A Girl in the World

indonesia

Opor Ayam (chicken curry)

March 25, 2010

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 whole chicken, chopped
  • bumbu bali
  • 1 carrot, peeled and cubed
  • 1 potato, peeled and cubed

curry spice:

  • 1 tspn salt
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 lime
  • 2 blades of lemongrass
  • 3 salam leaves (bay leaves)
  • 1 cup coconut milk

DIRECTIONS

Cut chicken into pieces.  Add curry spice mix to bumbu bali.  Place chicken, oil, salt, and bumbu bali with spice mix in a large pot (the dish should consist of 25% bumbu bali).  Coat the chicken with the sauce.  Add enough water to the pot to cover the chicken.  Cover the pot and cook the chicken for approximately 30 minutes.    Beat and knot the lemon grass and add it to the stew.  Add chopped carrots and potato to stew. Add salam leaves and coconut milk to the pot.  Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked (another 20 minutes).  The curry is done when the sauce is thick and sticky.

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My favourite: Tempe Manis (sweet fermented boiled soy bean)

March 24, 2010

This is a basic tempe recipe that can be made with peanuts and small dried fish for variation. Like tofu, tempe has very little taste by itself, but when cooked, it absorbs the flavours of the other ingredients.

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 lb tempe (or one block)
  • 1 cup peanuts (optional)
  • 2 cups small dried fish (optional)
  • 2 tbsp dark brown sugar/palm sugar
  • 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 2 red chili peppers
  • 1/2 tspn salt
  • 1/2 tspn pepper
  • 1 spring onion, chopped
  • 1 leek, chopped
  • coconut oil

DIRECTIONS

Cut raw tempe into strips.  Fry tempe in coconut oil until it just starts to turn brown, set aside.  Fry peanuts, set aside.  Fry fish, set aside.  Fry chopped garlic, leek and chilies.  Add tempe, peanuts and fish.  Mix in sugar.  Stir completely and remove from heat.  Mix in salt and pepper.

This, by far, is my favourite Balinese dish.  When cooked right, the tempe is a perfect crunchy chew.  It’s like eating healthy, Asian, high-protein, low fat, spicy crisps.  Mmmmmm….mouth. wateringly. yummy.

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Sambal Udang (hot sauce prawn)

March 23, 2010

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As promised, here it is! Hot sauce prawn, Balinese style.  When you’ve got bumbu bali, the possibilities are endless.

INGREDIENTS

  • 5-7 large prawns
  • 1 1/2 tbsp bumbu bali
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar
  • 2 Balinese chilis
  • 1 green pepper, sliced
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp coconut/palm oil
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 whole lime to marinade

DIRECTIONS

  1. Marinate shrimp in salt, pepper and lime and cool in the fridge for 1 hour.
  2. Fry cooled shrimp mix in 2tbsp of oil.  You will know the prawns are ready when they turn red in colour.
  3. Add chilis, green pepper and onions.
  4. Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk.
  5. Add 1 1/2 tbsp of bumbu bali, palm sugar and kaffir lime leaf.
  6. Add the rest of the coconut milk (1/2 cup), salt and pepper.
  7. Simmer until the sauce is thick.
  8. Serve.
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Bumbu Bali

March 22, 2010

While in Bali for a few weeks in January this year, I took a great cooking class offered by one of the local restaurants in Ubud. Early that morning, we went to the market to purchase ingredients for the dishes we were going to make. It was one of the most fruitful days I spent while traveling on my own. It’s so different learning about local dishes from a local chef.

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Balinese cooking is very different from general Indonesian cooking. Balinese food tends to be either very spicy or very sweet. Many Balinese have one spice mixture called base gede or bumbu bali that they prepare in a large quantity and use in their everyday cooking. We spent half of the morning making bumbu bali and used it for every dish we made throughout the rest of the day. It’s like all-spice, Balinese style.  I’m sharing it below (JS, this one is especially for you, in return for the chili fish recipe that you cooked up after our trip through China):

INGREDIENTS

  • 25 shallots or onions, peeled and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 7 large red chillies, seeded and chopped
  • 5 cm galangal root (substitute: ginger), peeled and chopped
  • 10 cm fresh tumeric, peeled and chopped OR 2 tbsp powdered tumeric
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 6 kemiri/candlenuts (substitute: ground almonds), chopped
  • 2 tspn dried shrimp paste
  • 1/2 tspn black peppercorns
  • 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg (or powder)
  • 3 cloves
  • 4 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil
  • 1 pinch cumin
  • 1/2 tspn sesame seed

DIRECTIONS

Using a blender, mix all of the above ingredients except the oil.  Add a half portion of water into the blender to create spice mix.  Heat the oil in a wok or heavy pan, add the blended spice mix and cook over a high heat, stirring frequently for 5 minutes until the mix turns golden.  Cool before using.  Can be frozen.

