Lara Lee is an Indonesian and Australian chef and food writer. She trained at Leiths School of Food and Wine and now runs an event catering business called Kiwi and Roo, serving delicious food to high-profile guests including the royal family and the Australian prime minister; and at venues such as the Natural History Museum and the Royal Academy of Arts. She also holds supper clubs that celebrate her heritage with both Australian and Indonesian cuisine all over London. Coconut & Sambal is her first cookbook.

@laraleefood / laralee.com

Be transported to the bountiful islands of Indonesia by this collection of fragrant, colourful and mouth-watering recipes.

'An exciting and panoramic selection of dishes and snacks'

- Fuchsia Dunlop, author of The Food of Sichuan

'Start with Lara's fragrant chicken soup, do lots of exploring on the way whilst dousing everything with spoonfuls of sambal, and end with her coconut and pandan sponge cake'

- Yotam Ottolenghi, author of SIMPLE

Coconut & Sambal reveals the secrets behind authentic Indonesian cookery. With more than 80 traditional and vibrant recipes that have been passed down through the generations, you will discover dishes such as Nasi goreng, Beef rendang, Chilli prawn satay and Pandan cake, alongside a variety of recipes for sambals: fragrant, spicy relishes that are undoubtedly the heart and soul of every meal.

Lara uses simple techniques and easily accessible ingredients throughout Coconut and Sambal, interweaving the recipes with beguiling tales of island life and gorgeous travel photography that shines a light on the magnificent, little-known cuisine of Indonesia.

What are you waiting for? Travel the beautiful islands of Indonesia and taste the different regions through these recipes.

'An incredibly delicious Indonesian meal on your table every time'

- Jeremy Pang, chef and founder of School of Wok

Memories and mentorship take Lara Lee on an intriguing journey into Indonesia's food. This piece of paradise, made up of 17,000 islands, is definitely where I would go to discover new tantalizing flavours. I would start with Lara's fragrant chicken soup (soto ayam), do lots of exploring on the way whilst dousing everything with spoonfuls of sambal, and end with her coconut and pandan sponge cake (kue pandan dan kelapa)

Lara Lee shares beautiful stories and the food of her Indonesian heritage. With delicious recipes that showcase the diverse tastes of traditional Indonesian food, this is truly a cookbook worth discovering

I have travelled in Indonesia, a fascinating nation with an incredibly diverse yet barely known cuisine. It's packed with flavour, tradition and stories. Lara brings to life the food of Indonesia through her grandmother Popo's recipes with favourites that are absolutely delicious and easy to make. I, for one, will be making her peanut kerupuk again and again.

Lara Lee has written a heartfelt homage to her Indonesian culinary heritage, with an exciting and panoramic selection of dishes and snacks from all over the archipelago. The clear instructions and lively descriptions make this lavishly flavoured cuisine both appealing and accessible.

I can only say how excited I am about a book which honours and distils the beautiful Indonesian cuisine and translates it for the contemporary cook.

I urge you to follow Lara's recipes and without a doubt, you will have an incredibly delicious Indonesian meal on your table every time.

This book will guide you through Indonesia's wide and diverse food offerings one bite of a time, with a generous dollop of sambal!

Not only does she have a vast knowledge of Indonesian food, her recipes are easy to use and deliver outstanding results.

I am thrilled to see a young Asian chef ... contributing delicious recipes to our growing knowledge of Asian cuisine!

So full of mouthwatering dishes that it's been hard to choose what to cook first. The writing is warm and inviting, and the recipes accessible without sacrificing authenticity - ideal for a newcomer to Indonesian food like me.

Alive with the fabulous flavours of Indonesia

Her anecdotes are food for the soul, as are the recipes. This book is a gem