Amidst coronavirus, I’m sticking to what I – and a lot of other people – love most: cooking and baking. One challenge I’ve presented to myself is to make a dish (or dishes) of international cuisines nearly every week, learn some words from the language, and e-visit some of the country’s landmarks. Some of these dishes will be more complex than others, based on what ingredients I have available in the house.
For Christmas this year, my friend gave me one of the ultimate foodie gifts: online cooking classes. First one? Balinese cuisine.
This Airbnb online class was hosted by Ngurah & Ayu, who were both extremely kind and thorough with their instructions. What I really liked about this online class is that they virtually took us around their property and explained to us some pillars of Balinese culture. Bali, by the way, is a province and island of Indonesia. For one, Ngurah told us that every morning, one person of the family performs offerings for the spirits in their backyard temples. Ngurah and Ayu also showed us their traditional Balinese dress (shown below), that is worn every Thursday. They also explained that Balinese people generally eat rice at every meal of the day, and since meant is so expensive, it is rarely eaten. So when I was preparing the following three dishes for my dinner, this was actually serving as their breakfast.
I generally stick to a vegan and gluten-free diet, but since this class had chicken on the agenda, I wanted to stay true to their menu and not replace it with tofu or tempeh. One ingredient that I came across that I’ve never heard of before was candlenut, which resembles a macadamia nut and is common in Indonesian cooking. Lastly, I was so surprised to see how small the shallots in Bali were – they were 1/3 of the size of shallots in the US!
Balinese cuisine uses a variety of spices blended with vegetables, rice, and seafood. Spices include shallots, garlic, turmeric, ginger, and lime. The Balinese cuisine has an 8-spice base made of white pepper, black pepper, coriander, cumin, clove, nutmeg, sesame seed, and candlenut.
The following recipes aren’t directly from Ngurah and Ayu.
DISH #1: SOTO AYAM (Indonesian chicken soup) (GF + DF)
Soto ayam is chicken noodle soup, Indonesian style. On the cold winter night, this soup was so delicious and soothing. It had a hint of lemongrass and a paste that we made with our mortar and pestle that contains shallots white pepper, garlic, and coriander. The chicken that was boiled in the recipe was later put on a pan to crisp for just a little bit. You wind up with little bites of lemongrass infused crispy chicken – super yummy. Ayu neatly placed glass noodles, cilantro, and chicken into corresponding bowls after topping it off with the boiling soup, lime juice, and fried shallots. The spiciness of this soup is very delicate as well, pleasing many palates.
Recipe: Glebe Kitchen’s Soto Ayam
DISH #2: AYAM SISIT (Spicy shredded chicken) (GF + DF)
Ayam sisti is shredded pan-fried chicken with refreshingly spicy Balinese salsa made of chilis, lemon grass, garlic, shallots, tomatoes, and lime juice. This dish was my family’s favorite – so much so that I whipped a batch up the next day. You can pair this with nasi kuning, or, as I discovered, wedge it between two halves of cucumbers.
Recipe: Wil and Wayan Kitchen’s Ayam Sisit
DISH #3: NASI KUNING (Fragrant yellow rice) (GF + V)
Nasi kuning is a very easy and aromatic rice, giving off the most beautiful rich golden yellow color. I can imagine this rice going nicely with other international dishes such as a red curry, chicken yassa,
Recipe: What to Cook Today’s Nasi Kuning
USEFUL WORDS
Two languages are spoken in Bali: Bahasa Indonesia and Basa Bali. Basa Bali is most locals’ first language, so that’s what I decided to explore.
- Good morning –> Rahajeng Semeng
- Good afternoon –> Rahajeng Semeng
- Good night –> Rahajeng Wengi
- Thank you –> Suksema
- You’re welcome –> Suksema mewali
LANDMARKS
Bali undoubtedly is home to some of the most gorgeous natural scenes on the planet. Let’s take a gander!
Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Ubud
Monkeys (particularly chimpanzees) are my favorite animals, so if I were taking a trip to Bali, I’d undoubtedly make an effort to go here. The 1,049 monkeys are free to roam around the complex.
Crystal Bay, Nusa Penida Island
This bay is one of the best beaches in Bali, known for its coconut palm tree forest, traditional temples, and beach shack cafes nearby.
Ulun Danu Temple, Bedugul
This Hindu temple is dedicated to the goddess of the lake.
Jatiluwih Rice Terrace, Tabanan
Tourists can hike, cycle, and photograph the undulating rice terraces.
Although I’m not a meat eater I really enjoyed making and eating these dishes because it exposed me to a cuisine had never heard of or really considered up until now. I really enjoyed this experience because it felt like you were leaving the house into somebody’s home and just learning from their culture; it made me feel a little bit like being in an episode of Netflix’s Somebody feed Phil. As Ngurah and Ayu’s life motto goes, “Enjoy the present moment, meet as many friends possible from all over the world and appreciate.”