Indonesian cuisine is one of the most versatile. Most recipes can be adjusted to suit vegetarian, vegan, and even gluten-free diets by simply replacing the ingredients. Whatever your dietary requirement or preference, you can rest assured that you won’t be struggling to find something to eat during your travels.
Most traditional Balinese dishes may contain meat, but you can request to substitute the meat for vegetables. The local menus also consist of many vegetable side dishes to choose from. One of them is called urap.
What is urap?
Urap is a refreshing Balinese salad made of a mix of blanched vegetables and the traditional spice mix, base genep.
This salad is crunchy and sweet with just the right amount of spice, often served as a side dish on a plate of nasi campur.
Ingredients used in urap
There are two main components of urap: the veggie mix and the spice blend.
Different vendors on different parts of the island will use a different combination of vegetables. However, the most common ones found in urap are bean sprouts, string beans, cabbage, and shredded coconut. Some locals may include spinach or watercress in the mix as well.
What makes urap tasty is the fragrant blend of local spices. Instead of a dressing, this salad is tossed in a mixture of galangal, aromatic ginger, red chillies, ginger, shallots, garlic, turmeric, lemongrass, candlenut, and coriander seeds.
How urap is made
Making urap takes a few simple steps.
First, prepare the spice blend. Traditionally, the ingredients above would be chopped up and then pounded to a fine paste using mortar and pestle. However, you can also use a food processor or a chopper.
Once you have a paste, toss it in a hot pan with some oil to release all the aromas and set it aside.
Next, chop up the string beans and cabbage and then boil them together with the beans sprouts for a short amount of time. Remove from the boil and immediately into cold water to stop them from cooking any further, as you’ll want to maintain the crunch.
Shred the meat of a coconut and then toss everything together with the spice blend, and you’re done! You can enjoy your own urap at home.
Where to find urap in Bali
As Bali’s top vegetable dish, urap can be found at almost any establishment that serves Indonesian or Balinese food. You can ask for it at the local markets to the humble warungs, the casual spots to the exclusive fine dining restaurants.
For a delicious taste of urap in a fine dining setting, visit Merah Putih restaurant in Petitenget, where the salad is served as part of nasi campur along with the iconic Balinese ayam betutu.
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FAQ
Urap is a refreshing Balinese salad made of a mix of blanched vegetables and the traditional spice mix, base genep.
Urap is crunchy and sweet with just the right amount of spice, often served as a side dish on a plate of nasi campur.
There are two main components of urap: the veggie mix and the spice blend. Different vendors on different parts of the island will use a different combination of vegetables. However, the most common ones found in urap are bean sprouts, string beans, cabbage, and shredded coconut. Some locals may include spinach or watercress in the mix as well.
As Bali’s top vegetable dish, urap can be found at almost any establishment that serves Indonesian or Balinese food. You can ask for it at the local markets to the humble warungs, the casual spots to the exclusive fine dining restaurants.
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