tofu, tempe and tomato dish

This one is quick and easy. Lots of chopping of ingredients and then you are ready to go. Its just about equal parts potato, tempe and tofu. Add extra chillies if you like a spicy dish. Serve with rice and a dish that has lots of greens for a healthy balance.

1 medium potato cut into fine strips
5 cubes tofu cut into fine strips
10cm x 5cm piece of tempecut into fine strips
1 tomato roughly diced
salt and pepper
cooking oil

sambal
3 small onions
3 sections garlic
2 small chilies

Cook potato, tofu and tempe separately in pre-heated oil in a wok until golden brown. Drain excess oil.
Finely chop onions, garlic and chillies. Cook in wok until golden brown.
Add tomato pieces, salt and pepper.
mix cooked potato, tofu and tempe back into the wok.
Cook for 1-2 minutes.

"Chocolate Substitutes" - steamed pumpkin, banana and coconut parcels

Sometimes the discussion around the table at Sharing Bali heads in the direction of "chocolate". Everyone's chocolate habits are confessed. There are preferences for nightly hits of dark chocolate, and some who claim to eat it for it's anti-oxidant value! There is not a scrap of chocolate to be had at Sharing Bali even though it is grown as a crop locally. Everyone seems to get through the week without it as we do have some sweet treats as part of the menu. This seems to be one of the favourites that Gusti whips up for us. We include it in our cooking classes and there is a lot of fun to be had achieving the pyramid shaped perfectly wrapped banana leaf parcel!

3 cups finely chopped pumpkin
1 cup riceflour
1/2 spoon salt
1/2 spoon palm sugar shavings
1 cup fresh grated coconut
2-3 drops vanilla
2-3 pandan leaves (optional)
1/4 cup water
sliced bananas
banana leaves for wrapping (10cms x 15cms)

Sprinkle salt over the chopped pumpkin. This helps soften the pumpkin. Spirnkle in the water and mix by hand, squeexing the water through the pumpkin. Drain off excess water.
Add flour, sugar and coconut and continue mixing by hand. Add vanilla essence and extra water, if needed, to keep it moist.
Place a spoonful of the mixture onto a banana leaf, add a slice of banana if you like. Wrap the banana leaf around it to form a nice pyramid. Rolling the leaf up and folding over the ends is a less tricky option.
Steam for 15 - 20 minutes.

more recipes from our cookbook - "pepes" spicy steamed fish

Gusti makes several fish dishes, but this one would have to be a favourite. You only need small pieces of fish. The sambal provides all of the flavour. We use a small river fish that has been semi-dried but any fresh fish fillet would be fine. If you don't have banana leaves handy, you can use foil, especially if you are going to throw them on the grill.

pepes (steamed spicy fish)

6 small fish fillets
2 tomatoes diced
1 spoon oil
banana leaves for wrapping (approx 20cm x 15cm)

sambal
3 small onions
5 pieces garlic
3 small chillies
3cm piece ginger
2 whole macadamia nuts
3cm piece white ginger (kencur)
2 pieces 2cm turmeric
3 lemongrass stalks finely chopped
pinch salt

place all sambal ingredients in mortar, and crush with pestle
add tomatoes and continue crushing
gently mix in 1 spoon oil


steam banana leaves for 1 minute to make them more pliable
generously coat 1 fish fillet with sambal and place on banana leaf
wrap and secure ends with toothpicks
steam for 15 mins (or place on grill)

Best served with rice and a cucumber salad for freshness. A Bintang beer does seem to be the perfect drink to finish it off.

pepes (steamed spicy fish)

pepes (steamed spicy fish)

6 small fish fillets
2 tomatoes diced
1 spoon oil
banana leaves for wrapping (approx 20cm x 15cm)

sambal
6 small onions
5 pieces garlic
3 small chillies
3cm piece ginger
2 whole macadamia nuts
3cm piece white ginger (kencur)
2 pieces 2cm turmeric
3 lemongrass stalks finely chopped
pinch salt

place all sambal ingredients in mortar and crush with pestle
add tomatoes and continue crushing
gently mix in 1 spoon oil


fish

steam banana leaves for 1 minute to make them more pliable
generously coat 1 fish fillet with sambal and place on banana leaf
wrap and secure ends with toothpicks
steam for 15 mins (or place on grill)

the breakfast favourite - banana pancake

Wayan has always served fresh fruit and banana pancakes for our guests for breakfast as the Balinese tend to eat a variety of rice puddings (burbur) for breakfast, which is not for everyone.