Use this mix and add to meat or vegetables.  For meat, 25% of the dish should consist of the mix.  For vegetables, add a bit at a time to suit your taste.

Tomorrow, I’ll post the recipe for Sambal Udang (hot sauce prawn), which uses bumbu bali as the main spicing ingredient.  =)

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Wisdom from Ganesha Bookshop in Ubud

January 20, 2010

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Videos from Bali

January 19, 2010

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Faith and Spirituality in Bali

January 18, 2010

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A few days before leaving Ubud, a friend and I took one last tour to see Tirta Empul, the Holy Spring Temple and Pura Besakih, the Mother Temple. And my were we lucky! This past weekend marked temple celebrations across the island and we were fortunate enough to witness ceremonies and offerings everywhere we went. It was stunning to see whole villages of people, dressed in their finest silks and jewels, walking miles across town with baskets of fruits and flowers to offer thanks to the gods. The smell of incense permeated the afternoons, gongs rang and drums echoed down the streets, and colours, so many colours spilled over everywhere! Though I can’t possibly begin to understand the complexity and history behind Hinduism, it was a blessing to be witness to the beautiful traditional dances, gong ensembles, processions, prayer ceremonies and cleansing rituals that we saw this weekend.

At Tirta Empul, it was youth day. Hundreds of young adults came to wash away their impurities, ward against black magic and bathe anew in the natural spring waters. It was touching to see so many young people rooted in their faith and traditions. They laughed and giggled while in line, but when it came time to pray at the fountain mouths, there was a solemness that came over each and every one of them.

Dan Beuttner did a TED talk on living happier and longer and one of the major conclusions that he came up with after studying centennials from all over the world is that belonging to the right tribe and being a part of a faith based community can add years to your life. I couldn’t help but remember this as I humbly watched the elaborate celebrations happening this past weekend. Even for just a few days, people forgot that they were poor and hungry and came together to give thanks. There is a simple abundance in the acts of faith and gratitude, and both bring true richness to this place.

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Dear Ubud, thank you for EVERYTHING

January 17, 2010

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What a day!  One of the best days ever.  God has a funny way of doing things.  Just when I am about to leave this place, he shows me the best time ever.  =)  Maybe it means I am meant to come back again!

I was going to write all about this ridiculously amazing massage that I had today – so incredibly sensual and beautiful and mind-blowingly good.  The draft post read something like this:

I found the most wonderful spa today.  An hour and a half massage costs 15 USD and my masseuse sent shivers up and down my body the entire time.  A sensual massage is a rare thing to find but what a blessing this was.  The entire time on that table, I felt delicate, precious, human.  And I’d like to add that sensual is not the same thing as sexual.  Sensuality is about the senses: the touch, smell, temperature of things.  It is of the body, it is tactile, it is raw.  Lying on the table I thought to myself, “Human beings weren’t meant to touch each other this way.  This is an act of giving, an act of pure pleasure for the other person.”  To be touched so delicately but with the firmness and control of experienced hands was incredibly intoxicating.  It was spiritual and moving and made me feel so human.  I became aware of my body, its shapes and contours, its hardness and softness, and all the places where tension has collected and must be released.  The heat of the afternoon, the spirituality of the place, the music and the touch – all of it left me feeling lightheaded, jubilant and thankful.

And I ranted on and about about the sensuality of things.  Well, I went back for a second massage tonight (because yes it was just that good) and at the end of it, the guy asked me out.  Flattering?  A bit, but it basically nixes the whole ‘sensual not being sexual’ thing, nulls the validity of my original post and once again highlights my naivety.  I laughed the whole walk to dinner about how clueless I can be sometimes.  And instead of being deep and meaningful, the post just ended up sounding funny to me!  In hindsight, I could feel weirded out about the whole thing, but honestly, it was just so good that I don’t even care.  I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care.  I am so full of endorphins that it doesn’t even matter.

Anyway, so the rest of the day continued to be just as great.  I decided that instead of bargaining at the market for cheap souvenirs and stressing myself out in the process (sometimes, I am just not in the mood to haggle and would really rather just give someone my credit card), I wanted to purchase high-quality locally made products instead.  So I shopped for great silks and beautiful jewelry in pretty stores with fantastic service.  Sometimes the experience counts for a lot.  I felt good about spending the money on good craftsmanship and handmade products instead of supporting the big factory that is mass-producing cheap pashminas from China.

