Balinese Cooking Class at ASTON Canggu Beach Resort – 5 Typical Balinese dishes 

Balinese Cooking Class at ASTON Canggu Beach Resort – 5 Typical Balinese dishes

 

Written and compiled  by Axel Ritenis, Editor -Sydney Times in 2023 and refreshed in 2025

 

*ASTON Canggu is part of the Archipelago International’s properties, along with other prominent brands, such as Kamuela, Fave, Neo,  all of these hotels and resorts from Archipelago International  can  be easily booked with the best price through the airasia – under the “Hotels” icon

Balinese cuisine is a cuisine tradition of Balinese people from the volcanic island of Bali. Using a variety of spices, blended with the fresh vegetables, meat and fish.Part of Indonesian cuisine, it demonstrates indigenous traditions, as well as influences from other Indonesian regional cuisine, Chinese and Indian. The island’s inhabitants are predominantly Hindu and culinary traditions are somewhat distinct with the rest of Indonesia, with festivals and religious celebrations including many special foods prepared as the offerings for the deities, as well as other dishes consumed communally during the celebrations.

 

Rice, the primary grain is almost always consumed as a staple accompanied with vegetables, meat and seafood. Pork, chicken, fruit, vegetables and seafood are widely utilized, however as in most Hindu communities, beef is never or rarely consumed.

Steamed rice is commonly consumed in every meal. Pork, chicken, seafood and vegetables are widely consumed. As Hindus however, Balinese never or rarely consume beef. This restriction is especially observed by those who belong to Brahmin and Kshatriya castes. Nevertheless, lesser Gusti (nobles) and common Balinese people might consume beef, albeit rarely.

Spices include Kaempferia galanga (galangal), shallots, garlic, turmeric, ginger and Kaffir lime are used in Balinese cuisine. Balinese 8-spice is made with white pepper, black pepper, coriander, cumin, clove, nutmeg, sesame seed, and candlenut. Palm sugar, fish paste, and basa gede (a spice paste) are used.

Fruits include rambutan, mangoes, mangosteen, bananas, jackfruit, passion fruit, nangka (jackfruit), pineapple, salak (snake fruit), duku, kelengkeng (longan), wani (white mango or Mangifera caesia), papaya, melon, oranges, custard-apple, coconut and durian.

 

Balinese households usually purchase fresh ingredients from the local market every morning, cook and serve them in the late morning to be mainly consumed for lunch. The leftovers are stored to be heated again for family dinner. Other than homemade family dishes, Balinese cuisine are served from humble street side carts and warungs, to fancy restaurants in resorts and five-star hotels. Small family-run warungs are the budget options for street food, serving everything from family dishes for full meals, or snack foods.

Balinese warungs or restaurants usually specified on certain menu, for example there are restaurants that specialize  solely on serving specialized dishes such as  babi guling (suckling pig), bebek betutu (crispy duck), or nasi campur (Balinese mixed rice). Some warung specialized in selling tipat cantok (similar to kupat tahu) or nasi jinggo mixed rice.

About Balinese Food

Balinese foods include lawar (chopped coconut, garlic, chili pepper, with pork or chicken meat and blood), Bebek betutu (duck stuffed with spices, wrapped in banana leaves and coconut husks cooked in a pit of embers), World famous Balinese Sate known as Sate Lilit is made from spiced Chicken mince pressed onto skewers which are often lemongrass sticks, Babi guling also known as celeng guling (a spit-roasted pig stuffed with chili peppers, turmeric, garlic, and ginger).

In Bali, the mixed rice is called nasi campur Bali or simply nasi Bali. The Balinese nasi campur version of mixed rice may have grilled tuna, fried tofu, cucumber, spinach, tempe, beef cubes, vegetable curry, corn, chili sauce on a bed of rice. Mixed rice is often sold by street vendors, wrapped in a banana leaf.

