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Soto Daging Betawi (Jakarta Beef Soup)

written by Marvellina Updated: September 19, 2024
7.9K
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Delicious and flavorful Jakarta-style beef soup loaded with aromatic spices and herbs served with delicious sambal kacang (peanut sambal).
Soto Daging Betawi (Jakarta Beef Soup)

Soto is a very common food in Indonesia. It’s comfort food to many. It is basically soup. There are so many different kinds of soto. Soto daging Betawi is one of the popular soto in Indonesia, especially in Jakarta. Everyone seems to have his/her own version of soto daging Betawi. I’ve tried several different kind and this version I’m sharing here I really love.

The recipe rundown

Taste: It’s a savory soup with an amazing aroma from the spices and herbs
Texture: The soup is smooth with tender beef (but doesn’t fall apart kind of tender) and served with toppings that provides some crunch and spiciness from the sambal kacang
Level: Medium
Pros: This is something you can cook in a bigger batch and it tastes even better the next day or so. They keep well in the fridge for up to one week and freezes well too
Cons: Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you away. It’s not as bad as you think

Soto Daging Betawi (Jakarta Beef Soup)

Type of beef to use

I used beef stew meat. But feel free to use other cuts such as shank or chuck

What to serve with soto daging Betawi

What you want to serve the soto with, is really optional. I would say, at least have the sambal if you can’t be bothered to do the potatoes or don’t have any crackers on hand.
1. Sambal kacang
Honestly, you can go with any sambal and it will work if you ask me. I even served it with store-bought sambal oelek when I’m lazy to make my sambal from scratch. This sambal kacang though, you must try. I really like it, but it could be that I love anything peanuts too 🙂 It’s a bit different, but in a good way
Soto Daging Betawi (Jakarta Beef Soup)
2. Fried potato wedges
You don’t have to deep fry the potatoes. I air-fried the potatoes by tossing them in a bit of oil and air fry at 350 F for 15-20 minutes or until they are crispy. You can also roast the potatoes in the oven
3. Crackers
I use prawn crackers because that’s what I had. Most locals like to have emping crackers with soto

Soto Daging Betawi (Jakarta Beef Soup)

Leftovers and how to reheat

Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for about a week. You can make a big batch of this soto daging and they keep well. Here’s how:
1. Let the soup cools down completely
2. Portion out into individual freezer-friendly container or freezer bag (push all the air out and seal)
3. Label them and they can be kept for 3 months in the fridge
4. When ready to serve, simply thaw overnight in the fridge or if on the same day, partially submerge them in a water to thaw faster and then reheat on the stove or microwave

Soto Daging Betawi (Jakarta Beef Soup)

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Soto Daging Betawi (Jakarta Beef Soup)

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Recipe is adapted from JTT

Soto Daging Betawi (Jakarta Beef Soup)

Soto Daging Betawi (Jakarta Beef Soup)

Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Servings 4 servings
5 from 2 reviews
REVIEW & RATE PRINT

Ingredients

  • 500 gr beef stew meat
  • 500 gr beef balls (bakso sapi) I use store-bought
  • 3 Tbsp cooking oil divided
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup coconut milk

Ingredients to grind:

  • 5 shallots
  • 3 cloves garlic

Spices and herbs:

  • 3 kaffir lime leaves tear edges of leaves to release flavor
  • 2 stalks lemongrass bruise with a heavy object to release flavor
  • 1 large cinnamon stick
  • 2 pods white cardamom
  • 1 star anise

Seasoning:

  • 1 cube chicken bouillon I used better-than-chicken buillon
  • 1 tsp salt or more to taste
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp ground white pepper

Sambal:

  • 100 gr roasted unsalted peanuts
  • 5 cayenne peppers
  • 3 Thai chilies

Garnishes:

  • Chinese celery leaves finely chopped
  • Crispy fried shallots / bawang goreng

Serve with: (optional)

