in a mortar and pestle creates a better texture than a food processor. The crushing action releases oils differently, creating a creamier, more emulsified sauce; if you must use a processor, pulse in short bursts.
Taste constantly as you make the sauce. It should hit all five flavour notes: sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and umami. Adjust with palm sugar (sweet), tamarind (sour), salt (salty), chillies (spicy), and petis udang (umami).
Don’t dress the salad until you’re ready to serve. The vegetables will release water and dilute the sauce. Everything should be prepped separately and combined at the last minute.
Rujak Cingur is meant to be eaten with your hands, mixed as you go. Don’t worry about the neat presentation. The best rujak is slightly messy, with sauce coating everything.
This is the real deal, a traditional Rujak Cingur recipe that doesn’t cut corners. It takes time and patience, but every step builds toward that perfect balance of flavours and textures that make this dish special. The slow-cooked cingur, the hand-ground sauce, and the perfectly blanched vegetables all come together to transport you straight to the streets of Surabaya.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Rujak Cingur isn’t just food; it’s an experience. It’s a journey worth taking from the first intimidating glimpse of the ingredients to that final, satisfying bite where everything comes together. Making it at home gives you control over every element, ensuring the perfect balance of flavours and textures that make this dish special.
Whether you’re exploring Indonesian cuisine for the first time or trying to recreate memories of Surabaya street food, this recipe will get you there. It’s authentic and delicious, and once you master it, you’ll understand why Indonesians are so passionate about their rujak.
Absolutely. Beef shank or honeycomb tripe work brilliantly. When slow-cooked, both provide similar textures. The key is the long, gentle cooking process that breaks down the collagen.
Traditionally, yes, the sauce has a good kick. But you can control the heat by adjusting the chillies. You can deseed them or use milder varieties. The other flavours should balance the spice, not overwhelm it.
You can substitute shrimp paste, molasses, and dark soy sauce, but it won’t have the same depth. The petis udang makes this dish special, so it’s worth seeking out at an Indonesian grocery store.
The sauce and cingur can be prepared 2-3 days ahead. The vegetables can be blanched on the morning of serving. Just keep everything separate until you’re ready to assemble, which prevents the vegetables from getting soggy.
Yes, with modifications. Omit the ginger and petis udang, increase the tofu and tempeh, and use a vegetarian sauce base with tahini and soy sauce. It won’t be traditional, but it’ll still be delicious.
Store components separately in the fridge for up to 2 days. The dressed salad doesn’t keep well, and the vegetables release water, resulting in a poor texture. Always dress just before serving for the best results.
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