Bouncy, springy beef meatballs bobbing in a steaming aromatic broth with yellow noodles, bok choy, fried shallots, and a drizzle of sweet soy sauce — Indonesia's most beloved street food soup.
Ingredients
500g lean ground beef
100g tapioca starch
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 egg white
2 tbsp ice water
1.5L beef broth
200g yellow egg noodles
4 stalks bok choy
Fried shallots
Sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
Sambal
Celery leaves, chopped
Instructions
1Blend ground beef, tapioca starch, garlic, salt, white pepper, egg white, and ice water in a food processor until a smooth, sticky paste forms.
2Bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer. Wet your hands and form the paste into golf ball-sized meatballs, dropping them into the water.
3Simmer meatballs for 8-10 minutes until they float and are firm. Remove with a slotted spoon.
4Bring beef broth to a boil separately. Cook yellow noodles according to package directions; blanch bok choy briefly.
5Divide noodles among bowls, add meatballs and bok choy, ladle hot broth over everything.
6Top with fried shallots, celery leaves, a drizzle of kecap manis, and sambal on the side.
Did You Know?
Bakso is so popular in Indonesia that former President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was famously photographed eating it at street stalls, calling it his favorite food.