BASIC BALINESE FOOD INGREDIENTS
Balinese food uses a number of familiar ingredients for any other Asian cuisines. These are some ingredients that commonly uses on any Balinese food:
Basil, Lemon: A fragrant, lemon-scented herb often used in soups or salads, or as garnish. Other types of basil can be subtituted, although the flavour will not be the same.
Candlenuts: Waxy, cream-coloured nuts similiar in size and texture to macademia nuts, which can be used as a subtitute, although less-expensive raw almonds or cashews will also do. Candlenuts are never eaten raw or on their own, but are chopped, ground and cooked with seasonings and added to curries and spice mixes for flavour and texture. They go rancid quickly because of their high oil content, so buy in small quantities and keep refrigerated.
Chillies: three types of chilli peppers are used in Bali, with the amount of heat increasing as the size diminishes. Mildest and least popular are the finger-lenght red chillies (tabia lombok), usually deseeded before use. The most commonly used are the short, fat tabia Bali, about 1 inch long and raging in colour from yellow to red. Hottest of all are the tiny fiery bird's-eye chillies (tabia kerinyi). The Balinese often mix green or unripe bird's-eye chillies together with the ripe red ones, as the flavour is less important than the intense heat they provide. Use only fresh, not dried, chillies and be careful to wash your hands thoroughly after handling chillies as the oil can burn your eyes and skin. You may even like to wear rubber gloves.
Cinnamon: True cinnamon comes from the fragnant bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka, and is lighter in colour, thinner, and more expensive than cassia bark, which is often sold as cinnamon. Do not use ground cinnamon as a subtitue where cinnamon sticks are called for.
Cloves: Small, brown, nail-shaped spice that emit a floral, spicy fragrance. Apart from its use as a flavouring in a number of Balinese dishes, it is used to make the clove-scented cigarettes that are popular throughout Indonesia.
Coconut: Coconuts are widely used in Bali, for making sugar, alcohol, housing, utensils, temple offerings and charcoal. The grated flesh of the coconuts is frequently added to food; it can be also squeezed in water to make coconut milk. If freshly grated coconut is not available, dried unsweetened coconut moistened with warm water can be used as a subtitute. Sweetened and unsweetened coconut flakes of several sizes are sold in packets, usualy in baking section of super markets. Coconut cream or milk is available fresh or canned and in packets which are quick, convenient and quite tasty. Canned or packets coconut cream and milk comes in various consistencies, depending on the brand and you will need to try them out and adjust the thickness by adding water as needed. In general, add 1 cup of water to 1 cup of canned or packed coconut cream to obtain thick coconut milk, and 2 cups of water to 1 cup of coconut cream to obtain thin coconut milk.
Coriander Seeds: One of the most commonly used spices in Indonesia. The small, round seeds have a mild citrus fragrance. They used whole, or ground into powder.
Galangal: Also called laos, this member of ginger family impart a distinctive fragrance and flavour to many South East Asian dishes. Try to find young, pinkish galangal as they are more tender. Always peel and slice the root before grinding as it is tough. Galangal is also available dried, frozen and packed in water, but try to get the fresh root whenever possible as it is far more fragrant.
Garlic: Recipes in this book were prepared with Balinese garlic, the cloves of which are considerably smaller and less pungent than the garlic found in many Western countries. Adjust the amount to suit your taste is quite different. Ginger can be stored in a cool place for several weeks.
Kencur: Also known as zedoary, it is sometimes mistakenly called lesser galangal. Kencur has unique, camphor-like flavour and should be used sparingly. It must be rinsed and the skin scaped off before using. Dried kencur should be soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes to soften before use. If using ground kencur, subtitute ½—1 teaspoon of the powder for 2.5 cm (1 in) of the fresh root. Try to use the fresh root whenever possible as it is more fragnant.
Lemongrass: A fragnant, lemony stalk that is either bruished and use whole in soups or curries, or sliced and ground as part of a basic spice mix. It is usually sold in bunches of 3 to 4 stems in supermarkets. The tough outer layers should be peeled away and only the inner part of the thick lower third of the stern is used. Always slice the stem before grinding to get a smooth paste.
Lime: Several types are used in Indonesia. Round yellow-skinned limes (jeruk nipis) are slightly larger than a golf ball. The small dark green calamansi limes (jeruk limau) are use for their fragrant juice and rind. Other types of limes may also be used.