  • 2 large potatoes peeled and cut into wedges
  • 1 large tomato quartered
  • Prawn crackers
  • acar timun

Instructions
 

Cooking the beef on the stove:

  • Preheat a heavy-bottom pot. Add 2 Tbsp cooking oil. Add shallots, garlic, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves and saute for 3 minutes or until aromatic. Add beef cubes, water and the rest of the spices and seasoning. Bring to a boil, cover and then lower the heat to let it simmer until the beef is tender but doesn't fall apart, about 1 hour or so
  • Remove the beef from the pot. You can briefly pan-fry the beef with a bit of oil on the pan if you prefer. Most local will do this to lightly brown the meat.
  • Add beef balls and coconut milk into the broth and have a taste. Adjust seasoning as needed

Cooking the beef with pressure cooker:

  • I use Instant Pot pressure cooker. Press "saute" on Instant Pot. When it says "hot", add cooking oil. Add shallots, garlic, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves and saute for 3 minutes or until aromatic. Add water and the rest of the spices and seasoning. Add beef cubes, water and the rest of the spices and seasoning. Scrape off the bottom of the pot to make sure nothing is stuck. Cover the lid and turn the steam release valve to sealing. Press "pressure cooker" and make sure it's on "high pressure". Set the timer to 30 minutes and then allow natural release
  • Remove the beef from the pot. You can briefly pan-fry the beef with a bit of oil on the pan if you prefer. Most local will do this to lightly brown the meat
  • Add beef balls and coconut milk into the broth and have a taste. Adjust seasoning as needed

Prepare the fried potatoes (optional):

  • Peel the potatoes and cut into wedges. Pat them dry and fry until golden brown and crispy. I use air fryer to fry the potatoes. Simply toss the potato wedges in a bit of oil and air fry at 350 F for 15-20 minutes. Check every 5 minutes and give the potatoes a shake so they cook evenly

Prepare the peanut sambal:

  • Coarsely grind the peanuts in the food processor. Remove and set aside then coarsely grind the chili in a food processor. Preheat a small pan. Add the remaining cooking oil and saute the ground chili for about 2-3 minutes. Stir to combined. Add the peanuts and stir to combine

How to serve:

  • Portion out the beef, potato wedges, tomato wedges into a bowl. Ladle the soup over. Garnish with bawang goreng and celery leaves. Serve with prawn crackers, peanut sambal, and acar timun on the side if you choose to do so

RECOMMEDED TOOLS

Instant Pot
Dutch Oven

*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*

Nutrition Facts
Soto Daging Betawi (Jakarta Beef Soup)
Serving Size
 
1 serving
Amount per Serving
Calories
571
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
29
g
45
%
Saturated Fat
 
14
g
88
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Cholesterol
 
78
mg
26
%
Sodium
 
690
mg
30
%
Potassium
 
1610
mg
46
%
Carbohydrates
 
46
g
15
%
Fiber
 
6
g
25
%
Sugar
 
6
g
7
%
Protein
 
34
g
68
%
Vitamin A
 
388
IU
8
%
Vitamin C
 
47
mg
57
%
Calcium
 
100
mg
10
%
Iron
 
7
mg
39
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how you like this recipe and consider rating it! Tag me @whattocooktoday I'd love to see your photos/videos on Instagram

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4 comments

Christine March 4, 2023 - 3:26 am

Hi Marvellina, I’d like to try the recipe. May I check with you if we can use ground cardamon instead of pods?
Thank you.

Reply
Marvellina March 5, 2023 - 9:07 pm

Hi Christine, that should work, you probably can try about 1/4 tsp of ground cardamom.

Reply
Susan Dubose March 16, 2021 - 5:18 am

I feel so grateful to find your blog, it’s very helpful and very easy to follow, thanks for this recipe I tried to make soto betawi today and it’s amazing!

Reply
Marvellina March 16, 2021 - 11:27 pm

I’m glad you like 🙂

Reply
5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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