Bali has undoubtedly become one of the favourite places to spend one’s honeymoon in or even a family trip for that matter. The lovely resorts are a cherry on the top of the already beautiful beaches, places for sightseeing and definitely the tasty food. Here are some local dishes to try.
15 Local Dishes you must try when in Bali
1. Pisang Goreng
More of a snack, Pisang Goreng is enjoyed in many Southeast Asian countries. Slices of bananas are dipped into a batter and then deep-fried. The end result is sweet banana fritters enjoyed all over Indonesia.
2. Mie Goreng
Also known as Bakmi Goreng, Mie Goreng is a spicy fried noodle dish. In the non-veg version, you can use shrimp, chicken, beef or pork, although usually shrimp is preferred. For the vegetarian version, one can use tofu or mushroom. The noodles are cooked in a sauce which is made from sweet soy sauce. Topped with egg (sometimes).
3. Sate
There are various versions of this dish depending on the kind of meat is being used – like chicken, mutton, beef, fish etc. The meat is marinated and then grilled. The twist in this dish is that peanut sauce is added (like a dip) during the time of serving. The different flavours blend perfectly giving this dish a unique taste.
4. Nasi Goreng
Nasi Goerge which literally means fried rice is an Indonesian staple dish cooked with rice, kababs, broccoli, mashed potatoes, carrots, beans, fried chicken, prawn crackers and topped with eggs. Bali sees no shortage of rice and, hence, this spicy in taste dish is found everywhere.
5. Lawar
Made with different vegetables, most important being beans; shredded coconut and many spices. Not served hot but at room temperature. This dish is sometimes also served as a side wish to Babi Guling.
6. Babi Guling
Babi Guling is also known as the sucking pig. The pig is stuffed with different spices and roasted. Usually involves roasting the whole pig and is often served with Lawar at the side.
7. Kopi Luwak (Balinese Kopi) (Coffee)
The making of this coffee is a little gross but the ultimate dream of a true coffee lover. A raccoon-like creature known as the palm civet’s poop is used in the processing. Civets feed on coffee cherries, their digestive enzymes help break the outer part of the cherries. What they defecate is then processed and made into coffee, making it the world’s most expensive coffee.
8. Nasi Campur
Meaning mixed rice, this dish is served with white rice, spinach, cucumber, and other vegetables. Meat like chicken, pork, fried shrimp is used. Apart from all this peanuts and eggs are also used in the making of this incredibly tasty dish.
9. Betutu
Betutu is a Balinese dish in which dick or chicken is steamed or roasted. When the duck is used it is called Bebek Betutu. A semi-dry paste is made by mixing many spices like garlic, shrimp paste, ginger, lemongrass, palm sugar, chilli, etc. The paste is then applied to the duck. The duck is then wrapped in banana leaves and then roasted.
10. Rijsttafel
Rijsttafel is a Dutch word for rice table. It is perfect to enjoy different types of dishes like Bbek Betutu, prawn, chicken, egg rolls and even vegetables. All these are served with rice.
11. Gado Gado
This authentic dish is a salad made from many vegetables like spring beans, Chinese spinach, cabbage, sprouts, cucumber, tofu, tempeh (Indonesian soy product) and many more. Sometimes served with rice, this salad is tasty, unlike others, thanks to the peanut butter sauce and boiled eggs.
12. Urab
Another very tasty salad. Urab uses shredded coconuts as dressing instead of peanut sauce. Not all vegetables used in this one is similar to Gado Gado. It can also be served as a side dish.
13. Bubur ayam and Bubur mengguh
Bubur ayam is made with congee, a type of rice porridge added with shredded chicken. Mengguh is a slightly creamier version of ayam and is enjoyed by many as a breakfast.
14. Bakso
This chewy meatball dish can be easily found being sold by street vendors. One can use any kind of meat like chicken, beef, fish, etc to prepare it. The meat is mixed with spices and then boiled. Served either solo or with broth (soup) and noodles.
15. Sambal Matah
This cool salad type of dish is tasty and definitely low on fat. A distinct yet somewhat similar ingredient used in this dish is shallots. Shallots look like onions but both are different. As shallots have less odour they are usually eaten raw. The skeleton on this dish is lemongrass. All the ingredients are finely chopped and mixed together with a pinch of salt and lemon.
