indonesia

Balinese Mornings

April 19, 2011

I recently signed up for a 10-week creative writing course and have been loving it! Today’s post is an excerpt from last week’s assignment. The task: to write about a season in the context of place. This piece was inspired by my time living in Bali early last year. There is a faint musk in […]






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Opor Ayam (chicken curry)

March 25, 2010

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, […]






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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. INGREDIENTS 1/2 lb tempe (or one block) 1 cup peanuts (optional) 2 cups small dried fish (optional) […]






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Sambal Udang (hot sauce prawn)

March 23, 2010

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 & […]






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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 […]






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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

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. […]






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