Sate tusuk (also known as satay skewers) are deeply loved in all parts of Bali.Martin Westlake/Hardie GrantBefore the pandemic,more than a million Australians visited Bali every year. But when work started to dry up for food writer Tjok Maya Kerthyasa and Balinese chef Wayan Kresna Yasa,they got together to penPaon,sharing heirloom recipes and dishes from around the island.
"My niang's[grandmother's] generation learned and passed down knowledge orally,so the best recipes are rarely recorded on paper,"Kerthyasa writes in the book's introduction.
"And restaurants seldom have the time and tools to match the depth,complexity and zing of Bali's home kitchens."
Tjok Maya Kerthyasa and I Wayan Kresna Yasa's new book.Martin Westlake/Hardie Grant She hopes their book will change that.
"If you've never visited Bali,we hope these dishes will inspire you to make the trip,"writes Kerthyasa.
"If you're Balinese or already well-versed in the cuisine,we hope you appreciate our efforts to share the island's flavours in a way that reflects its very unique spirit."
These recipes are sure to bring some of Bali's signature sunny flavours to your own paon (kitchen).
Sate tusuk sere tabia (Chicken satay with tamarind-chilli sauce)
Sate tusuk is the most straightforward kind of sate – just marinated meat on skewers. It's often made with chicken,pork or seafood,and it's deeply loved in all parts of Bali.
INGREDIENTS
- 500g chicken breast,skin removed,cut into 2.5cm cubes
- 25 thin bamboo skewers,soaked for 20 minutes
Marinade
- 100g long red chillies,seeds removed,sliced
- 3-5 bird's eye chillies,finely sliced
- 1 tsp shrimp paste
- 2 tsp tamarind pulp or paste
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp sea salt
- 3 tsp palm sugar
Tipat cantok is one of those dishes that tastes,looks and feels a little bit healthy and a little bit naughty all at once. When it's served at the markets,it's a joy to watch all the components being chopped,tossed and bundled together in brown paper – little parcels of peanut-fuelled nourishment to start the day. The key to any great tipat cantok is balance. You want it to be saucy,spicy,sweet and savoury. There should be a nice amount of crunch from the vegetables and starchiness from the rice cakes. Once you've mastered your perfect formula,you'll want it for breakfast,lunch and dinner.
INGREDIENTS
- 150g (½ cup) sea salt
- 150g cabbage,quartered
- 150g snake beans
- 150g bean sprouts
- 300g lontong,sliced into medium-sized discs(see recipe)
- 1½ tbsp fried sprouted beans,to serve(see recipe)
- 1 tbsp fried shallots,to serve
Peanut sauce
- 80g (½ cup) fried peanuts(see recipe)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2-3 bird's eye chillies,sliced
- 220ml warm water
- 1 tbsp fried shallots
- 1½ tbsp kecap manis
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 tsp sea salt
There are generally two kinds of savoury rice cakes in Bali. The first is known as tipat and is made from uncooked rice steamed inside diamond-shaped pouches woven out of young palm leaves. The second is known as lontong and is made from cooked rice wrapped in banana leaves in the shape of a log. Both are boiled to form dense,sticky,savoury rice cakes that pair wonderfully with sates and other soupy or saucy dishes.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 banana leaves (20 × 20cm)(see note)
- toothpicks,bamboo sticks or butcher's twine
- 400g (2½ cups) steamed white rice
- tipat cantok,to serve(see recipe)
- sate,to serve
METHOD
- Prepare the banana leaves for wrapping and use the guide(see tips) to wrap the filling.
- Place the banana leaf parcels in a medium stockpot along with 3 litres (12 cups) water and bring to the boil. Cook over a medium heat for about 2 hours,or until the logs are firm but the rice inside the leaves still gives way when you give it a gentle squeeze.
- Remove the lontongs from the pot using tongs and place on a rack to cool completely. Carefully unwrap the parcels,slice the rice cakes and serve them with tipat cantok and sate.
Makes 4
NoteBanana leaves are often available fresh or frozen at Asian supermarkets. If you use frozen leaves,simply defrost them at room temperature when you start cooking.
Wrapping guide
- To make a banana leaf parcel,place two pieces of banana leaf on top of each other,with the bottom leaf's top (glossy) side facing the bench and the top leaf's glossy side facing you. The veins of both leaves should face in the same direction.
- Place a quarter of the steamed rice in each parcel along the grain of the banana leaves.
- Fold the leaves over the filling and roll into a log. Work with the veins of the leaves,not against them,so they don't tear.
- You can fasten the ends with a toothpick (or a thin bamboo stick if you want to use the traditional way),or tie them shut with butcher's twine,nice and tight – you want to make sure water won't enter the parcel when cooking. Ensure there are no tears in the banana leaves.
Serves 4
This is an edited extract fromPaon:Real Balinese Cooking by Tjok Maya Kerthyasa and I Wayan Kresna Yasa,published by Hardie Grant Books,RRP $50. Photography:Martin Westlake.Buy now