Empal: The Crispy Fried Beef That Wins Every Heart

 By Akbar Putra Syarif on September 25, 2025

Hello, before i start the topic, i want to introduce myself first because this is my very first blog ever. My name is Akbar Putra Syarif and i'm a college student. As my first blog, i was thinking that it would be fun to write about something that i personally loved. And because i am a massive foodie myself, i want to share with you guys a dish that is always makes me happy every time i eat it and its called Empal.

For the longest time now, food has always been more than just a way to fill up my stomach, its about the stories behind it and the people. Empal is just another one of those food that has a very good hold of my memories. You see, every time my grandma came to visit me or vice versa, she would cook empal for me, and every time she does i can still remember the kitchen would be filled with the smell of spices and the sound of the sizzling meat being fried and she would tell me to fill my own plate with a big portion of white rice. She will always made a big portion because it was never enough for the family and that is why empal is always a comfort food for me, because of the nostalgia.

If you’ve never heard of it before, let me explain in simple terms. Empal is basically an Indonesian fried beef dish. The cooking process usually starts with a beef that is boiled in a lot of spices, and then fried until golden brown. The outside turns a little crispy, while the inside stays tender and juicy. But here’s the thing, what makes it special is not just the beef but its the mix of spices. Indonesian cooking always has this magical combination of flavors that you cant find anywhere else. For empal, the common ingredients are garlic, shallots, coriander, galangal, lemongrass, bay leaves, and sometimes a bit of palm sugar to add a sweet balance. The final taste will be a sweet, savory, tangy, and just downright addictive plate of beef.

To understand more about the dish, lets take a look at where it came from. Empal is most often linked to Java, one of the big islands in Indonesia. Javanese people love blending sweet and savory flavors, and empal is a great example of that. In Central Java, palm sugar is almost always part of the cooking, which is why their dishes often have that signature sweet undertone. Historically, beef is not something people ate every day. It was considered special, so empal was usually cooked during family gatherings or when there were important guests. Over time, the dish spread across Java, and even in West Java (Sundanese area), there’s a popular version called empal gepuk. In that style, the beef is often pounded thin before frying. Slightly different, but still delicious.

Now you would be wondering, how do people eat and serve empal, well let me tell you guys, it is the simples way possible, by pairing it with white rice, or a red rice if you are feeling healthy, because usually empal is served in a sundanese restaurants, they would often have a serving of red rice along side of the white rice. Now eating empal can also be sophisticated, it can also be served with Nasi Campur an Indonesian dish which consist of different type if side dishes. Now the way i like to it is plain and simple, with a plate of white rice and a small cup of sambal on the side, and that's the way me and my family has always eat empal.

But empal can be a hit or miss, depending on who's the cook and the restaurant u ate it from, some would have the sweet flavor more bold, and some would fry the empal just briefly just to cook the inside, but that way the meet will be soggy and the texture will be weird, that's why my grandma's empal is the best, it has a crispy texture, yet the inside is tender and juicy. And the flavor, oh my god, i'm having a drool just trying to explain this, it has such a nice and perfect combination of sweet, tangy and savory flavor, and the spices made it aromatic as well.

To get into detail, i will tell you the spices inside the empal. Every variation or type of empal have different type of spices in them, but the main spices that is used in every variations are garlic and shallots which give them the aroma and taste, then there is lemongrass and bay leaf giving it aroma and freshness to the dish, and lastly there is palm sugar and tamarind which gives the dish the sweet and tangy flavor. Without these spices the dish would just be a bland fried beef.

I've asked my grandma the actual recipe for empal so that i can share it with you guys, now these are the steps:
1. First you need to boil your beef, my grandma uses the 30,10,30 method which is a technique to make the beef tender by boiling the beef for 30 minutes, then turn off the fire and let it sit for 10 minutes, and then back on the fire for another 30 minutes.

2. Second, you need to boil the beef again with these spices that is already blended in a blender: garlic and shallots, lemongrass and bay leaf, galangal, salt, palm sugar and tamarind.

3. Simmer the beef slowly until the water is almost gone and then you can store it in the fridge for later or you can pop then on to a hot oil and fry them until golden and crispy.

Now that's how my grandma made empal, easy and simple right? but it taste so amazing and i hope you can feel the same way. Definitely give it a try if you can!

So yeah that's it for the story of the dish i choose this week, for a first time writing a blog i think i'm doing okay? let me know in the blog comment post. Its been fun to tell you guys the story of this dish and i hope you guys liked it. I will see you guys in next week with another dish! thank you guys for reading my blog, peace!

Akbar.