• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • About Me
    • Mission and Values
  • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Copyright
  • Contact
  • Roti n Rice
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
Roti n Rice

Roti n Rice

Food to gladden the heart

  • Video Recipes
  • Web Stories
  • Recipe Index
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
      • Southeast Asian
      • Western
      • Fusion
      • Mediterranean
      • Other Cuisines
    • Holiday
      • Chinese New Year
      • Valentine’s Day
      • St Patrick’s Day
      • Easter
      • Thanksgiving
      • Christmas
    • Main Ingredient
      • Beef
      • Poultry
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Other Meats
      • Rehash
      • Beans & Lentils
      • Rice & Grain
      • Noodles
      • Egg & Tofu
      • Fruit
      • Vegetables
  • Tutorials
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Reviews
    • Roundups
    • Others
  • Work With Us
  • Japchae is a popular Korean sweet potato noodles and vegetable stir fry. Delicious as is or with a bowl of rice. Only 30 minutes to prepare. | RotiNRice.com
    Japchae

    Japchae is a popular Korean sweet potato noodles and vegetable stir fry. Delicious as is…

  • Lobak Lodeh with homegrown multi-colored carrots and their tops simmered in coconut milk. Tempeh provides additional flavor and texture. | RotiNRice.com #sayurlodeh #lodeh #coconutmilk
    Lobak Lodeh

    Lobak Lodeh with homegrown multi-colored carrots and their tops simmered in coconut milk. Tempeh provides…

  • This easy to prepare Tofu Eggplant Curry is delicious and flavorful. Serve it with rice for a satisfying vegetarian meal. | RotiNRice.com
    Tofu Eggplant Curry

    This easy to prepare Tofu Eggplant Curry is delicious and flavorful. Serve it with rice…

  • Tender crisp pan fried Szechuan Beans flavored with ginger, chili paste, and rice vinegar. This is a healthier alternative to the deep fried version. | RotiNRice.com
    Szechuan Beans

    Tender crisp pan fried Szechuan Beans flavored with ginger, chili paste, and rice vinegar. This…

  • Chicken Donburi

    The weekends are sometimes more busy than the workweek. It's normally a later start to…

Home / Courses / Side Dish / Labu Lodeh

Labu Lodeh

By: 👩‍🦳 Linda · Published: 🖨 October 15, 2010 · Updated: 💻August 26, 2019 · 🗨 40 Comments

Recipe ▼

This Labu Lodeh is based on the popular Indonesian sayur lodeh with the addition of cubed pumpkin to the mix of vegetables simmered in coconut milk.

This Labu Lodeh is based on the popular Indonesian sayur lodeh with the addition of cubed pumpkin to the mix of vegetables simmered in coconut milk. | RotiNRice.com

It has been raining pumpkins here in the prairie. Everywhere I go I see mounds and mounds of pumpkins and squashes. Believe it or not, despite all these pumpkins, we had a shortage of canned pumpkins a little earlier in the season. Go figure! Like I said earlier, apart from canned pumpkins there are fresh pumpkins everywhere. So what to do with all those lovely pumpkins? It is time to get some Asian cooking going.

Sayur Lodeh

Some of you may be familiar with the spicy Indonesian dish of vegetables simmered in coconut milk known as sayur lodeh. This dish is also very popular in Malaysia and Singapore. While it is mainly made up of vegetables, a little shrimp paste or dried shrimp is added to the spice paste to give the sauce extra flavor. This can certainly be omitted to keep it vegetarian.

This Labu Lodeh is based on the popular Indonesian sayur lodeh with the addition of cubed pumpkin to the mix of vegetables simmered in coconut milk. | RotiNRice.com

Sayur lodeh is often served with lontong, which is a log of compressed rice cut into cakes. To make lontong requires 2 to 3 hours of boiling partially cooked rice packed and wrapped in banana leaves. I think we will have to leave that for another time. Pan fried tofu and bean threads are commonly added to sayur lodeh. Pumpkin or “labu” in Malay, completes my version of this dish.

This Labu Lodeh is based on the popular Indonesian sayur lodeh with the addition of cubed pumpkin to the mix of vegetables simmered in coconut milk. | RotiNRice.com

Similar Tools Used in Making This Labu Lodeh

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.

