Food of Bali. Wendy Hutton

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      Mount Agung, Bali's most sacred mountain, dominates the landscape of eastern Bali.

      Published by Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

       www.periplus.com

      Copyright © 1995

       Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

      All Rights Reserved

      ISBN: 978-1-4629-50571-3 (ebook)

      Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 98-83179

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      First Edition

       12 11 10 9 8

       15 14 13 12

      Printed in Singapore 1110CP

      Acknowledgments

       I would like to thank all those people whose whole-hearted support made this book possible. First and foremost. Mr. Peter Stettler, General Manager of Grand Hyatt Bali, for his unfailing and enthusiastic assistance throughout the preparation of this book. Cherrie and Desmond I till offered continuous personal support and photographic advice. Sharon Antis patiently spent hours helping put the recipes into shape. My thanks to all the chefs of the Grand Hyatt Bali, in particular, Wayan Widiana and Martin Graham and his team who were responsible for the preparation of the food. A special thank you to Brent Hesslyn, both for introductions and for the creation of all tableware used in the book. Thanks also to Puri Sakana Antiques Art Gallery and owner I Wayan Dupa Suciptra and woodcarver Ida Bagus Tilem for providing all the carvings used in the photographs. Finally, I would like to thank my editor, Wendy Hutton, whose professional expertise and long experience with Southeast Asian cuisines helped bring the work of all of us to the final stages.—Heinz von Holzen

      All ceramics appearing in this book were designed and produced by Jenggala Keramik, Bantujimbar, Sanur, P.O. Box 3025, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. Telephone: [phone]; facsimile: 62 361 287930.

      Credits

       Photos by Heinz von Holzen except pages 11, 17, 20, 23 by Rio Helmi, pages 6, 8, 10, 12-13 by R. Ian Lloyd, page 14, 19 by Eric Oey, page 21 by Fiona Nichols.

      Contents

       PART ONE: FOOD IN BALI

      Introduction 5

      Garden of the Gods 6

      Rice, the Gift of Dewi Sri 8

      Daily Life in Bali 11

      At Home with Ibu Rani 15

      Lavish Gifts for the Gods 17

      Feasting the Ancestral Spirits 21

      Snacking as a Way of Life 22

       PART TWO: COOKING IN BALI

      The Balinese Kitchen 25

      Basic Equipment 26

      Cooking Methods 28

      Preparing Rice 29

      The Balinese Cupboard 30

      Balinese Ingredients 32

       PART THREE: THE RECIPES

      Basic Recipes 39

      Soups 46

      Meat 54

      Satay 66

      Poultry 70

      Seafood 80

      Rice 92

      Vegetables 96

      Desserts & Cakes 108

      Mail-order Sources of Ingredients 118

      Index 119

      Part One: Food in Bali

      Sustenance and sacrifice:

       the island cuisine in context

      The extravagant beauty of Bali and its vibrant culture first captured the imagination of the world in the 1930s, when it was visited by a few adventurous Dutch colonists, artists and the international jet set (who in those days actually travelled by ship). Since the arrival of mass tourism during the 1970s, hundreds of thousands of tourists have descended upon the "Island of the Gods," yet most leave without having eaten one single meal of genuine Balinese food. How could this peculiar situation have come about?

      Bali, then made up of nine separate kingdoms, was conquered by the Dutch in 1908. This was later than most of the other islands of the Dutch East Indies which, together with Bali, now make up modern-day Indonesia. As early as the 8th century, Hinduism and Buddhism arrived on the island. Although Java converted to Islam in the 16th century, Bali has remained to this day staunchly devoted to the Balinese form of the Hindu religion, which continues to govern every aspect of life on the island.

      With its volcanoes periodically scattering the land with fertile ash, rivers watering the rice fields and its balmy tropical climate, the Balinese are able to grow a superb array of fresh produce. Food, like everything else in Bali, is a matter of contrast. Just as there is male and female, good and evil, night and day, there is ordinary daily food and festival food intended for the gods. Regular daily food is based on rice, with a range of spicy side dishes including vegetables, a small amount of meat or fish, and a variety of condiments.

      Rice and the accompanying dishes are cooked in the morning, after a trip to the market, and left in the kitchen for the family to help themselves to whenever they're hungry. Daily meals, which are eaten only twice a day (with plenty of snacks in between), are not sociable affairs. The Balinese normally eat quickly, silently and alone, often in a corner of the kitchen or perhaps sitting on the edge of one of the open pavilions in the family courtyard. In contrast with this matter-of-fact approach to daily food, food prepared for festive occasions is elaborate, often exquisitely decorated and eaten communally.

      Dining out is not a social custom; therefore, unless the visitor is invited into a Balinese home, or samples festive favourites, such as spit-roasted