Kaffir limes are small limes with very rough antensely fragnant skin, but virtually no juice. The skin or rind often grated and used as a seasoning. Fragrant kaffir lime leaves are added whole to curries, or finely shredded and added to salads, giving them a wonderfully tangy flavour. They are available frozen or dried in Asian foof stores. Frozen leaves are more flavourful than dried ones.
Nutmeg: This is the inner kernel of the fruit of the nutmeg tree. The lacy covering on the nutmeg is another spice-mace. always grate whole nutmeg just before using as the powdered spice loses its fragrance quickly. Whole nutmegs keep almost indefinitely.
Palm Sugar: Made from the sap of the various palm fruits. It is usually sold as a solid block or cylinder of sugar. It varies in colour from gold to light brown and has a faint caramel taste. To measure, hard palm sugar sholud be shaved, grated or melted in a microwave oven. Subtitute dark brown sugar or maple syrup. To make Palm Sugar Syrup, combine 200 g (1 cup) shaved palm sugar with 1 cup (250 ml) of water. Bring to a boil over high heat in a saucepan. Reduce the heat to low, simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture turn syrupy. Strain and store in the refrigerator.
Pandanus Leaf: The fragrant leaf of a type of pandanus sometimes known as fragrant screwpine, they impart a subtle fragrance and a green hue to range of Indonesian dishes. They are Usually tied in a knot and then added to a liquid recipe. Bottle pandanus extract can be subtituted in desserts, but if fresh or dried pandanus leaves are not available, omit them from savoury dishes. Vanilla essence may be subtituted in dessert recipe.
Peanuts: Used raw and ground to make sauce, or deep fried and used as a garnish or condiment.
Pepper: Both black and white peppercorns are crushed just before use; ground white pepper is also used in occasion.
Salam Leaf: A subtly flavoured leaf of the cassia family, this is used in the same way bay leaves are used in western cooking—to add a complex earthy fragrance to dishes. If unavailble, omit them from the recipe altogether. Do not subtitute bay leaves as the flavour is totally different.
Shallots: Small, round and pinkish-purple, shallots add a sweet, oniony flavour and a hint of garlic to countless dishes. They are also sliced, deep-fried and used as a garnish. Indonesian shallot are smaller and milder than those found in many Western countries, so you may need to reduce the amount called for in these recipe.
Shrimp Paste, Dried (trasi): A dense mixture of fermented group shrimp with a very strong odour that may be offensive to some. Also known by its Malay name, belachan, it is sold in dried blocks that range in colour from caramel to dark brown. It should be roasted before use—either wrapped in foil and dry-roasted in a wok or skillet, or toasted over a gas flame on the end of a fork or back of a spoon-to enhance its flavour and kill bacteria. In some recipes, dried shrimp paste is ground with rest of the ingredients and fried inoil without toasting.
Shrimp Paste, Black: A very thick syrupy paste with a strong shrimp flavour used in some sauce.
Soy Sauce: Brewed from soybeans and wheat fermented with salt, it is salty and used as table dip and cooking seasoning. Indonesian sweet soy sauce, is much sweeter and thicker than normal soy sauce. It has palm sugar and cane molasses added. Sweet Chinese soy sauce may be subtituted or you can just add dark brown sugar normal soy. Try to find Indonesia sweet soy sauce if you can, because it has destinctive flavour.
Tamarind: A fruit that is often sold dried in Indonesia, still encased inside its long narrow tree pod. Outside of Indonesia, the pulp is more often sold in jars and packets already shelled, but still containing some fibres and seeds. It is used as a souring agent in many dishes. To obtain tamarind juice, mash 1 part pulp in 2 parts warm water and strain to obtain the juice. Discard the seeds and fibres.
Turmeric: A root similiar to ginger but with bright yellow to orange colour and a strong woody flavour. It has antiseptic and astringent qualities, and stain permanently, so scrub your knife blade, hand and chopping board immediately after handling. Purchase fresh turmeric root as needed as the flavour fades after a few days. If fresh turmeric is not available, subtitute 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric for 2.5 cm (1 in) of the fresh root.
To make tumeric water , peel about 8 inches of fresh turmeric root; slice finely and combine with 1 cup of water. Process in a blender until very fine, or pound the sliced turmeric in a mortar and than mix with water and let it stand for a couple of minutes. Strain trhough a sieve, pressing firmly with the back of a spoon to extract all the juice. Store in a jar in the refrigerator.
If fresh turmeric is not available, combine 4 tablespoons of powdered turmeric with 1 cup of water and mix well.