“Terre D’Umbria” 1-Handle Casserole Made of Terracotta (Earthenware) 21 Cm (8.5 Inches)
T-fal Thermo-Spot Heat Indicator Anti-Warp Base Glass Lid Cookware, 12-Inch, Gray
Pyrex Prepware 1-Cup Measuring Cup

This Labu Lodeh is based on the popular Indonesian sayur lodeh with the addition of cubed pumpkin to the mix of vegetables simmered in coconut milk. | RotiNRice.com

Labu Lodeh

This Labu Lodeh is based on the popular Indonesian sayur lodeh with the addition of cubed pumpkin to the mix of vegetables simmered in coconut milk.
Author : Linda Ooi
Course : Side Dish
Cuisine : indonesian
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 18 mins
Total Time 38 mins
Servings : 6
Calories : 235kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • ½ pack extra firm tofu cut into ½-in x ½-in x1-in pieces (6 oz/170g)
  • ¾ cup coconut milk (180ml)
  • ¾ cup water (180ml)
  • ¼ small pumpkin (cubed) (8 oz/225g)
  • 8 oz cabbage (sliced) (225g)
  • 4 oz long beans cut into 2 inch lengths (115g)
  • 2 red chilies (seeded and cut into ½ inch pieces)
  • 1 bunch bean thread (soaked to soften) (optional) (40g)
  • 1 tsp salt

Spice Paste

  • 1 small onion (peeled and cut into small pieces)
  • 2 cloves garlic (peeled)
  • 1 stalk lemongrass (only the bottom 4 inches), cut into rings
  • 1 inch ginger (30g)
  • ¼ cup dried shrimp (rinsed and soaked to soften) (30g)
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • ¼ cup water (60ml)

Instructions
 

  • Blend onions, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, and dried shrimps with ¼ cup (60ml) water into a smooth paste. Remove and pour into a small bowl. Mix in ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, and chili powder.
  • In a non-stick fry pan heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Pan fry tofu until golden on all sides. Remove and set aside.
  • In a large pot, heat remaining 2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add spice paste and fry for 5 to 6 minutes until fragrant. Stir constantly so that it will not burn.
  • Add coconut milk and ¾ cup (180ml) water. Bring to a boil.
  • Add pumpkin, cabbage, pan fried tofu, and salt. Bring it back up to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Add long beans, red chilies, and bean threads (if using). Allow it to cook for another 5 minutes.
    Labu Lodeh-9
  • Remove and serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 235kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @RotiNRice or tag #RotiNRice

This Labu Lodeh is based on the popular Indonesian sayur lodeh with the addition of cubed pumpkin to the mix of vegetables simmered in coconut milk. | RotiNRice.com

Labu Lodeh is substantial enough to make a tasty lunch on its own.

This Labu Lodeh is based on the popular Indonesian sayur lodeh with the addition of cubed pumpkin to the mix of vegetables simmered in coconut milk. | RotiNRice.com

This Labu Lodeh is based on the popular Indonesian sayur lodeh with the addition of cubed pumpkin to the mix of vegetables simmered in coconut milk. | RotiNRice.com

Trivia

Many thanks to everyone who read my previous post and participated in the little trivia. It was fun to read your guesses. I must mentioned that Denise made three separate guesses and came quite close to the answer. She mentioned seeds, grain, and tea. The answer is sesame seed toaster. This is a really useful tool to have if you use a lot of sesame seeds like I do. Sesame seeds tend to pop when you toast them and this little basket keeps all the sesame seeds inside. The basket is only 4½-inches x 3½” x 1¼” in size.

Today’s trivia is going to be simple. This beautiful flower is not only pleasing to the eye but serves a useful function. What do you think it is used for?

This Labu Lodeh is based on the popular Indonesian sayur lodeh with the addition of cubed pumpkin to the mix of vegetables simmered in coconut milk. | RotiNRice.com

This Labu Lodeh is based on the popular Indonesian sayur lodeh with the addition of cubed pumpkin to the mix of vegetables simmered in coconut milk. | RotiNRice.com

NOTE: This post was updated on October 30th, 2013 with new pictures. Some minor changes were also made to the recipe.

