What Can I Substitute for Kecap Manis?

You're tossing nasi goreng, mie goreng or another fried rice or noodle dish in a hot wok and need the sauce to coat every grain or strand and colour it dark brown.

• soy sauce and palm sugar, simmered — 45 ml soy sauce plus 30 g grated palm sugar for every 60 ml kecap manis
• soy sauce and brown sugar, simmered — 45 ml soy sauce plus 30 g brown sugar for every 60 ml kecap manis
• dark soy sauce and brown sugar — 45 ml dark soy sauce plus 20 g brown sugar for every 60 ml kecap manis

Here the sauce has to sweeten, season, cling and stain the rice or noodles all at once, so a simmered soy-and-sugar syrup covers every role, with palm sugar closest in flavour and dark soy giving the deepest colour.

You're marinating chicken, pork or beef for satay or the barbecue and the kecap manis is there to season the meat and help it char.

• soy sauce and honey — 30 ml soy sauce plus 30 ml honey for every 60 ml kecap manis
• soy sauce and brown sugar, simmered — 45 ml soy sauce plus 30 g brown sugar for every 60 ml kecap manis

A marinade mainly needs salt to season and sugar to caramelise on the grill, and soy with honey does both without any cooking, while the lighter colour hardly matters once the meat is charred.

You're brushing a glaze onto wings, ribs or salmon in the oven or under the grill and want a shiny, sticky, dark coating.

• soy sauce and honey — 30 ml soy sauce plus 30 ml honey for every 60 ml kecap manis
• soy sauce and brown sugar, simmered — 45 ml soy sauce plus 30 g brown sugar for every 60 ml kecap manis
• hoisin sauce and soy sauce — 45 ml hoisin sauce plus 15 ml soy sauce for every 60 ml kecap manis

A glaze depends on body and browning more than on exact flavour, so honey or a reduced sugar syrup gives the stickiness and gloss, and hoisin works if you don't mind a five-spice note.

You're making semur, ayam kecap or another braise where the meat simmers in a large amount of kecap manis until the sauce reduces dark and sticky.

• soy sauce and palm sugar, simmered — 45 ml soy sauce plus 30 g grated palm sugar for every 60 ml kecap manis
• dark soy sauce and brown sugar — 45 ml dark soy sauce plus 20 g brown sugar for every 60 ml kecap manis

In a braise the sauce is most of the flavour and colour, so palm sugar gives the closest caramel taste and dark soy the near-black colour, and the long simmer dissolves the sugar for you.

You're cooking for someone vegan and want to sweeten and glaze tofu, tempeh or roast vegetables without honey.

• soy sauce and brown sugar, simmered — 45 ml soy sauce plus 30 g brown sugar for every 60 ml kecap manis
• soy sauce and maple syrup — 30 ml soy sauce plus 30 ml maple syrup for every 60 ml kecap manis

Simmered soy and brown sugar is vegan and covers sweetness, salt and body, while maple syrup is quicker but thinner and tastes of maple, so reduce it in the pan to help it coat.

The finished dish tastes far too salty.

Why: The swap used too much soy sauce for the sugar, often because the recipe's tablespoons were 15 ml and you measured with a 20 ml Australian tablespoon, or the other way round.

Fix: Stir in a little more sugar and a squeeze of lime, and bulk out the dish with extra plain rice, noodles or vegetables.

The sauce is thin and gritty and won't cling to the noodles or meat.

Why: The sugar wasn't dissolved and the mixture wasn't simmered long enough to turn syrupy.

Fix: Push the food aside, pour the sauce into the hot pan and let it bubble for a minute or two until it thickens, then toss everything back through.

The wok smells acrid and the rice or noodles have bitter, blackened patches.

Why: The sugar in the swap was added too early over high heat and burnt before the food was cooked.

Can't be fixed — next time: Burnt sugar can't be removed, so pick out the worst bits and next time add the sauce in the last minute of stir-frying.

The glaze has blackened under the grill or in the oven before the meat is cooked through.

Why: Honey and sugar caramelise and burn faster than the meat cooks, especially close to a grill element.

Fix: Cover the tray loosely with foil, lower the heat to finish cooking, and brush on a fresh coat of glaze only in the final 10 minutes.

Is kecap manis the same as sweet soy sauce?

Yes, kecap manis is Indonesian sweet soy sauce, and many bottles carry both names. Some products labelled simply as sweet soy sauce are made in other styles and can be thinner or less sweet. Look for the words kecap manis or ketjap manis if you want the thick Indonesian version.

Is kecap manis the same as dark soy sauce?

No, kecap manis is much sweeter and thicker than Chinese dark soy sauce. Dark soy is darker and a little thicker than regular soy, but it is only mildly sweet. It works as a base for a substitute once you add brown sugar.

Can I use kecap manis instead of soy sauce?

You can, but expect a much sweeter, stickier result with less salt. If the recipe also calls for sugar or honey, cut that back, and add a pinch of salt or a splash of regular soy if the dish tastes flat.

Can I leave kecap manis out of nasi goreng?

You can, but the rice will be paler and will lack the sticky, caramel coating that defines the dish. A quick mix of soy sauce and palm or brown sugar, simmered until syrupy, gets you much closer than leaving it out or using plain soy.

Is kecap manis gluten-free?

Usually not, because most kecap manis is brewed from soybeans and wheat. Some brands are labelled gluten-free, so check the label. You can also make your own by simmering tamari with palm or brown sugar.

How much is 2 tablespoons of kecap manis in millilitres?

It is 40 ml if the recipe uses Australian 20 ml tablespoons and 30 ml if it uses 15 ml tablespoons from the UK, New Zealand, the US or Canada. Australian recipes normally mean the 20 ml spoon, while recipes from overseas normally mean 15 ml, so check where the recipe comes from before measuring.