A Taste of Paradise: Top 10 Balinese Dishes to Try on Your Visit

In the island of the gods, food is more than just sustenance for survival. Many Balinese dishes are intertwined with religious rituals, prepared for ceremonial occasions that reflect the island’s Hindu traditions. Here, food is prepared with care and intentionality, marrying local ingredients that have been used for centuries and passed down for generations. The result is meals that are brimming with flavour and fragrant with the aroma of traditional spices.

The uniqueness of local Balinese dishes lies in the use of base genep, a blend of spices that come together to form a distinct sweet, spicy, and tangy profile. Flavouring Balinese cooking since the 9th century, base genep consists of different spices including garlic, shallots, chili, galangal, turmeric, coconut, lime, ginger, galangal, coriander, and cardamom.  Use of this blend varies from marinades to rubs.

For those who are currently on the island or are planning a trip soon, be sure to make room for the vast array of local dishes awaiting you. Here are just ten out of many Balinese dishes you can enjoy during your travels.

Bubur mengguh

Congee is a common breakfast item in Indonesia, and the Balinese are no different. Bubur mengguh is a Balinese rice porridge originating from Teja Kula village in North Bali.

This breakfast dish is served with a yellow chicken broth made with a blend of spices that adds a richness to the usual porridge. Toppings include shredded chicken and a side of urap, a Balinese vegetable dish.

Lawar

Many Balinese dishes are vegetarian-friendly, including lawar. This vegetable dish is a mix of beansprouts, long beans, shredded coconut, and sometimes minced meat. Tossed together with turmeric, garlic, shallots, candlenuts, and shrimp paste, lawar is a bright and refreshing menu on a hot day.

Bebek nyat-nyat

Nyat-nyat is a traditional cooking method of cooking meat in liquid that is then reduced to form a thicker consistency. The word “nyat” is Balinese for “reduce,” which aptly describes this method. While any protein can be cooked this way, duck is a common one you will find.

Ingredients in bebek nyat-nyat are duck, coconut milk, lemongrass, and bay leaves. Spices include candlenut, galangal, chili, shallots, garlic, cloves, coriander, brown sugar, a pinch of nutmeg, and shrimp paste.

Ayam betutu

Served with rice and sambal matah, this is a Balinese dish you shouldn’t miss. Legend has it that ayam betutu used to be the food of royalty. The lengthy preparation and sophistication of this dish, taking at least eight hours, makes it fit for a king.

A whole chicken is covered in a rich blend of spices such as turmeric, galangal, shrimp paste, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, and ginger. It’s then wrapped in banana leaves before being slow roasted for a few hours. This cooking method adds a smokiness to the chicken in addition to the aromatics of the spices.

Tipat cantok

Another one for the vegans and vegetarians, tipat cantok is a type of salad known by different names in different parts of Indonesia. This affordable dish contains tipat or rice cake, accompanied by bean sprouts, tofu, long beans, cucumbers, and water spinach.

Everything is drizzled with a rich peanut sauce made with peanuts, chili, garlic, shrimp paste, brown sugar, and aromatic ginger.

Be pasih 

Known elsewhere in Indonesia as pepes ikan, be pasih is a Balinese fish dish often served with rice. Any kind of fish can be used to make be pasih. Usually, the whole fish is wrapped in banana leaves. However, more modern takes will use fish fillet.

What makes be pasih delicious is the blend of spices also known as bumbu kuning or yellow spice, consisting of chili, shallots, garlic, galangal, turmeric, ginger, candlenuts, lemongrass, and shrimp paste. The fish is marinaded in this blend, wrapped in banana leaves, and steamed so that it easily melts off the bone when you cut into it.

Sate lilit

In other parts of Indonesia, satay made by skewering and grilling chunks of meat before serving it with a peanut sauce or sweet soy sauce. In Bali, sate lilit is made by mincing fish with spices and wrapping it around thick bamboo sticks or lemongrass. Some versions of sate lilit will also use chicken. Unlike other satays, sate lilit is not served with a sauce, as the spices involved are enough flavour already.

Nasi jinggo

This Balinese dish is known for its tiny serving size and highly affordable price, sold for around Rp.5,000 to Rp.15,000 per portion. Nasi jinggo contains a small portion of rice and side dishes wrapped in banana leaves. Common side dishes include egg, shredded chicken cooked in local spices, or noodles. You will find street vendors selling nasi jinggo on the back of their motorcycles everywhere in Bali.

Babi guling

Crispy skin, tender pork meat, and a tantalizing aroma – these are all the things associated with babi guling, the Balinese suckling pig renowned as Bali’s signature dish. A whole pig is stuffed with base genep and roasted over an open flame for 3-5 hours, rotating every once in a while for an even cook throughout.

Nasi campur

Finally, the Balinese dish that puts it all together is nasi campur, or “mixed rice.” You can find many of the above items featured in this dish. A typical Balinese nasi campur consists of rice, a protein such as babi guling or ayam betutu, sate lilit, and lawar. Nasi campur is also easily customizable to cater to vegetarian diets. Substitution with soy proteins like tempeh and tofu has become quite common.

While you may find these dishes around Bali, Merah Putih Bali offers a luxurious and elevated dining experience. To have a taste of authentic Balinese cuisine, book a table today and make use of these gift vouchers.

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