Enjoy…..and have a wonderful day! 🙂


Categories: 🗂 Side Dish, Southeast Asian, Vegetables Tags: 📋 cabbage, curry, glass vermicelli, green beans, Indonesian, Malaysian, pumpkin, trivia

Roti n Rice's Amazon Page Roti n Rice is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Previous Post: « Soba in Dashi Broth
Next Post: Postcard from Kanazawa (Guest Post) »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Blackswan says

    October 15, 2010 at 12:56 am

    Thks for the add @ FB, Biren! I’m following u now & hope u’ll do the same to keep up with the latest posts 🙂

    I love Sayur Lodeh but haven’t tried pumpkin style. Looks good.

    The flower looks nice. Is it a vase??

    Reply
    • Biren says

      October 15, 2010 at 7:44 am

      You are most welcomed. I will hop over to your blog a little later and do the same. Thanks for following.

      I was surprised at how well the pumpkin worked in the lodeh. Although I made a double batch, it was all gone. I did put some in myhubby’s and boys’ bentos for lunch the next day. We do eat a lot of veges.

      Good guess! The flower is pretty, isn’t it? It comes in a myriad of colors.

      Reply
  2. denise @ quickies on the dinner table says

    October 15, 2010 at 1:34 am

    So close, but not close enough LOL

    Oh, I love lodeh, but whenever I cook it, my mum and I will bicker over the mung bean vermicelli – she loves it and I uh, don’t 😀 Love all the veggies in it and you already know how much I love pumpkin 🙂

    Ok I, gonna go with Shirley on this one….I wore myself out on the last guessing game ROFL. It’s a VASE!!!

    Reply
    • Biren says

      October 15, 2010 at 7:54 am

      You are such a good sport Denise! I so appreciate your enthusiasm and participation. Alisha of the Ardent Epicure said she was in tears reading your comments in the previous post 🙂 Must be ROFL!!!

      I cook sayur lodeh quite often and seldom with the same mix. Only cabbage is a sure thing. I am a big believer in buying and cooking whatever is in season. I do like adding tofu (deep fried) and sometimes tempeh. Long beans, if I can get some. The bean threads (vermicelli) makes it almost like a soto, just not so soupy. Soto is another dish I am thinking of next. I must go get some of that coriander leaves, or something. You know, the ones that is almost like a cross between cilantro and celery. Can only find it at the Asian grocery store.

      Good guess! I am coming up with all kinds of ideas as I read the comments 😉

      Reply
  3. kitchen flavours says

    October 15, 2010 at 2:50 am

    Have not had lontong in ages! This would be yummy with lontong, not forgetting the sambal belacan too! Is it a vase or a cute drainer? I never would have guessed that the previous one is a sesame seed toaster!

    Reply
    • Biren says

      October 15, 2010 at 7:58 am

      I had some lontong with beef rendang at a gathering recently and it was, oh so delicious! I believe the lontong can be found frozen here in the US. It is very time cnsuming to make your own.

      Thanks for participating.You are all giving me ideas of what I may be able to use it for 🙂

      Reply
  4. Julie M. says

    October 15, 2010 at 5:59 am

    This dish looks like it’s calling my name. Yum! You always post the most interesting and tasty dishes Biren! And as for that flower, I’m not sure! I’ll have to head out on the internet and do some searching. The only one I can think of is hibiscus because it’s edible.

    Reply
    • Biren says

      October 15, 2010 at 8:01 am

      Awww…Julie, you are the sweetest! I am a big believer in buying and cooking seasonal produce. It is also fun to add a little twist to classics 🙂

      Thanks for participating. Happy searching…..

      Reply
  5. Julie M. says

    October 15, 2010 at 6:02 am

    HA! I think I need a cup of coffee. I just read the comments and realized I needed to wake up a bit more. Scrap hibiscus. Maybe some type of hummingbird feeder?

    Reply
    • Biren says

      October 15, 2010 at 8:06 am

      That’s a good guess! Hummingbirds are amazing and just so fun to watch. I am always so fascinated at how fast they flap their wings and it is like they almost kinda stand up when they approach the feeder or a flower. I used to see more of them in Colorado. Only saw it once here and it so happened I had my camera in hand. Unfortunately, they are just too fast for me to take a good shot. Have to get them in sports mode.

