The chef and writer shares her take on a classic Indonesian dish
recipe photograph TARA FISHER
my favourite dish
Petty Pandean Elliott is an award-winning Indonesian chef, writer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and author of several best-selling Indonesian cookbooks.
My culinary journey began in my grandmother’s kitchen in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, at just nine years old. I learned everything from gutting fish to cleaning chickens, and discovered the rich tapestry of spices and herbs that flavour our regional dishes.
However, I didn’t enter the professional culinary world until I was 37. Before that, I’d had a successful career in advertising and worked as a food journalist. The first turning point in my journey was when, shortly after moving to the UK in 2000, I was accepted as a contestant on MasterChef. Although I didn’t win, the experience was invaluable. Then, two years after returning to Jakarta, I was offered a food column in a local magazine. At the same time, I began hosting home-cooking classes for the expatriate community, and then self-published my first cookbook in English, Papaya Flower, which led to collaborations with foreign chefs interested in Indonesian cuisine.
From there, I was given the opportunity to work as a visiting chef at one of Jakarta’s five-star hotels, thanks to executive chef Sean MacDougall. Back in 2011, modernised Indonesian cuisine was a rarity in Jakarta’s culinary landscape, but our collaboration helped pave the way for the resurgence of regional Indonesian food being cooked in upscale hotels and restaurants.
Growing up in a family that embraced diverse cultures, I was exposed to a wide range of foods as a child, including European dishes like empanadas with spicy smoked fish, cheese sticks and klappertaart – a tart made with young coconuts and custard. On Sundays, my mother would prepare a family meal that we enjoyed together, often in the company of other relatives.
This cultural background played a significant role in nurturing my love for cooking, but it was only after I married my British husband and started a family that my passion for it truly blossomed.
Sunday lunches with my family have since become cherished occasions. I embrace the idea of incorporating fresh veg into our meals, and enjoy preparing traybake roasts, like chicken infused with Indonesian flavors or herbs from my garden, alongside all the traditional trimmings.
But, one of my all-time favorite dishes to make is ikan woku, a whole fish marina