 

 

Fish Soup 

Aromatic Fish Soup,Lemon Grass,basic yellow spies,cucumber

Ingredients:

Fish Fillet (see bass is good) 500 gms ,Yellow basic sauce 150 gms ,Tomatoes 100 gms ,Lemon grass 10 gms Sour or slightly acidi  fruit -If you have e.g. Pineapple 

Cooking Method

Heat oil in a pan and add yellow basic sauce and then stir for 2 minutes 

Add stock,salt and pepper and wait until stock is almost boiling then add Fish and simmer for 10 minutes .Fish soup is now ready to servie 

 

Satay Lilit Ayam 

Minced Chicken Skewers Balinese Style 

Ingredients:

Minced chicken 500 gms , Tumeric 2 gms ,Garlic 10 gms ,Coriander seed 5 gms ,Red chilli 50 gms ,Palm sugar 1 tablespoon ,Hot chilli Shallot 10 gms ,Salt ½ tablespoon ,White pepper ¼ tbs  Lemongrass 10 gms , Galengal 10 gms , Cooking oil 100 mls ,Ginger 15 gms 

Cooking Method

Step 1 

Make a basic yellow sauce by mixing up all items excep minced chicken in blender and then place cooking oil in pan and sautte the blen in the pan for 5 minutes and then simmer for 10 minutes and palace in a bowl

Step 2 

Then take minced chicken and add 3 spoons of basic yellow sauce and mix by hand in bowl an then take minced chicken and form it around-make a  skewer season with Salt and Pepper according to  taste 

Step 3

Place on BBQ or in Frying Pan  until golden brown

Chicken mince Skewers are now ready to serve!

Tongseng Sapi 

Stir Fry sliced beef with onion,shallot,garlic,chilli and vegetables 

Ingredients:

Beef Slices  400 gms ,Onion 20 gms,shallot 10 gms ,Capsicum 20 gms ,red chilli 10 gms ,Garlic 10 gms, Oyster sauce 60 mls, Shaosing 20 mls ,White cabbage 100 gms, Sweet soy sauce 20 gms 

Cooking Method

Step 1 

Prepare all ingredients Beef slice etc,..

Step 2 

Heat cooking oil,put shallot,garlic,onion red chilli,capsicum add shaosing and stock,oyster sauce and seasoning, kecap if you like 

Step 3 

Add maizena to thicken mix 

Plecing Kangkung

Water Spinach Salad,red chilli dressing,kafir lime 

Ingredients:

Water spinach 50 gms,Red chilli 50 gms ,Shrimp paste 3 gms ,Lime juice 1 pcs, Tomato 100 gms, Salt ½,Tablespoon,Cooking oil 2 tablespoons 

Cooking Method

Blanche water spinach

Place red chilli ,shrimp paste ,tomato, salt in a bowl and pure it with ulekan (stone pestal) 

Or with blender ,then simmer in 5 minutes ,put in a bown and mix together with blanched  spinach and lime juice ,then Plecing Kanging is ready to serve 

Sambal Matah  (Spicy Shallot Salsa)

Ingredients:

Chopped shallots 100 gms ,Red chilli 10 gms, Lime juice 5 mls, Lemon grass 5 gms,Diced tomatoes 100 gms, Salad oil 10 mls, Salt ½ tablespoon

Cooking Method

Heat salad oil in a pan and mix all items in a bowl except the hot oil and add hot oil on top of all mixed items and stir for 2 minutes then sambal matah is ready to serve 

Steamed Corn Rice 

Steam Rice with Sweet corn 

Ingredients:

Rice, Corn

Method

Combine in bowl after steaming rice

ABOUT ASTON CANGGU BEACH RESORT

“Archipelago International operates several hotels in Bali, including the renowned favehotel Kartika Plaza, Harper Kuta, ASTON Denpasar, ASTON Kuta, Hotel NEO Denpasar, Hotel NEO+ Kuta Legian, Quest Hotel Denpasar, Quest Hotel Kuta, and many others. The company’s properties are known for their exceptional service and convenient locations, ensuring a memorable stay for all guests. You may book from any hotels under Archipelago International on our website  https://www.archipelagointernational.com/

 

The writer was a guest of Archipelago Group International and AIRASIA