And then I met a fellow Canadian just walking down the road, a guy from Victoria who is traveling through Indonesia until the Vancouver Olympics begin, at which point he will go back to work in Whistler for BC Transport.  So nice to meet another Canadian!  We talked about Nepal and India and Thailand and Everest Base Camp and diving and manta rays coming up from the great big deep.

And then I went to this bar where a live reggae band was playing.  A guy from the audience played his harmonica and then another guy rapped in what should have been English but I’m not really sure and all the while, a bunch of 80+ year old women were dancing on stage.  They managed to get the whole restaurant up and dancing, on this random Sunday night in warm beautiful Bali.  Cheap drinks, a sticky humid evening and cheesy rainbow lights reflecting off the restaurant disco ball.  So wonderful.

It hasn’t rained in three days, I went for a dip in the pool (it is gorgeous, in the middle of rice paddies), I walked for about 6 hours all around town and now I’m sweaty and happy and tired and getting ready to head to the airport at 3 AM for my flight to Kuala Lumpur.

I keep remembering what my Mom said to me months and months ago:  It is best to leave a place loving it.  Leave on a high.

Well Mama, you’re so right!  I am leaving Ubud on a really great high and can’t wait to come back!

This place has been so good for my body and my soul.  Such gorgeous humbling beauty.  Such scorching sensual humid heat.   Such a great place to heal, to love, to become new.  It is still wild and authentic and unspoilt and I’m blessed to have had the chance to see it this way.  I hope it never changes because I will definitely be back.

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The undercover Asian

January 15, 2010

Here, I’m always thought of as a local. Actually, I think that judging by the way people look at me, they are guessing I’m local, but aren’t really sure. They look at me like I’m an alien that could be human but just in case, let’s be a little cautious. It is a fascinating way to travel. Not only do I learn about the place but I do get a very unique insider’s view of the social culture not accessible to other western tourists. I blend in Thailand, in Indonesia and I would guess in most other parts of this region just fine and I’ve found that different countries treat me in different ways when they think I’m one of them – sometimes for the better, but other times for the worst.

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In Thailand, for example, when I was walking around with the boy in Koh Samui, I couldn’t help but feel assumed as a working lady. The area with all the clubs and restaurants was teeming with he-she’s and she-he’s and she’s – all dressed in provocative clothing and high heels. And though I made it a point to dress in long linen trousers and loose blouses, I still saw eyes on me – both from the western men and Thai he-she-she-he’s. Add to that my tall white boyfriend and I could see why these women were all looking at me like I was their competition! HA! Though I didn’t take it too personally, I really did get a first-hand account of what prejudice feels like. People assumed something about me without knowing me at all! And then, even while we were going through the cities and sites, cab drivers and gate keepers would speak to me in Thai and when I didn’t respond, would sound angry or offended. I wasn’t purposely ignoring them! I simply had no idea what they were saying to me! For the whole week I often wished I had a tattoo on my forehead reading “I AM NOT THAI!”.

In Indonesia, it has been a bit different. I purposely avoided the binge drinking beaches of the Southern coast (like Kuta) and so haven’t been exposed to the working-girl environment there. But, I was sitting in a nice restaurant one night having my dinner and I overheard the owner of the restaurant graciously greeting and serving the Australian couple behind me. “How are you enjoying your food? Where are you from? Do you like Bali? Oh, can we get you anything else?”, he crooned. When he was done, he walked right past me. And I didn’t think anything of it until he heard me speak English to the waiter and the man nearly fell over himself trying to get back to my table. Suddenly he was at my side asking the same questions. Then he added, “I’m sorry, I thought you were Indonesian!”. Though I didn’t take it personally, it did feel a bit sad that he would be so overly courteous with foreign visitors to his restaurant and not domestic ones. Why wouldn’t an Indonesian guest get the same service as a westerner? Everyone is paying just the same and should be seen as important, regardless of race or colour.

The ‘blending in’ has served me well here though. Likely because I look less apt to accepting bullshit, everyone offers me such low prices for everything: tours, sarongs, hotels, tickets etc! When I compare notes with fellow travelers, they choke when I tell them how much I paid for the tour we’re on. It must be because they’re giving me local prices? Either that or I’m quite good at bargaining (my tip: bargain really hard but with a huge smile!).

