Finely chopped meat, vegetables and grated coconut, mixed with base genep and lime — made fresh for ceremonies and eaten the same day.
What makes it lawar
Everything chopped fine and mixed by hand.
Grated coconut and base genep.
Made and eaten the same day.
Where it comes from
Lawar is the dish the men of a village make together before a ceremony: meat minced by hand, skin boiled and chopped, young jackfruit or long beans cut fine, toasted coconut grated, all worked together with base genep, fried shallot and lime.
Lawar merah, the red one, is coloured and enriched with fresh pig's blood; lawar putih has none. It spoils quickly, so it's mixed on the day and eaten soon.
How it varies
Lawar merah
Red with fresh blood — the ceremonial version.
Lawar kacang
Mostly long beans, with a little meat — an everyday version.