      Reply
  6. MaryMoh says

    October 15, 2010 at 6:05 am

    Colourful, healthy and delicious dish….love it. Gosh…I love to see all those pumpkins in the field. Would be so fun kicking them around like football…haha. Beautiful flower. I would use it to serve ice cream 😀

    Reply
    • Biren says

      October 15, 2010 at 8:10 am

      Thanks Mary! This pumpkin patch is a “pick your own” kind of patch. It’s a little dusty since it has been nice and dry with lots of sunshine. Just the kind of weather I like. I don’t know about kicking them around as these guys are about 1.5 to 2 feet in diameter 🙂

      Thanks for participating. A scoop of ice cream would look so pretty in the middle 🙂

      Reply
  7. Anncoo says

    October 15, 2010 at 7:40 am

    Very clever idea adding pumpkin in Sayur Lodeh…looks so delicious:)
    I must try to get that sesame seed toaster when my daughter goes to Japan end of this year.
    Beautiful flower love the color too! I think this is a tea strainer 🙂

    Reply
    • Biren says

      October 15, 2010 at 8:22 am

      Thanks Ann! The sesame seed toaster is very useful. I think you will enjoy using it. There is another version that is 3 to 4 inch round with a solid metal base. This version is a little more challenging to find. I think my hubby bought this in Tokyo. Your daughter should be able to find it at Takashimiya or Isetan in any of the big cities in Japan. My favorite place for kitchen stuff is Namba in Osaka. Prices are more reasonable and lots to choose from.

      Good guess Ann! I am getting all kinds of ideas from all my wonderful readers 🙂

      Reply
  8. The Mom Chef ~ Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time says

    October 15, 2010 at 9:03 am

    That dish looks incredible. I’m not a fan of tofu, but would bet it’s fine with a real meat, no? I’m not going to even try to guess what that beautiful flower is. I would have never thought that the other was a sesame seed toaster (though now I want one).

    Reply
    • Biren says

      October 15, 2010 at 11:21 am

      I think you can certainly add some meat but this is almost a vegetarian kind of dish.

      That sesame toaster is a useful tool to have in the kitchen.

      Reply
  9. Roxan says

    October 15, 2010 at 10:20 am

    I’ve never heard of this before! But it looks oh so delicious. And the sight of pumpkin patches always make me giggle w glee… they’re just so cute.

    Reply
  10. the lacquer spoon says

    October 15, 2010 at 10:35 am

    Thank you for the great recipe and photos! I still remember lots of pumpkin around on the field when travelling the US in October. Lovely season 🙂

    Reply
  11. Magic of Spice says

    October 15, 2010 at 11:03 am

    What a beautiful dish, so colorful…I love these spices. And I really like the flexibility of being able to adjust the ingredients seasonally 🙂
    Love the sesame seed roaster, it would probably be great for roasting any bulk spices.
    OK, as for the flower…hard to tell from the photo if it is glass or heavy plastic. So I am going to leap here and say it is a garden sprinkler head? I have a special one for flower beds that is shaped like a daisy, not as pretty as your flower though 🙂

    Reply
    • Biren says

      October 15, 2010 at 11:19 am

      Thanks Alisha! The spices makes the dish so warm, perfect for this time of the year. I love buying and cooking seasonal produce and it was easy to incorporate the pumpkins into this dish.

      I never thought of using it for toasting other spices but that’s a great idea! I can think of a lot of spices I would like to toast. Thanks for the suggestion!

      Thanks for being such a sport in my guessing game 🙂 That thing is made of heavy plastic. A very good guess indeed!

      Reply
  12. torviewtoronto says

    October 15, 2010 at 1:01 pm

    delicious and flavourful
    lovely pictures
    not sure what the flower is used for 🙂

    Reply
  13. Stella says

    October 15, 2010 at 1:07 pm

    Hey Biren, this dish looks amazing. I hope your family knows how lucky they are to come home to this type of food (smile).
    Ooh, and I think that flower is a for keeping tea matter from going into the mug, no;)?!

    Reply
  14. Alex aka Ma What's For Dinner says

    October 15, 2010 at 1:10 pm

    This looks amazing. I love pumpkin and squash. What a new and exciting way to use it!

    Lots of yummy love,
    Alex aka Ma What’s For Dinner
    http://www.mawhats4dinner.com

    Reply
  15. Sommer @ A Spicy Perspective says

    October 15, 2010 at 1:48 pm

    Biren~ JUST STUNNING! You are so inventive, I could eat this all day long!