Sometimes I feel like I’m one big walking mirror here in Asia, bringing out the true colours and reflections of those with whom I interact with. Just like a place can bring out aspects of the traveler that he or she may not necessarily know about his/her self, perhaps a fellow Asian-look-a-like can bring out the same angels and demons in the local people.

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The gods must be crazy (if you haven’t seen the movie, go rent it!)

January 14, 2010

I’m sitting in Art Kafe in Ubud for the 3rd night in a row. There are two men playing their guitars, singing live music. I’m at my usual couch, candles strewn all around as it pours rain on the street just a few feet away from me. The usual DOM (Dirty Old Man) has just walked by, said hi and tried to ask me out for a drink. And I just want to cry (in a good way and not because of the DOM). My good friend AV just sent me the most wonderful email and I had to hold back tears. All this after a day of intense introspection. Maybe the ridiculously brutal deep tissue massage that I had this afternoon has a lot to do with my emotional sensitivity today but when someone is working your body that hard, a thousand thoughts a minute can run through your mind on that massage table. All the lactic acids draining from every limb have nowhere to go but your brain! I swear it’s chemical!

I feel like I’m purging a lot of emotional baggage while out here on my own. And I certainly hadn’t planned to come to Bali to save myself from anything or to find something that was lost. I had actually wanted to visit this spa that I have been lusting over for a few years, Como Shambala, after I found their amazing shampoos and soaps at the Metropolitan in London. This place (Como Shambala) is an incredible yoga/rejuvenation retreat just outside of Ubud but after being here a few days, I really could not bring myself to pay $400 USD a night when compared to the $40 USD that I am paying at my gorgeous little place overlooking the pool and rice paddies. I mean, they would have to hand bathe me every morning, spoon feed me my breakfast and treat me like the Queen of England for me to pay that much money for a room relative to what I’m paying now! Luxury in Ubud doesn’t have to be expensive!

Anyway, this time away has been a real purge of all the emotional crap that I’ve been avoiding/carrying/denying for years. I mean, who knew?! Who knew I had things to sort?! Well let me tell you, I definitely have things to sort. We all have things to sort but many of us have become experts at stuffing our issues into small little corners in our closets and linen drawers. But one day, when you decide to trek out to Bali on some fanciful holiday, you’ll discover that your issues all snuck into your pack and they’ll greet you when you come out of the shower saying “HI MAMA!!! WE’RE HERE! SURPRISE!”. So anyway, I’ve been dealing with all of it these last few days and it has been hard hard hard. There are moments when I sit in bed and cry and other moments when I can’t help but laugh. Friends ask me if I ever get lonely or moody or sad and the answer is of course! Of course, of course, of course! My life is certainly far from perfect and I have big fears and big dreams just like everyone else. This time with myself has been liberating but hard hard hard. Hard but good. It’s like there’s this person, let’s call her Denisia, who is here with me and I get to know her a little more every single day. [Yes, I realize I sound cuckoo but that's OK. This afternoon, at another cafe, I actually declared myself cuckoo during a writing exercise. Self awareness, my friend, is worth more than gold!]. So yes, I am traveling along with this girl named Denisia and she really is the most delightful little thing!

I am getting to know her likes and dislikes, her dreams and fears, her real wants vs. her maybe wants. And you know what? We’re having a really great time at this. She surprises me from time to time but it’s all part of the process of getting to know someone new. Often she can’t make up her mind about anything! Massage in the morning and walk after lunch? Or walk now and massage after lunch? Or maybe Monkey Forest Park instead?! Blue sarong, or red sarong? Oh wait, what about the purple yoga pants up in the corner?! And today after 40 minutes at the bookstore, she walked out with NOTHING! NOTHING! All that time deciding and then deciding NOT! I tell you, I could have completely pulled my hair out! And let’s not even get to talking about her future. Sometimes she’s sure of one thing and then changes her mind. But she’s growing on me and I enjoy her company – she’s weird in that endearing not-always-so-scary-or-annoying sort of way. And even though she can break a daily habit out of nowhere (she will order the same thing over and over again until one day, all of a sudden and out of the blue she will order something completely different and then regret it!), she really can be relied on to be sappy and fun and maddeningly cuckoo. But like I said, it’s all part of the fun! And so today, even if she has been bat crazy and teary eyed and craving all sorts of weird things like prawn red curry with chocolate and pineapples (she could very well be PMSing – actually, I could bet my money on it), I am going to accept her anyway. Because you know why?! Because her name is Denisia and it sounds pretty darn close to my name Denise!

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