If, like me, you haven’t ventured further into Indonesia than the beaches of Bali then, boy, have we got a lot to look forward to. Familiar with nasi goreng, beef rendang, satay and gado-gado, I haven’t explored more nuanced regional dishes such as Acehnese lamb curry, coconut, beef and peanut stir-fry from Timor or chicken noodle soto from Java either. Sambal – fragrant, spicy, often chilli-laden relish or sauce – is an integral part of so many of these dishes, along with coconut, rice and crunchy  kerupuk crackers to start. Australian- Indonesian Lara Lee mixes traditional  recipes with not-so, such as soy-and- ginger roast potatoes, pandan and  coconut cake and palm-sugar slice. She explains that a meal without sambal is unthinkable, and with recipes for 10 different sambals and suggestions of which goes with what we’re well placed to explore. TRACY WHITMEY