    Reply
  16. Jillyan says

    October 15, 2010 at 2:44 pm

    This dish looks so delicious Biren…love the fresh pumpkins and the variety of vegetables. Beautiful pictures as well.

    Reply
  17. Tanantha @ I Just Love My Apron says

    October 15, 2010 at 2:58 pm

    Raining pumpkins!!!
    this dish looks bad ass Biren. The spices, pumpkin, and Asian flavor sound so wonderful. I think I might have this at a Malaysian place or in Thailand. I hope I’m right!

    That’s so fun for a trivia game! Too bad I missed the last one. This one I would say…a tea cup!….?

    Reply
  18. lequan says

    October 15, 2010 at 3:37 pm

    Hey Biren,

    That picture with all those pumpkins look so fun. I can imagine my kids running from pumpkin to pumpkin trying to decide on the perfect one.

    Your dish sounds divine! I love the combination of lemongrass and coconut milk. The green beans and red chillier add such great colours to this dish. I know I’d be going for seconds, maybe even thirds of this beautiful dish.

    Your trivia games are so fun. Thanks for teaching me about the sesame seed toaster. I’ve never seen that before. I’m going to guess that the flower is some kind of really fancy flower pot. Have a great weekend!

    Reply
  19. sweetlife says

    October 15, 2010 at 11:31 pm

    the pics of the pumpkins is goregous, I have three big babies sitting on my island right now…perfect fall dish and the flavors are awesome, I love the spice paste-dried shrimps are awesome
    I love the sesame toaster
    sweetlife

    Reply
  20. tigerfish says

    October 16, 2010 at 1:40 am

    I like sayur lodeh and I like your new spin, adding the pumpkins 🙂

    Reply
  21. Cheah says

    October 16, 2010 at 2:23 am

    Your labu-lodeh is so colourful and looks so tempting. Those pumpkins look like ‘gold’ from afar!

    Reply
  22. Suchitra says

    October 16, 2010 at 7:09 am

    lovely exotic dish- fab presentation!

    Reply
  23. Cristina says

    October 16, 2010 at 8:51 am

    Good, healthy ingredients in this dish. I need to find some cooking pumpkins and try out some savory, healthful dishes. This may be the first one I start with. 🙂

    You’re right about pumpkin puree, though. So freaky expensive and was very difficult to find throughout the year in the markets (canned).

    Reply
  24. Lea Ann says

    October 16, 2010 at 4:08 pm

    What a beautiful looking dish! As always great photos Biren.

    Reply
  25. Angie's Recipes says

    October 16, 2010 at 11:25 pm

    This looks divine! I love this kind of veggie tofu dishes.

    Reply
  26. penny aka jeroxie says

    October 17, 2010 at 7:15 am

    I love looking at those pumpkins… and the recipe is yum!

    Reply
  27. Nancy/SpicieFoodie says

    October 17, 2010 at 3:02 pm

    What a delicious looking dish. I love your Fusion dish, pumpkin or squash go great with spices like these. You are making my mouth water:) Is the flower a colander? or a flower pot?

    Reply
  28. Hyosun Ro says

    October 18, 2010 at 8:48 pm

    I love pumpkin, and this dish looks delicious. I must try it.

    Reply
  29. sangeeta says

    October 19, 2010 at 12:30 am

    Loved this pumpkin dish and i am thinking of trying this too

    Reply
  30. Kristi Rimkus says

    October 26, 2010 at 8:52 am

    What a healthy looking meal. I love all the wonderful warm spices in this dish!

    Reply
  31. Quay Po Cooks says

    October 27, 2010 at 7:59 am

    This will be a perfect dish to make for Mum and hubby, they both love pumpkin. The spices in this dish will be an explosion of flavors! NICE!

    Reply

Primary Sidebar


My grace is sufficient for thee…
2 Corinthians 12:9

Hi, I’m Linda! I make quick, easy meals, and spin on classics and old favorites with focus on Malaysian, Chinese, and American cuisines. Read more →

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
Roti n Rice

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

My grace is sufficient for thee…

2 Corinthians 12:9

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Copyright

© 2010–2023 · Roti n Rice · All Rights Reserved