1 banana
1 egg
juice of ½ lemon
2 spoons rice flour
¼ cup milk
pinch cinnamon
1-2 drops vanilla essence
1 lime
grated coconut and palm sugar for garnish
salt
butter for cooking

Combine egg, lemon juice, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt in a dish. Mix with a fork.
Gradually add milk until a smooth, pouring consistency is achieved.
Fold in flour. Add more milk if necessary. (we prefer a thin mix)

Peel banana. Cut in half lengthwise and place in boiling water for 1-2 mins until slightly soft.
Remove from water.

Melt a touch of butter to grease a small shallow frypan.
Pour in a thin layer of pancake mixture.
Cook until golden brown. Just before ready, place banana in centre of pancake and wrap edges over. Cook for a further 30 seconds.
Place on plate and garnish with grated coconut and palm sugar. Serve with a piece of lime.

favourite recipes from Boot Camp - peanut sambal

PEANUT SAMBAL - the most delicious peanut sauce that is used for sate, mixing with green vegetables or just for dipping with rice crackers. There are two parts to the recipe, start with preparing the fried sambal (sambal goreng).

fried sambal
5 small onions finely sliced
4 garlic sections finely sliced
3 small chillies finely sliced
pinch salt
cooking oil

toss onions, garlic and chilli in pre heated oil in a wok over a high flame until golden brown
add pinch salt during cooking
remove from wok, drain excess oil and put aside to cool

peanut mix
1 cup fresh, unsalted peanuts
1 teaspoon palm sugar (may be substituted with brown sugar)
pinch salt
½ tiny lime
cooking oil

toss peanuts in pre heated oil in a wok over a high flame for 2-3 minutes
remove and drain excess oil
crush cooked peanuts using mortar and pestle until a dry paste
add cooled sambal to mortar and continue crushing with pestle
gradually add 1-2 tablespoons cold water to make textured, creamy consistency
add palm sugar and pinch of salt and continue grinding
finally add squeeze tiny lime and mix in
(nb: if using blender instead of mortar and pestle do not overblend to a smooth paste. A slightly crunchy texture is much nicer)



GREEN BEANS WITH PEANUT SAMBAL (sayur pelecing) a simple but tasty dish that spices up green leafy vegetables. We usually use beans and/or jungle fern (paku), but a variety of green vegetables may be used. Try spinach or snow peas. The peanut sambal is found in the previous sambal section.

30 or so green string beans
small bunch jungle fern (or other green vegetable)
1 cup peanut sambal

wash and trim greens
cut into bite size pieces
blanch the greens in boiling water, drain
gradually mix through peanut sambal by hand – enough to coat the greens

lemongrass tea

I'm back here in Australia, missing Bali just a little. Just a couple of more weeks and I will be back in the village.
So I've been out to the garden and cut myself a piece of lemongrass and brewed up a glass of lemongrass tea. It's like a little taste of Bali. Thought I would share the recipe from our cookbook:

LEMONGRASS TEA

1 stalk of fresh lemon grass
1 lime or lemon
pinch fresh ground cinnamon
1 tea bag
boiling water
sugar as required

Cut end off lemon grass and remove outer dry leaves.

Gently bruise the lemongrass with the back of a knife or a small mallet to release the flavours

Tie in knot and place in glass with cinnamon and sugar if needed

Pour in boiling water

Add tea bag. Remove after tea turns golden brown. Not too strong or else it will overpower the lemongrass

Stir in a squeeze of lime. Serve with a couple of stalks of lemongrass instead of a spoon for stirring.

For our Chai Tea add some fresh ginger, cinnamon and cloves.

Lemongrass is really easy to grow. If you can't find a plant in your nursery, just buy a piece from your grocery store. Put it into water for a week or so until roots start to grow. Plant in your garden and you will soon have your very own supply of fresh lemongrass. In my opinion, fresh lemongrass tea wins hands down everytime over a dried tea leaf that is infused with lemongrass. Delicious!