Bali
If there’s one thing that makes a trip truly unforgettable, it’s the food!
Today we’re making a stop in Bali, a land where Indonesian cuisine takes on a more vegetarian-friendly twist compared to Javanese cooking. Balinese food is bold and spicy, full of aromatic herbs and strong flavors like the signature bumbu spice paste. Every bite tells a different story, and in this article we’ll take you on a journey through some of the most iconic dishes from both of these culinary traditions!
Nasi Goreng (with chicken and shrimps)
Nasi Goreng is much more than just fried rice. It’s a signature dish of Indonesia—rich, hearty, and incredibly versatile. This version includes chicken and shrimp, but you can easily replace them with tofu and tempeh. And if you want to give it an extra kick, add some homemade sambal oelek. Perfect for an exotic dinner with authentic flavor.
Ingredients:
500 g medium shrimp, peeled
2 boneless chicken thighs
2 eggs
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large carrot, julienned
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon sambal oelek (see recipe below)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
4 cups cooked rice
4 spring onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
Sambal Oelek Preparation
Ingredients:
200 g red chilies
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Method
Remove the stems from the chilies and roughly chop them.
Cook them in water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Transfer to a blender, add salt, sugar, vinegar, and oil, and blend until smooth.
Store the sambal in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Preparing the Nasi Goreng:
Clean the shrimp and cut the chicken into thin strips.
Beat the eggs with a fork. In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and pour in the eggs, cooking over low heat to make a thin omelet. Let it cool, roll it up, and cut into thin strips.
Heat the remaining oil in a pan or wok. Add the shrimp, chicken, carrot, and garlic, and sauté.
Add sambal oelek, soy sauce, rice, and spring onions. Stir-fry everything until hot.
Serve topped with the sliced omelet, spring onions, and curled red pepper.
Tip: To curl the spring onions and bell pepper, cut them into thin strips and soak them in cold water in the fridge.
As an alternative to rice, you can use noodles (Mi Goreng).
Balinese peanut sauce
Creamy, fragrant, and full of bold flavor, Balinese peanut sauce is the perfect finishing touch for satay and grilled vegetables. Easy to prepare, it captures all the authentic taste of Indonesia with just a few ingredients.
Ingredients:
200 g peanuts, fried in coconut oil
2 garlic cloves, fried in coconut oil
2 candlenuts, fried (or Brazil nuts as an alternative), in coconut oil
1 small piece of turmeric, fried in coconut oil
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Chili to taste
A splash of water
Preparation:
Using a mortar and pestle or a blender, crush or blend the peanuts, garlic, candlenuts, turmeric, and chili until you get a smooth paste.
Add a splash of water and the soy sauce, and mix well.
Finish with the lime juice and serve. Perfect with satay or grilled vegetables!
Balinese yellow sauce (Basa Gede)
Fragrant and spicy, Basa Gede is the golden base of Balinese cooking. An aromatic blend of herbs and spices that brings curries, soups, and stir-fried dishes to life with vibrant, authentic flavor.
Ingredients:
½ teaspoon each of galangal (can be replaced with lime leaves or zest), fresh turmeric, aromatic ginger, regular ginger, and white pepper
2 stalks lemongrass
2 red chilies
2 onions
4 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon salt
1 Indonesian bay leaf (or regular bay leaf)
Preparation:
Finely chop all the ingredients into a paste (you can use a mortar and pestle or a blender).
Sauté the mixture in a bit of coconut oil until it turns a golden yellow and releases a delicious aroma.
Store in the fridge: it’s the perfect base for soups, curries, and stir-fried dishes!
Balinese green pumpkin soup
Light, spiced, and comforting, this Balinese green pumpkin soup is tropical comfort food at its best.
Simple to make, it’s full of the warmth of home and spices, finished with a touch of coconut milk for a creamy, irresistible twist.
Ingredients:
50 g green pumpkin
50 g carrots
½ leek
1 onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 red chili
¼ teaspoon salt and pepper
Vegetable broth, as needed
Preparation:
Cut the vegetables into small pieces and boil until halfway cooked.
In a pan, sauté the onion, garlic, and chili.
Add the vegetables, broth, salt, and pepper. Cook until everything is soft.
Serve hot—maybe with a splash of coconut milk on top!
Sweet and spicy tempe
Crispy on the outside, flavorful on the inside: this sweet and spicy tempeh is a burst of flavor typical of Balinese cuisine. Perfect with a plate of white rice, it combines the fragrance of spices with the sweetness of kecap manis for an irresistible balance.
Ingredients:
1 block of tempeh
1 tablespoon yellow spice paste (see above)
1 garlic clove, 1 onion, 1 leek, 1 chili (sliced)
2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
½ teaspoon salt and pepper
Preparation:
Cut the tempeh into cubes and fry in coconut oil until golden.
In a pan, sauté the onion, garlic, chili, and yellow spice paste.
Add the fried tempeh, soy sauce, salt, and pepper.
Mix well and serve hot with white rice.
Balinese tofu/tempe curry
Rich, spiced, and creamy, this Balinese tofu or tempeh curry is a vegetable dish that wins you over with the first bite.
Perfect with white rice and a squeeze of lime, it captures all the warmth and fragrances of the Island of the Gods.
Ingredients:
100 g tofu or tempeh
50 g carrots (can be replaced with cauliflower, cabbage, etc.)
2 potatoes (optional)
½ leek
1 onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 chili, 1 stalk lemongrass
½ teaspoon salt and pepper
2 tablespoons coconut milk
2 tablespoons yellow spice paste
1 Indonesian bay leaf (or regular bay leaf)
Preparation:
Cut the tofu, carrots, and potatoes into cubes.
Sauté the onion, garlic, chili, and leek until halfway cooked.
Add the salt, pepper, lemongrass, bay leaf, yellow spice paste, and coconut milk.
Simmer until the vegetables are soft and the curry is fragrant.
Serve with lime and white rice on the side.
Tofu/tempe satay
A great classic of Indonesian street food, made vegetarian: tempeh and tofu satay is flavorful, spicy, and perfect for sharing. Grilled to perfection and served with peanut sauce, it’s a burst of flavors in every bite.
Ingredients:
50 g tofu and tempeh
1 tomato
1 tablespoon chopped chili and yellow spice paste
1 teaspoon fried garlic, fried onion, and celery
2 teaspoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt and pepper
Lime juice
Preparation:
Cut the tempeh, tofu, tomato, and chili into cubes. Lightly fry them in coconut oil.
Mix with the yellow spice paste, soy sauce, fried garlic and onion, celery, salt, pepper, and lime juice.
Thread onto skewers and grill until golden. Serve with peanut sauce!
Balinese Black Rice Pudding
A rich and comforting dessert, Balinese Black Rice Pudding is a treat that captures the flavor of tradition.
With its creamy texture and the sweet-salty contrast of coconut cream, it’s perfect for ending a meal with an exotic and indulgent touch.
Ingredients:
1 cup raw black glutinous rice (you can use white glutinous rice, but the texture will be different)
¾ cup raw white glutinous rice
½ liter of water
1 drop pandan extract
¼ cup palm sugar or dark brown sugar
½ cup coconut cream
A pinch of salt
Preparation:
Wash both types of rice until the water runs clear. Soak overnight if possible.
In a saucepan, combine the drained rice with pandan extract and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then simmer uncovered for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice has a porridge-like consistency.
Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Lower the heat and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a separate bowl, mix the coconut cream with a pinch of salt.
To serve, divide the pudding into small bowls and top with the salted coconut cream.
